Dean Huijsen's Challenge at Real Madrid: Establishing Himself as a Key Defender

Dean Huijsen walks into his second Real Madrid season with no hiding place and a clear target: become a first-choice centre-back, or risk being swallowed by the competition around him.

The 21-year-old is expected to start against Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy later today, his first start since shaking off the minor injury that kept him out of the trip to Austria. It’s a friendly in name, but for Huijsen it feels like something closer to an audition.

From instant impact to harsh reality

His Madrid story burst into life just over a year ago, in June 2025, at the Club World Cup. Real Madrid did not lift the trophy, yet Huijsen emerged as one of the brightest notes in Xabi Alonso’s side, playing with a maturity that belied his age and a confidence that quickly caught the eye.

That form carried into the opening weeks of La Liga. He looked like a steal, a modern central defender who wanted the ball, stepped into midfield and defended aggressively. Then came Madrid’s first serious slump in results.

That was when the learning curve turned brutal.

As the team’s level dropped, Huijsen’s own performances began to swing wildly. His confidence sometimes tipped into overconfidence. A risky pass here, a mistimed step out of the line there. Lapses in concentration cost him, and with them went his status as an automatic starter.

He did respond. In the final stretch of the season he offered a calmer, more measured version of himself, ironing out some of the errors and reminding the club why they had invested so heavily in him. Now he wants to carry that version into an entire campaign, not just a few months.

The No. 4 and a manager who knows him

The context around him has changed, but one thing works firmly in Huijsen’s favour: José Mourinho knows exactly who he is and what he can be.

Back when Mourinho was at AS Roma, he personally pushed to bring Huijsen in on loan. That spell in Serie A toughened the defender up and sped up his development before he made the leap to the Premier League. Now their paths cross again at the Bernabéu, only this time the stakes are higher and the spotlight brighter.

Madrid have underlined their faith in him with a symbolic gesture: the No. 4 shirt. At this club, that number carries weight. It speaks of responsibility, of being a reference point at the back, of long-term trust.

Huijsen has responded with a sharp pre-season so far. He started both training matches at Valdebebas, looking eager to impress the new coach. A minor physical issue then ruled him out of the first official friendly against Fiorentina in Austria, a frustrating bump in the road just as he was gathering rhythm.

He was back on the pitch against Ferencváros, playing the second half and using those 45 minutes to build fitness and reconnect with the pace of games. Small steps, but important ones, as he tries to convince Mourinho that he belongs in the starting XI when the real season begins.

Konaté arrives, comfort zone disappears

If last year was about adaptation, this year is about survival at the top end of elite competition.

David Alaba’s departure has reshaped the centre-back hierarchy. Into that gap has stepped Ibrahima Konaté, signed to compete directly with Huijsen and the rest of Madrid’s central defenders for a starting place.

Konaté’s arrival changes everything. Mistakes that might have been tolerated last season will now be judged against the performance of a Champions League-level rival. Every training session, every friendly, every decision on the ball becomes a small vote in Mourinho’s mind.

Huijsen has the talent. He has the club’s backing, the No. 4 on his back and a manager who already believed in him once. But the equation is simple now: potential is no longer enough. This season is about consistency, reliability, and proving he can anchor the heart of Real Madrid’s defence week after week.

Either he grows into the leader he wants to be, or someone else will.

Midfield in flux as United watch and wait

While Huijsen fights for his place at the back, the summer at Madrid has been dominated by a different kind of battle: what to do with a crowded, expensive midfield.

The club’s internal debate over their existing options has run alongside their pursuit of new faces. One of those targets, Bernardo Silva, is already through the door, adding yet another high-level option to an area of the pitch that was hardly short of quality.

That has inevitably cast a shadow over Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. Both have been floated as potential exits at different points of the window, even Tchouameni, who is understood to have agreed a new long-term contract with Madrid, though the club have yet to make anything official.

Into that uncertainty has stepped Manchester United.

Speaking on The United Stand, ESPN’s Rob Dawson revealed that United are keeping a close eye on both French midfielders as possible “market opportunities” should Madrid decide to cash in.

Camavinga tested, but still unsettled

The situation around Camavinga has been particularly intriguing.

According to Dawson, intermediaries contacted Premier League clubs before the window to gauge interest in the 23-year-old. “United were told before the summer that Real Madrid were going to look to try and get a few players out the door,” he said, adding that Camavinga “was offered to Premier League clubs by intermediaries just to gauge interest.”

It fits the picture of a player whose role remains uncertain. Camavinga wants to stay at Madrid. He has said as much through his stance and his camp’s messages. Yet under Mourinho he has not secured the status of undisputed starter, floating instead between different roles and never quite locking one down as his own.

His pre-season has not shifted that narrative. Given chances to impress, he has struggled to truly dominate games or force Mourinho’s hand. The talent is obvious, but so is the competition around him.

Tchouameni: agreement, but no guarantees

Tchouameni’s case is more complex.

Dawson suggested that, unlike Camavinga, the French international has a new long-term agreement in place with Madrid. The problem is the silence: without an official announcement, questions linger over how central he is to the club’s medium-term plans.

United, for now, are not launching a full-scale pursuit of either player. Their stance is more opportunistic than aggressive.

“I think United are looking at those two as market opportunities,” Dawson said, before outlining the conditions that would have to fall into place: the players would need to genuinely want to leave Madrid, genuinely want to join United, and any deal would have to fit within the English club’s wage structure.

In other words, United are watching, not forcing.

Rodri miss keeps the door open

One decision could have changed everything.

Had Madrid managed to sign Rodri, the domino effect would have been brutal for someone in that midfield. With the Spaniard anchoring the holding role, it would have been almost inevitable that at least one of Tchouameni or Camavinga would have been pushed towards the exit this summer.

Missing out on Rodri has altered that landscape. Now, both Frenchmen still have a clear path to convince Mourinho they should be central to his project. The competition is fierce, but the door is not closed.

It all hinges on what Madrid decide to do between now and the end of the transfer window. If they move again for a specialist holding midfielder, the balance shifts and a “market opportunity” suddenly opens for Manchester United.

If they don’t, the message is just as clear: the battle for minutes will be fought in Valdebebas, not in the boardroom.

For Huijsen at the back and for Camavinga and Tchouameni in midfield, the theme is the same. The time for promise is over. The next few weeks will tell who truly belongs at the core of Mourinho’s Real Madrid – and who becomes a headline in someone else’s rebuild.