Why Dean Huijsen chose Bournemouth over PSG | OneFootball

Dean Huijsen, at only 20, has already had something of a journeyman career. Starting at Juventus, being loaned out to AS Roma, moving to Premier League side Bournemouth, and then the following year joining La Liga giants Real Madrid. However, the Spain international could have had a different path, as his agent, Ali Barat, has told French media RMC Sport.

Huijsen joined Bournemouth from Juventus in the summer of 2024 in a deal worth just under €20m. That move came off the back of a breakthrough loan spell at Roma. The Cherries weren’t the only interested party at the time, as Barat tells RMC Sport.

He has revealed that a move to Paris Saint-Germain was a “real option” for the former Bournemouth defender. “Luís Campos (PSG’s sporting director) was one of the first ones to recognise Huijsen’s potential, and in 2024, PSG were a real option,” said Barat.

The agent then went on to reveal why his client opted for a move to the Vitality Stadium, rather than the Parc des Princes. “Dean thought that he would have more opportunities to play regularly at Bournemouth compared to PSG,” he said.

One year later, Huijsen would leave to join Real Madrid in a €60m deal, and his centre-back partner at Bournemouth, Illia Zabarnyi, would join Les Parisiens on a permanent deal.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle