Dean Huijsen is set to be at the centre of one of the summer's most compelling (or tedious) transfer sagas. A stellar debut season in the Premier League combined with a relatively low-cost £50 million ($66.5m) release clause has resulted in the Bournemouth centre-back topping defensive shopping lists for plenty of Europe's biggest hitters.
That includes Chelsea, who are likely to undertake a clear-out of their overloaded, underperforming backline in the coming months and are in dire need of top-quality, long-term solutions in an area of the pitch that has caused recurrent issues in recent times.
Despite a turgid struggle to qualify for the Champions League next season and rival interest from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Madrid, the Blues somehow find themselves in pole position to land the young Spain international, and it has become an opportunity they simply can't afford to pass up.