After just six Club World Cup matches and one La Liga match, Real Madrid fans can see that the club struck gold with the signing of Dean Huijsen. The Spaniard arrived this summer from Bournemouth for a fee of around €60 million and has fit seamlessly into the starting lineup.
The 20-year-old is the perfect Sergio Ramos replacement that the club has been searching for since the legend departed the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. His physicality, style of play and footballing IQ are all the ingredients to become a legend at Real Madrid.
One of the most irreplaceable aspects of Ramos' game was his consistency. His passing range and consistent top level performances is what help lead Real to much success in his time at the club.
However after his departure the club lacked that consistency in the backline and in was one of their achilles heels for years. However, Huijsen's arrival signals a change back to more consistent ways, and this stat proves it.
Dean Huijsen is an absolute steal for Real Madrid
According to the statisticians at Sofascore (via Madrid Xtra) Dean Huijsen is just the second Real Madrid defender to attempt 15 or more long balls with 85% or more accuracy in a La Liga match. Huijsen recorded 94% long ball accuracy, breaking Sergio Ramos' 2018 record of 88%.
While this may sound like an obscure stat to some, and frankly it is, but it still shows the consistency Huijsen brings to Xabi Alonso's side. As evident from Real's La Liga opener against Osasuna, Xabi Alonso favors a style with lots of switches of play, and having an accurate long ball player like Huijsen, could be a key to any success the club has this season.
With Los Blancos finally finding their new center-back for the next decade or more, fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Sergio Ramos is beloved by all Real Madrid fans, and his position and potentially his number 4 shirt are in safe hands going forward.