Bournemouth are one of the surprises of the Premier League season but the South Coast club is set to be raided this summer with several players and even manager Andoni Iraola being targeted by a host of clubs.
This week, talk of Liverpool moving for a new centre-back in the summer has centred around Bournemouth’s 19-year-old emerging talent Dean Huijsen. The Cherries signed the young defender from Juventus in the summer transfer window for a reported fee believed to be an initial £12.8m, according to BBC Sport.
When he joined Bournemouth, the club’s chief executive said: “Dean is someone that has such exciting potential and we are all excited to see where his journey with the club will go.”
After just eight months, it already seems as though his future will soon take him to brighter prospects and one of them could be Liverpool.
Bournemouth bracing for summer exits with Liverpool one of the clubs circling
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Everton and AFC Bournemouth at Goodison Park on February 08, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
TalkSPORT’s “Transfer Notebook” with chief football correspondent Alex Crook suggests that Bournemout expect many of their best talents, including manager Andoni Iraola, to be targeted.
Liverpool want Dean Huijsen, who has a £50m release clause in his contract which Fabrizio Romano claims is active this summer. Chelsea are said to be interested as well with a potential transfer battle set to ensue this summer.
The Reds could potentially lose Virgil van Dijk this summer. Liverpool are reportedly still holding a “very good conversation” with the centre-back and his representatives over a new deal but until the skipper puts pen to paper, there is the risk of him leaving.
Worse yet, Liverpool could lose him, Salah and Alexander-Arnold for free. It would be a colossal failure for the club’s owners but even if van Dijk stays, Arne Slot needs a new centre-back to add to his squad depth as evidenced by Joe Gomez requiring surgery on a hamstring injury.
Huijsen is a promising talent but Liverpool certainly won’t make him a guaranteed starter so the defender needs to make sure that he is happy with a squad role if he picks Liverpool over Bournemouth in the summer.
