Andoni Iraola addresses Dean Huijsen transfer rumours amid Chelsea, Liverpool links

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has insisted that Dean Huijsen has not been affected by the speculation surrounding his future.

The Cherries have a fight on their hands to keep Huijsen beyond the end of the season, despite only signing the defender from Juventus last summer.

Huijsen is garnering plenty of interest after impressing in his 27 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth this term.

The centre-back was rewarded with a call-up to Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad last month, before he went on to make his debut in the UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie against the Netherlands.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United are all said to be among Huijsen’s admirers, while there have been links with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

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Iraola addresses Huijsen speculation

However, a recent report claimed that Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign the 20-year-old in the summer transfer window.

Despite the intense speculation, Iraola believes that the rumours have had no impact on Huijsen’s day-to-day work with the Cherries.

“From what I see every day, training and playing, I don’t think it is affecting him at all,” Iraola told reporters ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home meeting with Manchester United.

‘I see him in the same mood that he normally is. He’s training well, and I think he’s playing well also. Even being young, this is not something that is strange for him.

“He’s coming from big teams, even if he wasn’t in the first team. But he’s coming from Roma, from Juventus, from teams where these things are probably quite natural, and I see him quite normal.”

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Iraola delivers Cook injury update

Huijsen is expected to start in central defence alongside Ilya Zabarnyi for Sunday’s home game against Ruben Amorim’s side.

However, there are doubts surrounding Lewis Cook’s availability for the fixture, with the midfielder currently struggling with an ankle issue.

“Everyone that was available last week should be available apart from Cook,” Iraola said. “He’s been struggling in the past weeks with his ankle, some kind of tendonitis, not chronic but something like this.

“He’s not fully training 100%, and we will see, he is the only one that has some issues from the ones that were available.”

The Cherries, who are sitting in eighth place, will be looking to complete a league double over Man United after easing to a memorable 3-0 victory in December’s reverse fixture.

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