Chelsea are reportedly one of the high-profile clubs interested in signing a young defender with a £50m release clause in his current deal.
There are a number of central defenders in the Chelsea squad right now, but they’re still linked with various different centre-halves in the transfer rumour mill.
The Blues recalled centre-half Trevoh Chalobah from Crystal Palace in January to reinforce the defensive options. Even after that, Chelsea continued to look around for potential centre-back signings.

Chelsea in transfer race for defender with £50m release clause
According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are one of the numerous sides set to compete for the signature of Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen this summer.
Apparently, the 19-year-old defender is attracting interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
The report adds that Huijsen currently has a release clause in his Bournemouth deal worth around £50m. It’s no surprise to hear that the Premier League side want to give him a new deal to increase that value, though.
Back in December, transfer speculation claimed that Chelsea are keen on signing Bournemouth centre-back Huijsen.
The teenage centre-half, who’s enjoying a remarkable debut campaign in the Premier League, looks destined for a gigantic transfer in the near future. Can the Blues beat giants such as Real Madrid and Barcelona to him?

Would Dean Huijsen be a good signing for Chelsea?
Speaking via The Rest Is Football in January, Alan Shearer described Bournemouth star Huijsen as “outstanding”. The young defender is slowly starting to receive the widespread praise that his individual performances deserve.
On paper, Huijsen is everything you could want in a modern central defender because of his pace, strength and quality with the ball at his feet.
If Chelsea can sign the Bournemouth ace for £50m, it would be a sensational piece of business.
Here is a look at how Huijsen and Chelsea defender Levi Colwill compare in the Premier League this campaign.
Player | Games | Minutes | Goals | Yellow cards | Pass completion | Tackles won | Interceptions | Clearances |
Levi Colwill | 22 | 1,979 | 0 | 6 | 89.3% | 18 | 24 | 70 |
Dean Huijsen | 18 | 1,244 | 2 | 5 | 84.0% | 18 | 29 | 83 |
Huijsen is high up on Chelsea’s transfer shortlist. If he joins, fans should be very excited about a young defender who plays with maturity and composure well beyond his years.