With the transfer window now officially drawn to a close, Real Madrid fans will be more than happy with the club's signings in the summer. Each of the newly arrived players has performed impressively.
Real Madrid were hit by a major injury crisis at the heart of their defence last season, as two of their centre-backs, David Alaba and Eder Militao, spent almost the whole campaign on the sidelines. As a result, the Merengues prioritised the strengthening of that area in this transfer window and brought in Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth for a fee of €62.5 million.
Surprising many, the Spanish centre-back seems to have already secured a place in Los Blancos’ starting XI and appeared in all three La Liga matches till now as a starter.
Recently, Huijsen has opened up about his experience at Real Madrid and how he is fascinated by the stature of the club. He has said to Marca (via Fabrizio Romano):
"You can imagine the size of Real Madrid, but living is different”.
“You really realize what this club means."
Dean Huijsen didn’t expect this at Real Madrid and it floored him
Huijsen had an impressive 2024–25 season for Bournemouth, where he spent just a single campaign. He appeared in 33 matches for the club in all competitions. The youngster has also made four senior appearances for Spain till now.
The Spaniard’s journey from being an out-of-favour individual at Juventus to joining the greatest football club in the world in a span of two years is nothing short of incredible.
Huijsen’s quality as a centre-back is already well known. But what has shocked many fans is the Spaniard’s pinpoint passing ability which is something Real Madrid have missed in recent years from their defenders.
In the matchup against Mallorca, the 20-year-old provided an important assist to Arda Guler, who put the ball in the net to score the equaliser. The game ended 2–1 later, courtesy of Vinicius’s goal a minute later.
Apart from Huijsen, Los Blancos have also signed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras to strengthen the full-back positions. Additionally, Militao and Alaba are back from injuries, so the squad are ready to fight for multiple trophies this season.
Huijsen is among the players called up for national duties. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso continues to work with the rest of the players available to further align the squad with his tactical setup. Real Madrid take to the field next against Real Sociedad following the international break, and Los Blancos will look to continue their winning form.