Beware Juventus, Mourinho was right on Huijsen

Dean Huijsen prepares for a move to Bournemouth from Juventus, but Wayne Girard warns the Bianconeri that they’re losing one of Europe’s top defensive prospects…

There must have been a big grin on the face of Dean Huijsen’s agent when he saw a familiar number pop up on his mobile. It was the second time he received a call requesting his client’s services in seven months. Tiago Pinto, the former sporting director of Roma, had brought the centre-back over to the capital last winter to give Jose Mourinho some depth. Huijsen, one of the most coveted under-21 defenders in football, had gained promotion to the Juventus first team after rising through the ranks. 

Part of Juventus Next Gen, a few from his group were being integrated into the first team by Max Allegri, as Kenan Yildiz and Samuel Iling-Junior became important players, even benching first-team regulars such as Federico Chiesa. But Huijsen had a more difficult time grabbing minutes between Bremer and Federico Gatti. He featured just 12 minutes in one sole match before moving to Roma.

This was a bit of a surprise for the teenager, as in the 2022-23 season in Serie C, he scored ten goals between the Under 19 squad and Next Gen. Allegri would have been all the wiser to have kept him with the first team, confirming the connection to his parent club instead of allowing him to see and feel what it felt like outside of the Vinovo training centre. 

Huijsen confirms Juventus exit and reveals regret ahead of Bournemouth transfer

The Spanish youth international is now heading to Bournemouth for an initial fee of just under €15m plus €3m add-ons. While this may seem like an abundance of cash back to Torino, it’s a limited view on one of the most prospective central defenders in Europe. This is especially true for a player with an emotional bond to the club, signalling, “This is not a goodbye forever, but an arrivederci,” in his farewell letter on Instagram. Dean was hurt.

A controversial decision by management, while the player himself has been no stranger to mixing things up a bit. Before he joined the Giallorossi on loan, Frosinone attempted to sign him, but he disappointed fans of the Canarini when he cancelled the move after agreeing terms. When he scored for Roma against Frosinone on their home turf, he put his finger to his mouth to shush the crowd, which, of course, had the polar opposite effect. A bit of a bite for the lanky centre-back, but a learning experience as he was substituted at halftime by manager Daniele De Rossi.

But choosing to fight for time in Rome compared to easy minutes at a smaller club showed competitive hunger and belief. Part of that decision was also being able to learn under then-manager Jose Mourinho. The Special One’s history of seeing talent wasn’t hidden from Huijsen’s abilities, and the two quickly established a strong bond due to the teenager’s maturity, composure, threat in the air, and ball-playing capabilities.

De Rossi teaches Huijsen a lesson and warns Roma

Ultimately, it was the right choice. Huijsen played in 13 league matches, and it took less than a month for him to grab his first goal in Serie A. While keeping a clean sheet, his thumping header from 10 yards out showed a true duality to his game. Not even two weeks later, his infamous hush occurred against Frosinone. It was an absurd goal for any player, let alone a central defender. He first dribbled past the pressing striker at the halfway line, juked past the defensive midfielder, and then set himself up wonderfully for a curling goal that so delicately landed into the far corner of the net. Superb.

He fits nicely into the rest of Bournemouth’s youthful summer signings, with forward Daniel Jebbison and keeper Alex Paulsen, who are 21 and 22-years-old respectively. Tiago Pinto must be overjoyed at grabbing Dean again, and now on a permanent basis. Huijsen has a rare player profile, and while Juventus look to sell products off from Next Gen, they may very well find themselves selling the next generation of talent in order to repurchase their past players.

When most knew very little about the teenager who had barely featured in a professional match, Mourinho understood his potential: “We all know who he is. He is an 18-year-old boy who has played 10 minutes in Serie A, but he is one of the highest-quality prospects in European football at this age level. He will be a great footballer in the future.”

He was right, and those words could come back to haunt Juventus if he’s shushing the Bianconeri crowd on a future European night.