Chelsea reportedly 'really appreciate' Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, who has a release clause written into his contract with the Cherries.
The 19-year-old has seamlessly slotted into the Bournemouth backline since joining in a £12.8m switch from Juventus last summer, shining alongside Ilya Zabarnyi in the heart of defence.
Huijsen initially had to be patient for his opportunity over Marcos Senesi, but he has now started each of Bournemouth's last 10 top-flight games, including Saturday's 5-0 thumping of title outsiders Nottingham Forest.
The former Roma man has notched two goals in that time, and Andoni Iraola's men have astonishingly not lost any of those 10 matches, a remarkable run that has propelled them up to seventh place in the Premier League table.
Bournemouth tied Huijsen down to a six-year contract upon his arrival at the Vitality Stadium in the summer, meaning that he is not due to become a free agent until 2030, but according to Fabrizio Romano, his terms do include a release clause.
Chelsea to battle Bayern Munich for Huijsen?
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Romano adds that the option can be activated from this summer, and even though it is unclear how much the clause is worth, Chelsea are supposedly keeping a close eye on developments.
The Blues have reportedly placed the 2005-born talent high on their defensive shortlist, but Enzo Maresca's men are set to face incredibly stiff competition from German giants Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga leaders are said to have already made contact with Bournemouth, asking to be informed of the conditions for a deal, but the Cherries will certainly bank a huge profit on the £12.8m they paid for the teenager last summer.
As well as Huijsen, Iraola's side could also be at risk of losing in-demand left-back Milos Kerkez this summer, with both Manchester United and Liverpool tipped to make a move for the Hungarian.
However, Man United are now said to be prioritising a January deal for Lecce's Patrick Dorgu, and the Red Devils have apparently made "significant progress" in their pursuit of the defender.
Why are Chelsea pursuing Huijsen move?
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At the start of the 2024-25 season, an exciting partnership was blossoming between Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana at the heart of the Chelsea defence, before injury cruelly struck for the latter yet again.
Whether the latter is indeed ruled out for the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but it is becoming increasingly clear that he is not an option who can be relied on to stay fit for an entire campaign.
To boot, Benoit Badiashile is currently on the sidelines and is being linked with an exit, as is Axel Disasi, who was already low down in the pecking order and has now been leapfrogged by recent loan returnee Trevoh Chalobah.
Chelsea may need to address their striker and goalkeeper situations as a matter of priority this summer too, but a defensive shake-up could also be on the cards, and a young, Premier League-proven option such as Huijsen is a no-brainer.
Ben Knapton
