According to Caught Offside, Manchester United and Chelsea could compete for the signature of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen at the end of the campaign.
The Red Devils recently suffered a massive setback with Lisandro Martinez sustaining a serious knee injury. The World Cup winner could be ruled out for most of the year after undergoing surgery.
Man United manager Ruben Amorim may want a left-footed specialist in the left centre-back role and Caught Offside claim that the club could swoop for Huijsen, who has a £50 million release clause in his contract.
However, the Mancunian giants are not alone in the pursuit. They are likely to face competition from league rivals Chelsea, who have also been monitoring the defender’s progress in the South Coast.
Summer transfer
Huijsen signed for the Cherries from Juventus last summer. The centre-back was initially on the bench, but has been a revelation since breaking into the starting line-up under manager Andoni Iraola.
The Spain youth international has established himself as a key player at just 19 years of age. He has made 4.4 clearances and 3.6 recoveries per league game and has won almost 60% of his ground and aerial duels.
Huijsen has also been a goalscoring presence in the box with his obvious height advantage. He would be a quality acquisition for the Red Devils to compensate for Martinez’s absence as well as add competition for places.
However, a summer transfer won’t be straightforward for United. The Red Devils could face fierce competition from the Blues, who may want a more reliable option in the left central defensive role next term.
Levi Colwill has been prone to defensive errors during his early career. Manager Enzo Maresca could demand the services of Huijsen. Chelsea are currently better placed with possible European qualification.
United are poised to miss out on Europe via the Premier League as they are in 13th. They may have to win the Europa League to qualify for the Champions League. This could provide a boost for their summer business.
