Bournemouth close to signing Aston Villa target

According to Tum Balogun, Daily Mail, Bournemouth are closing in on the signing of Juventus defender Dean Huijsen.

The centre-half, who spent last season on loan at AS Roma, is said to be happy to join Bournemouth as the clubs reach a deal worth £13 million. According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa had expressed their interest in the Spanish Under-21 international but it seems that the players decision has been made.

The 19-year-old began his career at Costa United before moving to Malaga in 2015. He joined the Juventus in 2018 and eventually made his debut against AC Milan in October. He made a total of 14 appearances in Serie A last season and scored two goals as Roma finished sixth.

Serie A transfer expert Jatin Dietl had this to say about the defender:

""He has a lot of potential and extremely good technique for a central defender. Sometimes at Roma he even played in midfield. He’s very elegant but he lacks experience in one-v-one defensive situations and he also has to grow physically to adapt to the higher requirements of top level football. So I would say it would be an investment in the future, but if he develops well he can become a very good modern defender.”"

Unai Emery had tried to hijack the deal in place with the Cherries but it was too late and the deal is now in the final stages. The young centre-half has previously been linked with Liverpool and Newcastle.

It may be a case of Villa missing out on a potential gem on this occasion.

UTV