Vesper

with Alphonso Davies ripping up his knee, and Nuno Mendes just renewing with PSG (as did RB Hakimi, those 2 are the best fullback duo on the planet by far atm), that leaves only 7 LBs who truly interest me (and are available). Theo Hernandez turns 28yo at the beginning and is weak defensively. Milos Kerkez Antonee Robinson (his age is the only issue, I rate the hell out of him) Andrea Cambiaso Rayan Aït-Nouri Jorrel Hato Miguel Gutiérrez El Hadji Malick Diouf

Manchester City https://thedailybriefing.io/i/160300173/manchester-city Erling Haaland, set to miss most of the final part of the season due to ankle injury. Haaland’s expected to be fit in time to play a further part in final stages of season, including Club World Cup. After initial tests today, Haaland will seek specialist consultation.

Chelsea FC owner in talks over bid for the Daily Telegraph Todd Boehly is understood to be talking to David Montgomery, the executive chair of National World https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/28/Chelsea-fc-owner-may-make-bid-for-owner-of-scotsman-and-yorkshire-post The Chelsea FC owner and chair Todd Boehly is in talks over a bid for the Daily Telegraph, in a plan that has seen him team up with the Fleet Street veteran David Montgomery. Boehly is understood to be talking to Montgomery, the executive chair of National World and former boss of the parent of the Mirror, about mounting a bid, in an attempt to bring an end to two years of uncertainty over the newspaper’s fate. The Guardian understands that the prospect of a takeover by Montgomery is causing concern inside the Telegraph. He has a reputation as a cost-cutter, though allies say he has decades of experience in the industry and has managed to keep National World profitable in a tough media climate. “Everyone here knows that if Montgomery got his hands on the Telegraph, it’s game over for us,” said a Telegraph source. “He wouldn’t know how to take the Telegraph forward but then again he wouldn’t want to. How sad.” The bid for the Telegraph would involve Boehly’s Eldridge Media Holdings (EMH) first making a successful pitch to buy National World, which owns the Yorkshire Post and the Scotsman. The group owns more than 100 regional titles. It is the latest episode in the long-running saga of the Telegraph’s ownership. RedBird IMI, which derives most of its funding from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the vice-president of the UAE and owner of Manchester City football club, paid £600m to take control of Telegraph Media Group in November 2023 from the Barclay family. However, RedBird IMI was forced to put the titles back up for sale last spring after the British government published legislation to block foreign states or associated individuals from owning newspaper assets in the UK. Dovid Efune, the British owner of the New York Sun, had several weeks of exclusivity late last year to push through a £550m deal to buy the titles. However, Efune has so far failed to raise the financial backing to get the deal over the line and RedBird IMI is pursuing talks with other potential bidders. It has also been reported that Maurice Saatchi, the advertising mogul, had unsuccessfully offered to buy the Telegraph newspapers for £350m. Other parties previously thought to be interested in the titles include the Daily Mail and General Trust, and Paul Marshall, the hedge fund founder and backer of GB News who went on to buy the Spectator magazine from RedBird IMI for £100m. Montgomery’s National World, which was an underbidder in the protracted auction of the Telegraph titles, is in the process of a shareholder-approved £65m takeover by its largest investor, Media Concierge. National World said it had received confirmation that EMH was considering making a proposal to buy the company. “The company acknowledges, for the purposes of the takeover code, that it is in receipt of an approach from EMH regarding a possible offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of the company,” said National World in a statement to the stock market on Friday. “The National World board will consider the terms of any proposal put forward by EMH that may deliver superior value to National World shareholders than the scheme [of arrangement relating to the current sale process].” National World’s shares rose 7% on Friday, valuing the company at £62m. Boehly and Montgomery have been in talks about a potential deal that would combine National World and the Telegraph titles, and also involve other third-party backers. While analysts have been sceptical about the £500m price tag that RedBird IMI have placed on the Telegraph titles, sources close to the talks said such a deal could yet be possible, depending on the structure.

