In a recent report, journalist Graeme Bailey stated that Newcastle United are facing tough competition for Juventus defender Dean Huijsen this summer. It has been claimed that the Magpies would have to rival Liverpool, Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart in the race to sign the Spanish centre-back.
Huijsen’s Impressive Loan Spell At AS Roma
Huijsen played a sporadic role in AS Roma’s match-day squad in the previous campaign. The 19-year-old scored two goals and grabbed one assist in 14 matches for the Italian club in the league.
The talented teenager was a dominant presence at times inside his half as he averaged 0.8 tackles, 0.3 interceptions and 2.0 clearances per game in the Serie A. He was even tidy when distributing possession from the back after making 87,1% of his attempted passes in the Italian top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at his parent club Juventus will run out in the summer of 2028. Thus, it won’t be easy for Newcastle to sign him on the cheap later this year.
Should Newcastle United Boss Eddie Howe Go For Huijsen This Summer?
Huijsen is a decent tackler of the ball and can scan the danger well to secure the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot.
Standing 1.97m, the Danish talent can use his strong frame to win his share of 50-50 duels in the air. At the moment, Huijsen needs to find a way to earn more playing time if he wants to taste success at the highest level in the future.
We can expect Huijsen to add more bite and steel to Newcastle boss Eddie Howe’s defence. He has what it takes to fight for a regular first-team spot at the Tyneside club in the coming seasons. All in all, Huijsen would be an excellent option for the Magpies to pursue in the long run.
However, there are some concerns over whether Huijsen would be able to cope with the high intensity of Premier League football. Still, the Tyneside club would be wise to go for a player of Huijsen’s quality as they look to bolster their defence this summer.
