Real Madrid secured the signing of Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth on Saturday, activating his £50 million (\$59 million) release clause.
The 20-year-old centre-back caught attention after an impressive season in the Premier League, having joined Bournemouth from Juventus in 2024 for £12.8 million.
“Real Madrid and Bournemouth have reached a deal for the transfer of player Dean Huijsen, who will be at our club for the next five seasons, from June 1, 2025, until June 30, 2030,” announced Los Blancos in an official statement.
Bournemouth confirmed that Madrid had “activated a £50 million release clause,” with reports indicating that Huijsen’s previous clubs, Juventus and Malaga, stand to benefit financially from the transfer.
Real Madrid acted swiftly to finalize the deal amid interest from multiple Premier League clubs in the Spain international.
Huijsen will feature for Real Madrid at the Club World Cup in the United States this summer, debuting against Al-Hilal on June 18 in Miami.
Born in the Netherlands, Huijsen relocated to Spain with his family at age five and developed his skills in Malaga’s youth academy.
He made his senior Spain debut in March, helping La Roja defeat the Netherlands and advance to the Nations League final four.
This move comes as Real Madrid seeks to strengthen its defense following a challenging season, marked by 14 losses across all competitions and no major trophies.
In a summer of transformation for the club, coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to depart to manage the Brazil national team, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso widely expected to succeed him.
Additionally, England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is poised to join the squad after completing his contract with Liverpool.