Chelsea report £128.4m profit after selling women’s side to themselves Club turn last year’s pre-tax loss into pre-tax profit Move scrutinised over rules around fair market value https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/31/premier-league-psr-Chelsea-sell-women-team-loophole Chelsea appear to have complied with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) through player sales by selling the women’s team to the club’s parent company. Chelsea announced they had turned last year’s pre-tax loss of £90.1m into a pre-tax profit of £128.4m for the financial year ending 30 June 2024. The results were filed at Companies House by Chelsea FC Holdings Limited and represent a significant shift after heavy losses under the ownership of Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly in previous years. Although Chelsea’s revenue dipped to £468.5m after another season out of the Champions League for the men’s team, they said their financial picture “benefited from increased profit on disposal of player registrations and repositioning of Chelsea Football Club Women Ltd”. The club added that “profits on disposal of player registrations of £152.5m and a profit on disposal of subsidiaries of £198.7m led to an overall net profit of £129.6m after tax”. It was predicted at the time of last year’s takeover of the women’s team by Chelsea’s parent company, BlueCo 22, that the deal would help Chelsea comply with PSR. The move has faced scrutiny from the Premier League in relation to rules around fair market value and associated-party transactions. The league passed Chelsea selling two hotels at Stamford Bridge to BlueCo 22 for £76.5m last year. Chelsea said the team’s sale would ensure “CFCW has dedicated resources, management and commercial leadership solely focused on the growth and success of the women’s team”. The club are on course to win a sixth straight Women’s Super League title. It has been turbulent for the men’s team under Clearlake, the majority shareholder, and Boehly. Chelsea have not been in the Champions League since the 2022-23 season and have been hugely active in the transfer market. They have spent more than £1bn on signings but have also looked to raise funds through outgoings. The sale of homegrown talent helps because money received for academy products goes down as pure profit. Among the players sold in the most recent financial year were Mason Mount, Ian Maatsen and Christian Pulisic. Chelsea acknowledged that not competing in Europe’s premier competition had affected their revenue. However, their broadcasting income rose thanks to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League and appearances in the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup semi-finals last season. Operational costs decreased to offset the fall in revenue. There was also an increase to £80.1m in match-day revenue, although Chelsea continue to explore a possible deal to leave Stamford Bridge and move to Earl’s Court. Boehly has suggested that divisions over stadium redevelopment plans could lead to the end of his uneasy partnership with Clearlake.

Chelsea make approach for Huijsen after "direct contact" from Maresca The website and journalist Fermin de la Calle reports Chelsea have approached Bournemouth over signing Huijsen, as have PSG, Man United, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but Maresca has done serious homework on the player. The Blues boss has strong connections to the defender through Malaga, and he's been in "direct contact" with Huijsen's representatives "for years".

ffs............................🤬 Robert Sanchez likely to compete with 25 year old next season says insider update https://Chelsea.news/2025/03/sanchez-next-season-compete-insider/ Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation is now a major topic ahead of this summer, Matt Law did a really good piece today where he explained the club’s plan. The headline news is that they’re not thinking about buying a goalkeeper. We’re sure they would still consider it if a big bargain came up, but for now they want to put their faith in the 4 they’ve bought in the last couple of years. The senior man (who has been dropped for poor performances 3 years in a row), Robert Sanchez. The man bought to compete with him last summer who was then dropped for poor performances, Filip Jorgensen. The man bought the year before, who has shone on loan this season at Strasbourg, Djordje Petrovic. And the rising star, 19 year old Mike Penders. They can’t all fit – they certainly can’t all play. As it stands, we forsee Jorgensen going to Strasbourg to replace Petrovic, who will come to Chelsea and compete with Robert Sanchez again (putting us right back where we were a year ago, by the way). Penders isn’t ready for first team action in the Premier League yet, so he will be loaned somewhere he can play every week at a good level, with a view to being number one as soon as he’s deemed ready. Can Chelsea rely on improved Petrovic? The stats show that Petrovic has had a brilliant season, and we would have picked him ahead of Sanchez for this season anyway. But despite his obvious improvements on the ball, there will be very justifiable concerns and frustrations about Chelsea starting yet another year without having bought a super reliable and experienced goalie. If Petrovic keeps his French form up next season we’re sorted. If he doesn’t – well, we’ll be back here again in 12 months.

