Former Real Madrid boss, Fabio Capello, has slammed Juventus for letting promising defender Dean Huijsen slip through their fingers, following the youngster’s eye-catching displays for Real Madrid at the ongoing Club World Cup.
Huijsen, a Spanish international, first joined Juventus in 2021 and spent time in their youth setup.
He made just one senior appearance for the Turin giants during the 2023–24 campaign before being loaned out to Roma for the second half of the season.
Juventus decided to offload the towering centre-back to Bournemouth last summer. After a breakout season in the Premier League, his form earned him a high-profile move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
In a chat with Gazzetta dello Sport, Capello didn’t hold back in his assessment of Juve’s oversight.
“I am surprised that Juventus didn’t see the clear potential of the boy,” Capello told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Huijsen didn’t just suddenly become good. If he’s playing for Real Madrid at 20, he’s surely good enough for Juventus.”
Standing at 1.96 meters, Huijsen is a commanding presence at the back. Although primarily right-footed, he is comfortable with his left and is known for his attacking instincts, even stepping up for penalties.
His versatility allows him to step into midfield when needed, a trait that fits perfectly with aggressive, modern football systems like the one employed by Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.
