Arsenal have joined Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign in-demand Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, according to a report.
The Cherries have been going from strength to strength under the wing of Andoni Iraola and currently occupy seventh place in the Premier League table as they push for a landmark European qualification.
The fledgling Huijsen has been a standout performer in Bournemouth's marvellous 2024-25 campaign, registering two goals in 18 Premier League appearances and helping the Cherries keep five clean sheets.
The 19-year-old had to be patient for his breakthrough after his summer arrival from Juventus - who pocketed £12.7m through his sale - but an injury to Marcos Senesi opened the first-team door for him.
Huijsen has now played the full 90 in each of Bournemouth's last 11 Premier League matches, netting goals in high-profile wins over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and his exploits have not gone unnoticed.
Arsenal 'alerted' to £55m Huijsen release clause
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Huijsen's contract at the Vitality Stadium does not expire until the summer of 2030, but according to TBR Football, his terms include a release clause set at an affordable £55m, which can be triggered this summer.
All of Liverpool, Chelsea and now Arsenal are said to have been alerted to the Spain Under-21 international's contract clause, which Bournemouth have been 'reluctant' to confirm themselves.
However, it is understood that such an option exists, meaning that Bournemouth would be powerless to prevent Huijsen talking to other clubs if an interested party stumps up that amount.
Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also said to be admirers of the 6ft 5in defender; the latter two and Liverpool apparently made contact over a summer deal before Bournemouth won the race.
Elsewhere across Europe, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are also claimed to be keeping tabs on the situation, and the German giants' interest is 'particularly strong'.
Nevertheless, Bournemouth are allegedly confident that Huijsen will still be on the books at the Vitality for 2025-26, potentially bad news for Juventus in the short term, as the Old Lady would receive £5.5m through a 10% sell-on clause should he leave this summer.
Huijsen identified as Arsenal's William Saliba replacement?
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As an ambidextrous defender, Huijsen would be comfortable operating as a right-sided or left-sided centre-back, making him an ideal signing for any top-level European club, including Arsenal.
The Gunners have seen William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes forge one of the meanest centre-back pairings in Europe in recent years, but there is growing talk of Real Madrid's interest in the former.
Los Blancos have been deprived of Eder Militao and David Alaba for months due to serious injuries, although they have supposedly been told that it will take a world-record fee to prise Saliba away from the Emirates.
However, should the Bernabeu pull prove too strong for Saliba to ignore, Arsenal could do worse than reinvest a portion of that money in a younger, Premier League-proven option.
Ben Knapton