Marc Cucurella's girlfriend Claudia Rodriguez gives emotional interview on four-year-old son's autism diagnosis on new series of Married To The Game https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14554187/Marc-Cucurella-Claudia-Rodriguez-autistic-child-Married-Game.html Marc Cucurella's girlfriend Claudia Rodriguez has opened up on the challenges they've faced in raising their autistic child together. The couple feature on the latest season of Married to the Game, which looks into the lives of the wives and girlfriends of leading Premier League footballers. The likes of Jorginho, Leon Bailey and Riyad Mahrez also star in the show alongside their partners however it's Cucurella and Rodriguez's story which tugs on the heartstrings. The couple met when they were teenagers and since then have formed an inseparable bond and have three kids - Mateo, Rio, and Bella. Eldest son Mateo, four, has been diagnosed with autism and, during the show, Rodriguez opened up on the challenges that the couple have faced. Speaking on the show, airing April 8, she said: 'We saw something different about Mateo when he was small, about 13 months old, but it was a long process to get the diagnosis. When he was smaller it was easier but now he's growing up, it's more difficult. Marc Cucurella's girlfriend Claudia Rodriguez has opened up on the challenges they've faced in raising their autistic child (Pictured L-R: Mateo, Rio, and Bella) Cucurella broke down in tears during a trailer for the new series of Married to the Game 'When we moved to Chelsea, we started him at school and he was very upset, and we didn't know the solution. You have to find it yourself, and you feel very bad because you are not prepared for it. 'You prepared to be a mum, but not to be a mum of an autistic kid, so you feel bad. It was very, very difficult to see him like that, so upset, and we just tried to find the best solution. 'I told Marc we had to find a special school for him because he wasn't learning, he wasn't enjoying his life. I didn't want to lose any more time, we had to do something. 'So I found an amazing place in London where they understood him and they understood his needs, so we moved him there and our lives changed completely. At first I drove him there from our house in Cobham but it was two hours to drive in the morning and another two hours to pick him up again. I was in the car all day long. 'Then we had a robbery in that house and I decided I didn't want to go back there, so we moved to London and that made it easier for Mateo to get to his school.' When asked how Mateo copes now, she said: 'He's good, he sometimes says a few words, repeats them back, and we're just working on it. You never know what the future will hold for him but we are working on it. 'I don't know if he will speak or not. I don't know anything, but we are trying to do everything for him. I went to Madrid one week ago to do some tests, all day long we are trying to find solutions, and that's the best we can do.' Their eldest son Mateo, four, was diagnosed with autism from an early age Finally, speaking about the aforementioned robbery, Rodriguez said: 'Marc was upstairs in the shower with Mateo, I was pregnant with Bella and I went to my room to get the milk bottle for Rio, I had him on my hip. 'As I was going to my room, I saw two doors closed and the light on in the dresser and it just didn't look right. It's not how we usually leave it. I opened the door and saw someone in there with a bag, looking at me. 'And I completely understood in that moment what was happening. I was terrified – very, very scared. You know, I was pregnant and with two kids in the house. 'I went downstairs to press the panic button, and I shouted at Marc to come. We waited in the laundry room and called the police, called everyone to help us, and it was terrifying. 'It was very difficult to sleep for the next days, the next months, even. I couldn't go anywhere alone. I always needed someone. I'd say, "Can you come with me to my room?"' Married To The Game is available exclusively on Prime Video on April 8.

