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Arsenal legend Ian Wright has admitted he would have “loved” to see the club sign Dean Huijsen this summer, after the highly rated defender sealed a move to Real Madrid.
Huijsen, 20, enjoyed a breakout season in the Premier League with Bournemouth, quickly emerging as one of the brightest young centre-backs in Europe. His performances attracted strong interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, with all three clubs reportedly monitoring his progress closely in their search for defensive reinforcements.
However, Real Madrid acted swiftly, agreeing personal terms with the Spanish defender before triggering his £50 million release clause at the Vitality Stadium. Huijsen has now committed to the Spanish giants until 2030, becoming the first signing of Xabi Alonso’s managerial era at the Bernabeu.
Despite Arsenal already boasting one of the league’s top centre-back pairings in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, Wright believes Huijsen would have been an excellent addition at the Emirates.
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“I’d probably have a back-up centre-back,” Wright said on the Seaman Says podcast. “I would have loved us to buy Huijsen off Bournemouth, but he’s gone to Real Madrid. They saw it and just came in and went, ‘Bang!’ But we just need a couple more.”
Dean Huijsen (Image credit: Getty Images)Reflecting on Arsenal’s season, Wright added that while the team narrowly missed out on the Premier League title again, their progress is undeniable. He stressed the importance of building on that momentum with smart recruitment and a bit of fortune.
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“We need a bit of luck with injuries and referees — PGMOL need some accountability. But that’s out of your control,” he said. “We’re so close. Second place is part of the journey, as frustrating as it is. Hopefully, when we finally get over the line, we’ll look back and it won’t matter so much.”
Looking ahead to the summer window, Wright identified the need for attacking reinforcements if Arsenal are to take the final step toward major honours.
“I believe we need a main striker and another forward,” he added. “Apparently [Martin] Zubimendi is there, there’s talk about [Viktor] Gyokeres, maybe [Benjamin] Sesko… I don’t know who it’ll be. But whoever it is, they need to have the right mentality.”
Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for a second consecutive season and will be hoping targeted additions this summer can help them end their wait for a league title.
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