"They had everything" - 18-year-old defender's agent confirms he rejected Barcelona and Bayern Munich
It has been reported that Juventus' young sensation Dean Huijsen deliberately rejected offers from football giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich. This is according to Alex Santisteban, the agent representing the 18-year-old defender.
Making his first-team foray just this past weekend against AC Milan, Huijsen has made his mark as one of the game's brightest emerging talents. A product of Malaga's youth system in Spain, Huijsen transitioned to the Italian side in the summer of 2021.
Barcelona were vying for the Dutch prospect, with then sporting director Jordi Cruyff making a personal move to bring him to Camp Nou. Bayern Munich were similarly eager to incorporate him into their defensive ranks. However, Huijsen chose Juventus, a decision his agent attributed to a pair of compelling reasons.
Speaking to TuttoSport (via Barca Universal), agent Alex Santisteban revealed:
“Even Jordi Cruyff, when he was Barca’s sporting director, tried to sign him personally. But we preferred Juventus to Barca or Bayern Munich for two reasons: the first was Juventus’ clarity."
He added:
“They explained themselves with surgical precision and understanding of the kind of career the player could have. They had everything in mind for Dean, step by step. We fell in love immediately."
The agent provided another reason for the snub, saying:
“Secondly, the boy wanted to play in Serie A, an ideal league to develop as a defender, both technically and tactically. Serie A is a master for defenders like Barca is for a midfielder or Real Madrid is for a playmaker.”
While the Catalan giants might be ruing their missed opportunity, it appears they still harbor interest in the Dutch prodigy. Football insider Fabrizio Romano reported last December that Barcelona are keeping a close eye on Huijsen.
However, a recent contractual agreement has essentially taken the young defender off the market. Huijsen has penned a new deal with the Bianconeri, ensuring his allegiance to the Turin-based club until 2027.
Barcelona's leadership convenes to discuss allegations of referee bribery
In an unprecedented assembly, current Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently convened a summit with four of his predecessors. They are Joan Gaspart, Sandro Rosell, Enric Reyna, and Josep Maria Bartomeu.
This huddle was aimed at formulating a 'unified' stance concerning allegations that the club disbursed bribes to former refereeing vice-president Enriquez Negreira. Barcelona find themselves embroiled in a scandal involving alleged payments amounting to €1.6 million, reportedly made to a company owned by Negreira between 2016 and 2018.
The controversy reached new heights last week when Laporta was formally charged with bribery. The club went on to release a statement confirming the closed-door meeting among its former and current presidents (via GOAL).