MORE Fichajes bullshit so so many sites just quote their dosh with no due diligence it is a fucking pandemic of fake news 🤬 AC Milan and PSG look to make a move for Chelsea’s promising talent https://psgtalk.com/2025/04/ac-milan-psg-target-Chelsea-talent-strasbourg/ Fichajes reports that PSG and AC Milan are eyeing Santos to strengthen their midfield in the upcoming transfer window. Milan sees Santos as an ideal option, especially following the recent departure of Ismael Bennacer. Moreover, the report also claims that Chelsea have not yet made a final decision on his future, with Milan considering a loan without an option to buy. Meanwhile, PSG could make a move to sign him permanently.

Kyle Walker delivers brutal seven-word put-down to team-mate Joao Felix as AC Milan slump to defeat at Napoli https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14556935/Kyle-Walker-brutal-Joao-Felix-AC-Milan-slump-defeat-Napoli.html

I feel dirty because I, for probably the first time in years (since she went hardcore RW MAGA) agree with Candace Owens eeeek!!

Group Chat

EU Secretly Shields Banks from Accountability—Here’s How Powerful lobbying has quietly exempted finance from an EU sustainability law, risking Europe’s environmental and human rights commitments. https://www.socialeurope.eu/eu-secretly-shields-banks-from-accountability-heres-how Omnibuses appear to be the European Commission’s preferred vehicles of choice this year. These are not modes of passenger transport, but legislative packages capable of amending multiple EU laws in a single process. Five such omnibuses have been announced for 2025, with the first released at the end of February. The first votes in the European Parliament will happen on the 1st of April. The first omnibus package targets significant cutbacks to sustainability regulation, specifically affecting the Taxonomy for sustainable investments, rules around sustainability reporting (CSRD), and supply chain due diligence legislation (CSDDD). Although presented by the Commission as simplification, the proposals represent substantial deregulation that risks undermining Europe’s socio-ecological transition. The most radical cuts proposed affect the CSDDD, notably trimming the definition of supply chains to include only direct suppliers. This change could fundamentally undermine the concept of corporate responsibility throughout supply chains. Additionally, the liability provisions are significantly weakened, and the Commission has proposed entirely removing a review clause designed to reassess the controversial exemption of the financial sector two years after the directive’s implementation. In essence, this omnibus aims at permanently shielding financial institutions from accountability for the environmental and human rights impacts of their investments. The exemption for financial institutions is a striking illustration of lobbying influence at the EU level, highlighting how powerful special interests can sway policymakers. Given the Commission’s heavy reliance on lobby group input for the omnibus package and preferential consultation access granted to corporate representatives, scrutinising the CSDDD lobbying success is vital to avoiding similar mistakes today. The CSDDD was originally conceived to hold large companies accountable for human rights abuses and environmental harm throughout their supply chains. The initial proposal from February 2022 explicitly included the financial sector, recognising finance’s significant leverage over corporate behaviour. This measure aimed to prevent banks and investors from financing harmful business practices by requiring them to undertake due diligence on companies they support. However, finance industry lobby groups were divided. While the Dutch Banking Association strongly supported inclusion, the European Banking Federation (EBF), representing banks across the EU, accepted due diligence obligations only for corporate lending, excluding household loans. Other groups opposed including financial institutions altogether. Despite this, the European Parliament maintained finance-sector inclusion, albeit limited to corporate clients. A significant opponent at the time was the US asset management giant Blackrock, which pushed for the asset management industry’s exclusion, arguing that investment firms lack direct relationships with investee companies and thus should not be held accountable. France reportedly backed this stance, leading to a Council compromise excluding asset managers—dubbed the “Blackrock exemption”—though banks and insurers initially remained included. Subsequently, France, supported by several other member states, succeeded in nearly excluding the financial sector entirely, despite opposition from Germany and the Netherlands. The crucial manoeuvre was shifting the directive’s scope from downstream activities (such as investments and lending) to upstream activities (like suppliers and raw materials). For financial institutions, “upstream” largely translates to office supplies, thus effectively exempting their core business activities. This was only the Council’s position, as the European Parliament retained finance within its scope. The 2023 trilogue negotiations between the Commission, Parliament, and Council shaped the final text of the EU supply chain law. Major lobby groups, such as the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and the German Insurance Association (GDV), campaigned vigorously during this phase to essentially uphold the Council’s exclusion of the financial sector. They succeeded: the final agreement excludes core financial activities, such as lending, from CSDDD requirements. A review clause allowing reassessment after two years remained the only concession. The exclusion of financial institutions from the CSDDD is a glaring example of how special interests can override elected representatives and member states. The current omnibus proposal reopening the CSDDD offers a chance to reverse this unjustified carve-out. Yet, likely swayed by influential lobbyists and its drive to achieve bureaucratic simplification targets, the Commission instead proposes deleting the review clause altogether, thereby cementing past lobbying victories. It is now up to EU legislators to resist this wave of deregulation, which threatens Europe’s sustainability transition. Lawmakers have considerable support from numerous companies—including from both the real economy and the financial sector—who oppose the Commission’s drastic proposals. Rather than streamlining and harmonising sustainability rules, these plans risk discarding valuable regulations prematurely, precisely when parts of the existing framework have scarcely been implemented. During earlier negotiations, the European Parliament was overridden by the Council’s lobby-driven stance excluding finance. Now, Members of the European Parliament must stand firm against deregulation and seize this opportunity to restore fairness by ending this exemption. Financial institutions should be held to the same standards as other businesses regarding their responsibility for human rights violations and environmental harm.

