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Chelsea has reportedly gained significant momentum in the race to sign Bournemouth’s highly coveted defender Dean Huijsen, leveraging their contractual strategy and accelerated timeline to outmanoeuvre Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.

The 19-year-old Spanish international, who has a £50 million release clause, has become one of Europe’s most sought-after young talents after a breakthrough season that earned him a senior Spain debut in March.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed Liverpool’s active involvement, noting the club’s willingness to meet the release clause, but emphasizes that plenty of clubs are interested and it won’t be a straightforward affair for the Reds.

And it seems the Italian’s warnings have come to fruition.

According to The Independent, Chelsea have seized the initiative by offering Huijsen a seven-year contract – a structure that aligns with their model of securing young talents on long-term deals.

Miguel Delaney asserts that the  “19-year-old is understood to now be seriously considering Chelsea.”

The Blues aim to finalize the transfer before July’s Club World Cup in the United States, using the tournament’s exposure as a recruitment tool.

This accelerated timeline exploits Liverpool’s focus on their title run-in and contractual discussions with existing defenders.

Chelsea’s proposal reportedly includes performance-based incentives and a clear pathway to immediate first-team football, contrasting with Liverpool’s more crowded defensive roster.

The West London club’s willingness to meet Bournemouth’s £50 million valuation outright is another positive to their transfer pursuit.

Despite early interest from Real Madrid, the Spanish giants have cooled their pursuit due to budgetary constraints and the emergence of academy graduate Raúl Asencio.

This withdrawal leaves the battle squarely between English clubs, with Huijsen himself favouring a Premier League stay to continue his rapid development according to reports.

Bournemouth anticipates his departure as part of a summer exodus that includes Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo.

It’s clear that a summer arms race for Huijsen is heating up between the Premier League’s top sides.

On the teenager’s part, he seems well aware of the prestige that playing for Liverpool will bring – saying on the Papa Pincus podcast last month:

“I don’t think it’s easy to play for Liverpool, it’s not,” he said.

“There’s pressure, there’s the whole world looking at you, there’s Champions League, Premier League.”

“You need to be good, like proper good to hold your own.”

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