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Dean Huijsen’s agent has revealed how close he came to joining Liverpool last summer. In short: not very.
The defender attracted interest from several of Europe’s leading clubs during the transfer window, but ultimately signed for Real Madrid in June ahead of the Club World Cup, lining up alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold in defense.
Arne Slot hoped to have the pair in his backline this term, but the allure of Real proved too appealing for both. Indeed, speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Huijsen’s representative Ali Barat named five teams that were keen on signing the ex-Bournemouth man, but any contest ended when Real’s chief scout Juni Calafat made the club’s interest known.
“We always thought Real Madrid would come in,” Barat said in a recent interview with Spanish outlet AS. “Dean is a fantastic player and after two games with the national team, Juni [Calafat] contacted us, and everything moved very quickly, honestly.
“When they [Real] came along, it was an easy decision. There were many clubs, but with Real Madrid [in for him], there was no doubt.
“Chelsea wanted him, even since January,” Barat continued. “They were the first big club really interested, but Bournemouth didn’t want to sell in January.
“And his release clause wasn't active then, only in the summer. Of course, after playing for Spain's national team, we had about seven big clubs - Bayern [Munich], Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle. They all wanted Dean, to be honest.”
Barat also revealed the boyhood Real fan was convinced to sign for the club by Xabi Alonso.
“I know Xabi's work at Leverkusen well; he's very good at developing young players, so when Alonso spoke to Donny [Huijusen’s father] and me, we were convinced that Madrid was the best place for him.
“We spoke with him via video call. Alonso was about to go to Madrid; it wasn't official yet, but just before. We wanted to decide everything before the summer break, so he could leave with peace of mind.
“We were in contact with everyone. For us, it wasn't like he was waiting for Real Madrid, but when they came, we were already in talks, and it became more and more serious. Then we spoke with Alonso, and from there, everything was finalized very quickly.”
Liverpool ultimately signed youngster Giovanni Leoni after missing out on Huijsen, while the Reds attempted to conclude a deal for center-back Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day.
The Reds hope to sign the Crystal Palace captain next summer when his contract expires.
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