CFs Alexander Isak Lautaro Martinez Viktor Gyökeres Victor Osimhen Benjamin Sesko Jonathan David Hugo Ekitiké Matheus Cunha Dusan Vlahovic Victor Boniface Liam Delap Conrad Harder

Arsenal developing strong interest in Viktor Gyokeres as they consider striker options https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6240873/2025/03/30/viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-transfer-sporting/ https://archive.ph/TfSek Arsenal are developing a strong interest in Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres as they consider their options to recruit a striker this summer. Gyokeres has long been admired by Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta — whose appointment was confirmed on Sunday — and is expected to figure prominently among those the club consider signing in the transfer window. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Alexander Isak, however, Newcastle United have no intention of letting their star player leave St James’ Park and it would likely take a massive fee for them to even consider his departure. Arsenal have also done a lot of work on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who may prove to be a more cost-effective solution, but it is unclear if they will proceed with a move and the 21-year-old Slovenia international has multiple suitors. Gyokeres is, therefore, now a more prominent candidate than he might have been in the past. The Sweden international, 26, has become one of Europe’s most prolific attackers since moving to Portugal from Coventry City in 2023. Gyokeres has recorded 85 goals and 26 assists in 92 games for Sporting, helping them lift the Primeira Liga last year. In the league this season, he has scored 30 goals in 26 appearances. Strengthening up front is a priority for Arsenal after season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left Arteta with no recognised centre-forward. Midfielder Mikel Merino has recently played there on an emergency basis. An approach for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins during the winter market proved unsuccessful, while Arsenal discussed loaning AC Milan’s Alvaro Morata before he eventually joined Galatasaray. Arsenal return to Premier League action when they face Fulham at home on Tuesday. What do I need to know about Gyokeres? Analysis by Tim Spiers from The Transfer Radar 2025 Like Luca Toni, Chris Wood and Larry David, Gyokeres has bloomed a little later in his career than most. Why has it taken a few extra years for him to be compared to Erling Haaland, or to be talked about as a candidate to beat Lionel Messi’s single-season goalscoring record? Well, primarily because Gyokeres, similar to Harry Kane, has needed to work hard to improve his game along a career path that has taken him from Brommapojkarna in Sweden to Sporting in Portugal, via stints at Brighton & Hove Albion, Swansea City and Coventry City. He is pretty quick but not especially rapid, his technique is good but he is not particularly skilful. What he possesses — again, like Kane — is an unflinching desire to improve and score goals. Coaches will tell you of a character who could be grumpy or stubborn, but also of someone who needed faith shown in him. Since being made a main central striker for the first time at Coventry City (having found his path blocked at Brighton & Hove Albion where he was often shunted out wide) he has thrived. Give him room and half a chance to shoot and the chances are, the ball will soon be in the back of the net. But strikers Carlos Vinicius, Islam Slimani and, to an extent, Darwin Nunez have struggled to transfer their Primeira Liga form in Portugal to the Premier League. Is Gyokeres different? His hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League suggests so.

