Arsenal may be forced into the centre-back market in the summer transfer window if William Saliba departs the club for Real Madrid.
The Gunners are yet to make a major sale of an important player in the newest iteration of Mikel Arteta’s team, with those that have left the Emirates in recent years mostly being surplus to requirements.
However, Real Madrid have made Saliba their top priority, and the allure of the bright lights of the Bernabeu could tempt the Frenchman to swap North London for the Spanish capital.
Thus, the Arsenal hierarchy must be prepared for the eventuality that the deal does materialise, with potential replacements needing to be in the pipeline already.
Arsenal target Dean Huijsen has a £55m release clause
As revealed by Graeme Bailey of TBR Football, Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen has a £55 million release clause in his contract at the Vitality Stadium.
The clause becomes active this summer, and Arsenal are one of the clubs actively monitoring the Spanish-Dutch defender’s situation.
However, the Gunners face competition from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa for his signature, as well as a host of top clubs on the continent.
Given the release clause means the fee will be capped at £55 million, Arsenal’s ability to secure the 19-year-old and fend off the other potential suitors would be dependent on their pitch to the player.
With Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes still in the fold in Arteta’s ensemble, the North Londoners wouldn’t stand a chance of convincing him to turn down offers from clubs with less stable centre-back partnerships.
However, if Saliba were to leave, Arsenal would surely represent one of Huijsen’s most appealing options.
Dean Huijsen should be top of Arsenal’s William Saliba replacement list
While there’s still a very good chance that Saliba remains at Arsenal beyond this summer, there’ll be growing concerns within the club about the noise coming out of Spain about Real Madrid’s interest.
The 23-year-old’s contract expires in 2027, so the Gunners will be eager for him to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal as soon as possible.
However, Arsenal’s stringent wage structure could mean Saliba leaves, as Emirates higher-ups aren’t willing to break their payment hierarchy to accommodate for the player.
Huijsen is no doubt on the Saliba replacement list, although he ought to be at the top of it.
The Amsterdam-born man only joined the Cherries in the summer from Juventus, but has already impressed enough on the south coast to be deemed one of the brightest young central defenders in European football.
Described as ‘sensational’ by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Huijsen’s composure on the ball, imperious physicality and dominance in duels makes him incredibly well accomplished at his tender age.
Despite only starting 18 league games in his short career, the starlet is potentially about to elicit one of the fiercest transfer sagas of the summer window.
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