‘Smart’ first Liverpool summer signing thunders closer as Real Madrid sour on Spain star

Liverpool are being backed to finalise their first summer signing early in the window, with a prospective deal for a £50m Spain star now potentially just 39 days away and with the “main spanner in the works”, Real Madrid, having cooled their interest.

The Merseysiders will be confirmed as Premier League champions this weekend if they beat Tottenham at Anfield in what will confirm a marvellous first season at the helm for Arne Slot. But while Liverpool supporters will lap up the celebrations for all they are worth, work is already going on behind the scenes to ensure the Reds enjoy a long spell of domination and can back up that success with further triumphs.

As a result, sporting director Richard Hughes is already working hard on a number of potential summer recruits – and with a big pot of cash at their disposal, Liverpool are keen to make three quickfire signings, as per David Ornstein.

Now, the first of those – Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen – appears to be edging closer to the finish line, with the Reds seemingly leading the way for his signing.

And while the twice-capped Spain star has several suitors – among them Real Madrid – Liverpool journalist David Lynch now feels they’re unlikely to follow up on their interest, giving the Reds a free run and allowing them to complete his signing early in the window.

Indeed, with the summer window opening for business for a 10-day period at the start of June, Liverpool could potentially confirm Huijsen’s signing as soon as June 1 – just 39 days from now.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Lynch said:  “The biggest spanner in the works could be Real Madrid, and by all accounts they would be the player’s preference because he represents Spain and would love to play for Real Madrid, but it doesn’t seem at the moment like they’re gonna follow up on their interest.

“That could leave Liverpool with a bit of a free run, and I think there’s no doubt that, if they do get that, Dean Huijsen would be a very smart signing.

“From everyone you speak to, this is something that’s gonna be resolved quite early in the window, so maybe we won’t have to wait too long to find out if he’s gonna be a Liverpool player, but he is a very interesting potential target.”

READ MORE ➡️ When does the summer 2025 transfer window open? All the key dates… 

Fabrizio Romano backs up Liverpool’s claims over Huijsen

Liverpool’s plans to sign Huijsen were confirmed by our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher back in mid-March, with the 20-year-old Cherries star satisfying three key criteria for Slot’s side and with the Reds having held initial talks over his signing.

With a £50m exit clause in his deal, Andoni Iraola’s side will be powerless to prevent his exit if that release fee is met, though the fact they will net a significant profit on their initial £12.9m investment from Juventus last summer will be some cause of comfort.

And with his teammate Justin Kluivert also revealing he expects the player to leave the Vitality Stadium, a summer move away now looks an inevitability.

However, Liverpool’s hopes of landing the centre-half have been given a further lift by Romano, who has also confirmed Real Madrid appear unlikely to follow up on their initial interest.

“I’m hearing that internally at Real Madrid, they have still not decided whether they want to sign a centre-back or not in the summer, how much they want to spend,” Romano said.

“They have Raul Asencio at the club who is doing very well, so that’s why Real Madrid are not so convinced – not about Huijsen, but about signing a new centre-back in the summer. This is why the timing is helping the English clubs, so Liverpool will be there, Arsenal will be there, Chelsea will be there.”

Romano added: “The release clause is £50m, so the negotiation is on the player’s side, basically. I’m sure that all these three clubs will push and push again in the next days [and] weeks to try reach an agreement with Dean Huijsen and his camp.”

Latest Liverpool news: Striker price skyrockets; Klopp to pick from four

Meanwhile, Liverpool are likely to quickly veer away from their growing interest in Hugo Ekitike after the Eintracht Frankfurt striker’s price skyrocketed in a move branded “outrageous”, forcing Slot and Hughes to re-evaluate their next move and turn to another option.

Elsewhere, the Reds are being tipped to seal the signing of another incredible teenage talent, with Hughes aiming to pull off a transfer coup with the addition of a quality Leicester City starlet in a move seen as a repeat of their Rio Ngumoha raid on Chelsea.

And finally, Liverpool fans could soon see their iconic former boss Jurgen Klopp back in the dug-out, with a move to Real Madrid – who have already discussed a move – one of four clubs seemingly under consideration.

N FOCUS: The rise of Dean Huijsen

By Samuel Bannister

➡️ Huijsen was born in Amsterdam in April 2005.

➡️ His family relocated to Spain in 2010 and he played for Costa Unida CF de Marbella.

➡️ Malaga signed him for their academy in 2015.

➡️ Juventus signed him in 2021, initially to play for their U17 team.

➡️ In January 2023, he was promoted to Juventus’ Next Gen (U23) team, enabling him to play among professionals in Serie C.

➡️ Huijsen earned his senior debut for Juventus in October 2023, coming on as a substitute in a Serie A game.

➡️ Roma took Huijsen on loan in January 2024 at the express wish of Jose Mourinho (who was sacked that same month).

➡️ He scored his first Serie A goal in February 2024 – and then another later that month after carrying the ball out from defence and shooting from distance.

➡️ In March 2024, he committed his international future to Spain, being called up to their U21 team.

➡️ He made his last appearance for Roma in April 2024 and was an unused sub in their last five Serie A games of the season.

➡️ Bournemouth bought Huijsen from Juventus in the summer of 2024.

➡️ He made his Premier League debut in the first game of the season, lasting all 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest.

➡️ He headed in his first goal for Bournemouth in December 2024 after returning to the starting lineup – which he has consistently remained in ever since.