CMF/DMFs Joao Neves Vitinha Martin Zubimendi Fermin Lopez Douglas Luiz Carlos Baleba Quinten Timber Gabri Veiga Jobe Bellingham Javi Guerra youth Ayyoub Bouaddi Chris Rigg Breno Bidon Sverre Nypan Christian Ordóñez

GOAL's predicted 2024-25 Premier League table https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/man-city-and-newcastle-to-make-it-but-Chelsea-to-miss-out-goal-predicts-the-premier-league-s-top-fiv/blt55bbf9362afe4629

Fichajes bollocks alert about Chels and Giuliano Simeone. 99th percentile for assists: Chelsea submit £29m offer to sign "revelation" https://www.footballfancast.com/Chelsea-submit-offer-for-giulioano-simeone-atletico-madrid/ However, Maresca's side are yet to make an official bid for Williams, and a different La Liga winger is now entering the frame as a potential option, with a report from Spain revealing Chelsea have now submitted a €35m (£29m) bid for Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone.

Three European giants all want to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea after youngster scores yet another goal for Strasbourg https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/transfer-news/three-european-giants-all-want-to-sign-andrey-santos-from-Chelsea-after-youngster-scores-yet-another-goal-for-strasbourg/ Andrey Santos’ performances at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg this season are not going unnoticed. The midfielder scored his 10th goal of the season last Friday, netting in Strasbourg’s 4-2 win against Lyon. Chelsea will have no regrets about sending him to France. The only problem for them is Santos is now starting to attract interest from some big European clubs. In January, it was reported that Bayern Munich are keen on signing Santos, but they are not the only ones. AC Milan, Inter Milan and PSG interested in Andrey Santos AC Milan have done a lot of business with Chelsea in recent years, and it looks like they could try to do more this summer. According to Sport Mediaset, Milan, who signed Joao Felix from Chelsea in the January transfer window, want to bring Santos to the San Siro on loan. The same outlet claims that their city rivals Inter Milan also want to do the same thing, while it is thought that Paris Saint-Germain have some interest in the 20-year-old as well. PSG’s interest in Santos is not too much of a surprise. They have got to see first-hand what he is capable of, with the Brazilian currently playing in Ligue 1. Santos recently spoke about his future, claiming that Chelsea have not decided anything yet. Amid all of this interest in him, though, he will be able to demand regular minutes next season. If Enzo Maresca cannot offer the Brazil international that, then an exit could be a real possibility. Andrey Santos’ performance against Lyon Santos did more than score in Strasbourg’s victory over Lyon last week. He also kept the ball well and managed to make a few tackles. It was a midfield performance that had a lot to it and showed what Santos can bring to Chelsea next season. With the Blues already having Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and now Dario Essugo, Maresca could have a bit of a conundrum.

