Huijsen, the first

The technicians were doing the final sound checks. The journalists were beginning to crowd into their seats. Everything was ready in the Valdebebas press room for Carlo Ancelotti's appearance, ahead of the match against Sevilla in the penultimate round of La Liga . And, suddenly, Real Madrid sent out an official statement announcing the signing of Dean Huijsen . A rather ill-advised timing, perhaps deliberate, that many interpreted as another snub to the Italian coach, who sat down and discussed the news with elegance, avoiding putting the club in a bad light despite everything.

With varying degrees of tact, the news was a given. Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid, whose signing will soon be made official, now has its first reinforcement. A 20-year-old center-back with tremendous potential, who has already earned a cap for Spain despite being born in Amsterdam. With the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold, a defender with the soul of a striker, also on the cusp of success, it's clear that the Bernabéu's top brass are clearly aware of the squad's problems and how to shore them up. It's time to rebuild the defense and lay the foundations for a team that, on the other side of the field, up front, is brimming with names and talent.

The 20-year-old, 1.97m tall footballer has already made his debut with the national team and Madrid is paying 59 million.

Real Madrid hasn't wanted to speculate on Huijsen. Aware that several English giants were also chasing him, Real Madrid opted to pay Bournemouth's release clause, with the player's approval, and his firm desire to return to Spain. The €59 million (£50 million) buyout will allow Madrid to count on the young defender for next month's Club World Cup. Huijsen, a 197-centimeter center back, has already made his debut for the Spanish national team—he grew up in Málaga and preferred the red to the orange — against the Netherlands in the Nations League quarterfinals , two matches in which he lived up to all expectations, earning more than a good grade.

It is striking, however, that Florentino Pérez has refused to reinforce the team throughout this season despite the numerous absences—Ancelotti didn't use any of his four starting defenders in the final stretch of the season—and two days after mathematically bidding farewell to La Liga, with the manager's departure for Brazil now official, he has confirmed his first reinforcement for next season. In this regard, Ancelotti didn't want to draw any attention and opted for an elegant exit: "When it comes to signings, they've listened to me since I've been here, and I'm forgetting some. Real Madrid has signed Camavinga, Rüdiger, Tchouámeni, Bellingham, and Mbappé. Could I have asked for more? No," he wondered in the press room this Saturday. However, he also admitted that the absences in defense have directly hindered his team's performance. "Last year we had more or less the same problems, but we were able to fix them. This year has been a little more complicated," he concluded.