Chelsea favourites to sign Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen this summer | OneFootball

Chelsea are favourites to sign highly-rated Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, with Enzo Maresca said to be a fan of his profile.

This season has been a breakthrough campaign for the young Spaniard, who has been one of the standout players in an impressive Bournemouth team who are eighth at the moment.

Huijsen has been lauded for his ball-playing ability, and Maresca is also keen on him for that reason. There is also competition for his signature from Liverpool and Real Madrid, but Chelsea have been monitoring him for a long time and are well positioned to pay his £50 million release clause this summer.

The 24-year-old is two footed, and can capably play either side of central defence, making him a viable partner to both Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, based on who is fit and available.

Maresca has come to the conclusion he needs a new centre-back, with Fofana regularly injured and Colwill’s ball-playing abilities questioned at times.

Chelsea will also look at a striker once the campaign is over and address the goalkeeper situation.

There is also a plethora of goalkeepers currently at the club, but the issue is working out who is good enough to take the starting position. Robert Sanchez has not gained the trust of the Blues fans and has been under the microscope after a number of mistakes throughout the season.

Filip Jorgensen has not fared better this campaign and does not appear to have the trust of manager Maresca, meaning Djordje Petrovic could be in pole position to become first choice when he finishes his loan at Strasbourg.

The early signs are that it is shaping up to be another busy summer of transfer activity for Chelsea. Since the club changed ownership there has rarely been a quiet window.

As well as the incomings, the Blues will also look to offload a number of players including Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.