the lad our scouts wanted badly

booooooooooooooooo

Kepa howler ffs

1 2 Marmoush

1 1 Håland's 30th goal of the season

Dean Huijsen: The two-footed, progressive centre-back coveted by Europe’s top clubs https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6232044/2025/03/30/dean-huijsen-tactical-profile/ https://archive.ph/5q2qY Dean Huijsen has already had quite the career. Barely two years ago, he was plying his trade for Juventus Next Gen, nominally the club’s under-23s side, while captaining the Netherlands’ under-19s. This month, after switching international allegiances, he made his senior debut for the Spanish national team, a testament to his impressive club performances at the heart of Bournemouth’s defence. Europe’s leading clubs are, unsurprisingly, eyeing him up. His rise has been rapid but the 19-year-old has all the attributes of the archetypal modern-day centre-back — a sentiment shared by his international manager. “It simply looks like he’s been at the elite level of football for many years,” Luis de la Fuente said after Spain’s Nations League quarter-final victory over the Netherlands. “He has fitted so well with our group with his skill set but also his personal values.” What You Should Read Next The inexorable rise of Dean Huijsen has now reached the Spanish national team The Bournemouth centre-back had a great few days with Spain - and showed he might be the best teenage defensive prospect in the world For those seeking to know Huijsen’s best attributes, a single 10-second sequence from his most recent game at the Mestalla in Valencia rolls them all up into a neat package. As Dutch full-back Lutsharel Geertruida looks to play the ball inside to Memphis Depay, Huijsen steps out from defence to calmly intercept and spark a Spain counter-attack. Rather than admire his pass, the teenager runs beyond team-mate Dani Olmo to become the most advanced player, collecting a return pass before sliding a ball in behind to the pacy Nico Williams. Front-foot defending? Check. Stepping out from the back? Done. An eye for a piercing progressive pass? No problem. For the handful of people who are yet to do so, it’s time to sit up and take notice of Dean Huijsen. Starting with his defensive work, Huijsen likes to stick in a foot — or head. That has been the case since he first donned a Bournemouth shirt, with nine aerial duels contested on his debut — still the most in a game by a centre-back this season. Looking at the graphic below, Huijsen is among the most active centre-backs for typical defensive actions, stretching every inch of his 6ft 6in (198cm) frame to rise above an opposition striker, clear the ball from danger, or block a goal-bound shot on his goal. That is not to say he always waits for the ball to come near him. Beyond the bread-and-butter defending, Huijsen is comfortable stepping out and stifling attacks before they develop — with 4.1 ‘true’ interceptions (which includes interceptions plus blocked passes) per 1,000 opponent touches being the second-highest among centre-backs in the league this season. The modern-day centre-back is commonly asked to defend wide areas in one-v-one duels, making Huijsen’s proactive style perfectly suited to Andoni Iraola’s aggressive principles of play. Left-back Milos Kerkez is tasked with pushing forward to support Bournemouth’s attack, so Huijsen will often be asked to shuffle across and defend large areas against pacey wingers. This is neatly shown during February’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion. With Kerkez ahead of the ball as Brighton regain possession, Huijsen calmly moves across to stifle Yankuba Minteh’s momentum by matching his run and preventing him from coming inside on his stronger left foot. It was a similar story at home against Liverpool. With Kerkez pushing high with Bournemouth in possession (frame one), Mohamed Salah keeps his position to gain an advantage as Liverpool regain the ball and counter-attack. Recognising the danger, Huijsen is quick to shuffle across and make a vital challenge on the Egyptian before he can get up to speed. The same can be said when tracking his man from a centre-forward position. In this example against Newcastle United, Alexander Isak drifts across to the right flank to receive a pass from Jacob Murphy — who is being closed down by Kerkez. Staying touch-tight, Huijsen is not afraid to pull away from his left centre-back position to avert any threat by nipping in ahead of Isak and put the ball out for a throw-in. Those touch-tight actions are crucial to shutting down promising opposition attacks, but Huijsen’s youthful exuberance might need to be channelled a little. Getting too tight to experienced opposition strikers leaves you at risk of getting pinned or rolled as a centre-back. Forwards are likely to cotton onto Huijsen’s front-foot defending and will look to exploit the space he leaves behind him. Take this example against the Netherlands. As the ball is fired into Depay, Huijsen jumps from his position in Spain’s back line to intercept the pass. However, Depay uses his body excellently to protect the ball — spinning into space and lofting