Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen has confirmed that his contract includes a release clause, potentially handing a significant boost to Chelsea and Real Madrid in their pursuit of the 19-year-old Spain international.
The Cherries paid around £15million to sign Huijsen from Juventus last summer, but they now face a serious challenge in retaining him beyond this season, as his impressive performances have sparked interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Huijsen’s contract includes a release clause set at £50million – a relatively low fee in today’s market, where young talents often command nearly double that amount.
“I have a contract until 2030, and I have an exit clause,” Huijsen told El Chiringuito.
However, the defender did add that there may be some complexity regarding the release clause that could make it less straightforward to trigger.
“How much is my exit clause? Honestly, I don’t really understand it myself,” Huijsen joked.
While Chelsea is reportedly leading the race to sign Huijsen, the interview, conducted in Spanish, largely focused on the interest from Real Madrid, who are looking to build a new generation of Spanish players in their squad.
When asked directly about interest from Madrid, Huijsen responded with a mix of humor and intrigue.
“Do a lot of teams want me? I don’t know,” he said, before being asked specifically about Madrid’s interest.
“Madrid is a big team, and every player wants to play as much as possible.
“Do I want to play for Real Madrid? I don’t know. We’ll see. A friend called me and said, ‘Go to Real Madrid.’
“I laughed and replied, ‘What am I supposed to say?’ Another friend is pushing me to Barcelona.”
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