Manchester United and Chelsea have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, who is said to have a £50m release clause written into his Bournemouth contract.
United suffered their 12th loss in the Premier League this season against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, losing 1-0 after Andre Onana's error allowed James Maddison to poke home the winner, and the result saw them drop to 15th place.
Sixth-placed Chelsea lost 3-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion last Friday in the league, and the defeat has helped ramp up the pressure on boss Enzo Maresca.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth ended the weekend in fifth place after beating Southampton 3-1 on Saturday, winning their sixth Premier League game in eight top-flight fixtures, with centre-back Huijsen an integral part of their Champions League-chasing squad.
The 19-year-old centre-back has caught the eye this season, and Fabrizio Romano reports that the defender will be available in the summer for £50m due to a release clause inserted into his contract.
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Manchester United's case for Huijsen
Under the guidance of part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United appear to no longer be targeting superstars, but instead younger and cheaper talents capable of improving while at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have brought in 19-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro and 20-year-old wing-back Patrick Dorgu, and Huijsen would help to significantly bring down the age of the team's backline.
Harry Maguire will be 32 in March and has experienced a number of injury issues in recent seasons, so making sure there is a succession plan in place for the Englishman would be sensible.
However, Maguire excels in aerial battles and this is an area in which Huijsen struggles, with the Cherries defender's aerial win percentage of 58% worse than his counterpart's win percentage of 67%.
Additionally, boss Ruben Amorim has faced significant scrutiny during his time at Old Trafford, and there is speculation that he could lose his job if results continue to go against him, so moving to an unstable United could be detrimental to his long-term development.
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Chelsea's case for Huijsen
Chelsea were forced to recall centre-back Trevor Chalobah from his loan spell at Crystal Palace due to an injury crisis in the backline, so perhaps Huijsen could come in as an immediate starter.
The Blues' defence has faltered significantly in recent weeks, with the club having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight Premier League matches, conceding seven goals in their past three.
Though Huijsen is 6ft 5in, he is surprisingly adept at stepping forward with the ball, and when asked to play out from the back the defender is able to execute both shorter range and longer-range passes.
His ability on the ball would make him a good fit for Maresca's possession-oriented style of play, but moving to Chelsea could be risky given the Italian's position is far from secure.
Huijsen could benefit from staying at Bournemouth under the tutelage of his current manager Andoni Iraola, and there is every chance that the Cherries will finish above both Chelsea and Man United and qualify for the Champions League at their expense.
Lewis Nolan