a pass into the onrushing Tijjani Reijnders to attack the gap that Huijsen has vacated. A stronger sense of judgement will come with greater experience, but the confidence and bravery that Huijsen exudes are trusted traits that are admired by his club manager. “His mentality, his head,” Iraola said of Huijsen’s best attributes this month. “He’s confident. He is not afraid of marking any forward and he’s calm on the ball.” “He knows what he’s doing, he’s under control. Sometimes he will make mistakes like all the others, but there is always a reason for the things he does. And for someone that is 19, it’s really strange to find this at this level.” Huijsen impressed on loan at Roma last season (Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images) Rarer still at such an age is Huijsen’s unique blend of physicality and cultured in-possession play, as comfortable competing in tough defensive duels as he is striding into midfield with the ball at his feet. Add in an expansive — and genuinely two-footed — passing range, and the appeal is clear to see. The centre-back rarely hesitates when the space opens up ahead, always looking for the chance to glide past the first line of pressure and into midfield. It’s another trait we saw on his first start for Spain, as he receives a pass below from holding midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has dropped between the two centre-backs to allow them to push wide. Huijsen’s first touch is positive, opening his body and pushing the ball ahead, before easing away from chasing club colleague Justin Kluivert with long steps into midfield. It’s a driving run that forces the Dutch back and allows Huijsen to set Marc Cucurella away down the flank. Barely four minutes later, and a similar move unfolds, as Huijsen breezes around the outside of the first line of the 4-4-2 defensive shape once again. This time, his impressive passing range comes to the fore, sliding a perfectly-weighted through pass into Williams’ path. Taking one defender out of the game with his initial burst, before breaking two lines with a pass and creating a chance — all within five seconds of receiving the ball in his own half — this was an eye-catching display of Huijsen’s natural ability to move the ball forward with purpose and penetration. Much like his appetite for an interception, Huijsen’s commanding presence on the ball is appreciated at club level, by a manager who respects the disruptive power of a marauding run from deep. “I sometimes value much more a player carrying the ball and forcing things to happen”, Iraola explained an interview with the Independent in January, “When you play too positional — one, two touches to find a free man — you sometimes lose the initiative from the players to just take their man on and attack the spaces.” That freedom allows Huijsen to step forward with the ball more than most of his positional peers. As we can see from the scatterplot below, only three Premier League centre-backs have played a higher proportion of progressive passes this season, while just five carry the ball out of defence more regularly than the Bournemouth man. Such fearlessness in possession, aged 19, and in your first full season of senior football, is absolutely not the norm. Being positive and forward-thinking is one thing, but Huijsen usually has the quality to back it up. He can sometimes be too eager to force the issue — he is stranger to an overhit pass — but of the 17 Premier League players to have attempted at least 150 long passes this season, only four have a higher success rate. More importantly, Huijsen can pick out forward runs on both feet. His assist for Lamine Yamal against the Netherlands showcased his favoured sand wedge technique on his right, pitching the ball over the defensive line with an accurate, lofted ball. On his opposite side, Huijsen produced the following ball in for Bournemouth centre-forward Evanilson, again dropping into the wide space on the outside of the holding midfielder — this time Tyler Adams. In frame two, he advances beyond the first line of pressure, but this time faces a much deeper Brentford block, with five players across the back line. Huijsen continues probing, until he reaches the edge of the box and curls in a back-post cross with his left foot, only to be denied an assist by a point-blank save. Go to press Huijsen, and he can skip through the pressure and attack the spaces in midfield. Sit off him, and he’s still capable of threading through that killer ball. It’s no wonder that some of Europe’s top clubs are on high alert. In the Premier League, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked, while Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have also been closely monitoring his progress on the continent. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that a move is expected in the summer, with a £50million ($64.8m) release clause in his contract with Bournemouth. Could the 19-year-old make the big step up at such a tender age? If his progress is any indication, there’s every reason to believe Huijsen would take it all in his (very long) stride.

1 nil Bournemouth