Liverpool pursue Dean Huijsen, signaling renewed defensive rebuild at Anfield
Liverpool are planning to submit a €70m formal offer for Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen, a Spanish report states. That move signals Liverpool are actively targeting a long-term centre-back who they believe fits the physical demands of the English game and could be available amid reported uncertainty about Huijsen’s standing at Real Madrid.
Liverpool plan €70m offer for Dean Huijsen — the current confirmed state
A Spanish report states Liverpool are “willing to spend €70 million” to convince Real Madrid to sell Dean Huijsen at the end of the season. The report says Liverpool have followed Huijsen in all of Madrid’s matches this campaign and view his ball-playing ability and physique as well suited to the Premier League.
Madrid signed Huijsen from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025 after triggering a €62. 5 million release clause. He is under contract at Real Madrid until the summer of 2030, and while he has been a regular this season, his performances have been described in the context as mixed.
Real Madrid’s summer 2025 move for Huijsen, Madrid squad context and reported doubts
Real Madrid acquired Huijsen last summer for the €62. 5 million release figure and paired his arrival with other defensive signings, with the club adding a right-back and a left-back the same summer. The Spanish report highlights that Huijsen was expected to be a key part of a new defensive unit at the Estadio Bernabeu but that his form has prompted scrutiny.
One strand of reporting cited in the context suggests senior figures at Madrid now see the signing as having been made earlier than ideal, and that Madrid could be willing to listen to offers near the fee they paid. The report also frames Huijsen as a long-term investment candidate for interested clubs that wish to secure defensive stability for the next decade.
If Liverpool press for Dean Huijsen: two conditional scenarios
If Liverpool continue with the €70m approach, the immediate directional signal is an aggressive recruitment push to reinforce centre-back depth ahead of next season. Liverpool identify several squad vulnerabilities that strengthen the rationale for pursuing Huijsen: two centre-backs are out of contract at the end of the season, another is sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and one recognised centre-back is described as injury-prone.
- Based on context data:
- Ibrahima Konate — out of contract at the end of the season
- Rhys Williams — out of contract at the end of the season
- Giovanni Leoni — out of action with an anterior cruciate ligament injury
- Joe Gomez — described as injury-prone
- Jeremy Jacquet — will join Liverpool from Rennes this summer
If Liverpool press the €70m bid, the context signals two possible outcomes. Scenario A: If Liverpool’s €70m approach continues and Madrid decide the fee forces “serious reflection, ” Liverpool could secure Huijsen at the end of the season and treat him as a decade-long defensive investment. The report frames such a transfer as a direct bid to capitalise on the player’s uncertain position within Madrid’s current coaching setup.
Should Real Madrid decline to sell or insist on retaining Huijsen given his contract through 2030, Liverpool would likely accelerate other defensive plans and rely on incoming signing Jeremy Jacquet plus existing centre-back options while seeking alternative targets. The context makes clear that Liverpool are already moving on multiple fronts to address centre-back depth.
Next on the calendar, per the context, is the end of the season and the summer transfer window as the point when any formal approach or sale would crystallize. What the context does not resolve is whether Real Madrid’s board will accept a €70m offer or whether the coaching staff’s confidence in Huijsen will shift before that decision. Still, the visible trajectory is a focused Liverpool recruitment drive that treats Dean Huijsen as a primary target while contingency plans inside the squad are already in motion.
