Having already claimed just about every trophy worth getting his hands upon, Liverpool’s man mountain Virgil van Dijk is almost another Premier League title closer to truly establishing himself as the finest central defender of his generation.

But, as far as Liverpool’s £50 million summer target is concerned, Sergio Ramos will take some shifting from the Mount Rushmore of modern-day defenders.

Dean Huijsen was born in Amsterdam but made his name in Italy, and now represents Spain at senior level.

So while the Bournemouth ace may have been born just 65 miles south of Virgil van Dijk’s hometown of Breda, Huijsen’s self-proclaimed ‘idol’ is the man he is now hoping to emulate on the international stage.

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When quizzed by Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport back in 2024, and asked to pick between Van Dijk and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, Huijsen did not take long to make his selection.

“Absolutely [Ramos], he was my idol,” Huijsen said in the midst of his impressive loan spell with Roma.

“For me, Sergio Ramos has been one of the strongest central defenders in the history of football.”

Now, with Liverpool facing a potential Real Madrid battle for Dean Huijsen’s signature, The Reds will be hoping that one of their leading summer targets can resist the urge to follow in Ramos’ gilded Bernabau footsteps.

Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

According to the ever-reliable David Ornstein, Liverpool opened talks with Dean Huijsen’s camp earlier this month.

The former Juventus starlet seemingly confirmed the existence of a £50 million release clause in the deal which took him from Turin to the South Coast last summer, though it felt telling that Huijsen was keen to keep the door to Real Madrid ajar.

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Of course, as Van Dijk commits his future to Liverpool for at least the next two years – this, combined with Mo Salah’s own extension has some feeling that Arne Slot has already saved £200 million in summer outlays – the need for a long-term replacement at Anfield is not quite so pressing as it might have been.

Photo by David S.

The good news for Liverpool though is that, while competition for Huijsen’s signature will be fierce and varied back home in the Premier League, over in Madrid, it is far from certain that the chance to follow in Sergio Ramos’ footsteps will actually present itself at all.

“Dean Huijsen would be very open to a move to Real Madrid,” explains Fabrizio Romano.

Huijsen is appreciated at Real Madrid, but they have not decided whether they want to spend on a centre-back in the summer or not.

“Obviously, Huijsen can’t wait forever.

Bayern [Munich] have also been calling for weeks for Dean Huijsen.

“Now, Premier League clubs are really, really pushing.