Dean Huijsen’s father reveals the crucial role former Roma director Tiago Pinto had bringing him to Bournemouth and warns ‘never say never’ to a Juventus return.
The 19-year-old represents a massive profit for the Bianconeri, as he was snapped up for €470,000 by the Juve youth academy in 2021 and was sold for €15.2m plus up to another €3m in add-ons.
There were numerous clubs interested in the defender, but he opted for Bournemouth and there is one very important reason behind that choice.
“We were contacted by Tiago Pinto, the same director who had taken Dean to Roma,” father Donny Huijsen told TuttoJuve.com.
“Other clubs stepped up and contacted us too, but the Bournemouth project was the best and that is why he chose the Premier League.”
The player had made the loan move to Roma in January and impressed in 14 competitive appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
It proved enough to raise his profile and draw the interest of so many other teams.
A new experience for Huijsen
“We as a family are very proud that he has come to the Premier League, the best in the world, and to see your son playing there at the age of 19 is fantastic.
“The objective will be to play as many minutes as possible at Bournemouth, to become a better player and help his new club in achieving their seasonal targets.”
When asked if there could one day be a return to Juventus once Huijsen has developed with more regular playing time, the father won’t rule it out.
“It’s true, but for now the dream is to play in the Premier League with the Bournemouth jersey. You can never say never in football, so we’ll see what happens. Right now, he is only thinking about doing well with his new club.”