One of the stars of the Club World Cup at Real Madrid is Dean Huijsen, who has been performing at a high level since the first day he put on the white jersey. The center back was a gamble by the club, which signed him before the end of the season for €58 million, and it has paid off. He has great ball control, vision, and confidence in defense, which are making him one of the best players on the squad and confirming that he will be the starting center back for Xabi Alonso’s team. He has arrived to make his mark.
A complicated defense
His great performance contrasts with that of a defense that has shown more weaknesses than strengths throughout the season. Faced with a plague of injuries, Carlo Ancelotti turned to the youth academy, giving a prominent role to Raúl Asencio, who is not at his best in this Club World Cup. The player does not seem to be adapting well to the new coach’s style of play and has made two serious and avoidable mistakes that affected the team to a greater or lesser extent in May.
In addition, there are concerns about how all the players will return from injury to bolster Real Madrid’s defense. Rüdiger is the first to return and has had some playing time, gradually getting back into the swing of things and testing a knee that has given him nothing but problems in the past. Meanwhile, Eder Militao is finalizing his return after almost a year out of action, and it remains to be seen what condition he will be in.
Finally, there is David Alaba, who is doubtful and recovering more slowly than expected, as confirmed by Xabi Alonso himself at a press conference. “It is taking longer with Alaba, given the seriousness of his injury. As for Salzburg, it is a different Salzburg than the one Madrid faced in the fall. They have signed players for this tournament and have a very clear idea. We have to give our best to beat them. I know them well,” he said.
Both he and Rüdiger are out of contract next season and, as far as the Austrian is concerned, the club would be willing to let him go this summer to get something out of the deal, as he would be available on a free transfer in a few months. He is one of the highest-paid players in the team for being the fifth center back.
Two future projects at Real Madrid
Aware of the success of their bet on a young center back like Huijsen, Real Madrid has several young players on their radar who could join the team in the near future. The club is closely following both LaLiga player Christian Mosquera and Castello Lukeba.
The Valencia player is very popular with Xabi Alonso, and the club is attracted by the fact that he only has one year left on his contract. He has not yet renewed his contract, and if he does not, Valencia is willing to negotiate a transfer. In the case of Castello Lukeba, he has a €90 million release clause in his contract, but RB Leipzig is willing to negotiate.