Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen has expressed pride in being linked with Real Madrid following his debut for the Spanish national team in a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday.
The 19-year-old center-back, who was born in Amsterdam but moved to Spain as a child, made his first appearance for Spain when he replaced the injured Pau Cubarsí in the 41st minute of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal first leg in Rotterdam.
When asked about reported interest from the LaLiga giants, Huijsen told reporters: "I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm thinking about ending the season well, and I hope I do. Then when the time comes, we'll see."
He added: "It makes you proud that such a big team is interested in you. I'll keep working, and being humble."
Real Madrid are reportedly looking to strengthen their defensive options after struggling with injuries this season. Éder Militão, 27, has been sidelined with an ACL injury, while David Alaba, 32, has only recently recovered from the same issue. Antonio Rüdiger, 32, and academy product Raúl Asencio, 22, have been the mainstays in Madrid's defense this campaign.
Huijsen has established himself at Bournemouth since joining from Juventus last summer, making 23 Premier League appearances. The Cherries, coached by Andoni Iraola, currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.
Interestingly, Huijsen's Spain debut came in the Netherlands, where he received a hostile reception from the crowd in Rotterdam. This was due to his decision to switch international allegiance to Spain in 2024, having previously represented the Netherlands up to under-19 level.
"The crowd is the crowd," Huijsen said about the reception. "I focus on playing."
This isn't the first time Real Madrid have shown interest in the defender. According to reports, Huijsen was previously tracked by Madrid while at Málaga's academy, before he opted to join Juventus in 2021.
Speaking to ESPN, Huijsen described playing for Spain as "a dream."
"It just had to be that it was also in the Netherlands," he said. "I am really very happy... I have some family in the Netherlands, I have some family in Spain. It was nice that my family could come here to watch. It was just meant to be."
