With the arrival of Dean Huijsen, Bournemouth are now in the enviable position of having three highly impressive centre-backs.
Spanish under-21 international Huijsen joins Illia Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi.
Zabarnyi and Senesi have come off the back of a strong Premier League campaign, with a new contract accordingly awarded to the Cherries’ Ukrainian machine, Zabarnyi.
His Argentine teammate, meanwhile, looked particularly proficient going forward, notching the most goal contributions of any top-flight centre-back in England last season.
But with Huijsen promising to be every bit as important as these two defensive pillars, could manager Andoni Iraola be signalling a tactical change with this latest transfer?
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Iraola's tactical bravery
During his Bournemouth tenure, Iraola has shown that no one is irreplaceable.
Philip Billing had been superb for Bournemouth in the 2022/23 season under Gary O’Neil, playing in a free role behind striker Dominic Solanke.
The Dane actually finished with more Premier League goals than Solanke.
It is no secret that Billing was highly influential in their survival, but he could not execute the high-intensity pressing system that Andoni Iraola brought to the club upon his arrival last summer, and his league minutes were halved to 1,393.
With this in mind, it appears the Bournemouth head coach has some decisions to make.
Does he do a straight swap to fit Huijsen into the starting line-up? Or does he simply add another defender?
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Great expectations
The issue with Huijsen's arrival is that the Spaniard is a talent who has sacrificed great opportunities elsewhere to travel to Dorset.
The 19-year-old was being chased by other top European clubs, meaning a key factor in his decision must have been game time.
He will expect to play regularly and in his natural position under Iraola.
Despite being competent at left-back, Huijsen's best position has to be in the centre of defence and this creates a big conundrum.
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What it means for Bournemouth
With Huijsen competing for a start, Iraola could potentially deviate from his trademark 4-2-3-1 formation and look into the possibility of starting three centre-backs.
The most likely combination would be having Senesi on the left, Huijsen in the centre, and Zabarnyi on the right side.
This, on paper, is a formidable back line, and one that could provide a real platform for success.
This could also have a positive impact on Milos Kerkez.
Kerkez stars for Hungary out on the left wing, bombing up and down the pitch.
That licence to roam appears to be what gets the best out of him. If a back three was to be favoured, then Kerkez could find himself in a similar role for his club as he does for his country.
On the other side, Bournemouth would not be short of options. In terms of promoting a full-back up the pitch, Max Aarons would be the obvious candidate.
However, it could be more likely that a winger could be dropped back. Marcus Tavernier has experience as a wing-back from his time in the Championship with Middlesborough, and alternatively, Dango Ouattara could be utilised on the right side as well.
Jaidon Anthony is another player who has found himself occupying a more defensive wide midfield role. He is highly thought of by Iraola, so this could be his route back into the starting line-up.
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Gaining experience in the Italian capital
During his time at Roma, Huijsen played predominantly as a left-sided centre-back in a four-man defensive setup, linking nicely with the likes of Gianluca Mancini and Chris Smalling.
He is not a stranger to a back three either; starting two games in that formation, once on the left side, and the second occasion in the centre of the three.
Evidently, he is a very versatile player.
Upon the youngster's arrival in the capital on loan from Juventus, then-Roma manager José Mourinho said: “I think we all know who Huijsen is. He is an 18-year-old boy, who has 10 minutes in Serie A, but who is one of the highest quality prospects in European football at this age level.”
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What makes Huijsen suited to a back three?
The former Malaga youth player has many qualities that mean he could operate well in a back-three system.
Quite often, as we see with Man City and John Stones, the central centre-back will have the creative freedom to drift up into midfield to create an overload.
Given the intense attacking nature of Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie, having another body to fill in and alleviate pressure would be beneficial.
Huijsen might be just the man to execute that role.
Composed with the ball at his feet, and the ability to complete a range of different passes, the Paris Saint-Germain-linked youngster has all the potential to thrive in his time on the south coast of England.
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Free-flowing nature the key to development
The fluidity of Iraola’s system has seen players filling in across all sorts of different roles, with Lewis Cook playing as a centre-back and right-back, Marcos Senesi anchoring the midfield, and Dango Ouattara, a winger by trade, being converted to left-back and excelling last season.
This nonconforming positional style could really benefit Huijsen, as it would allow him to use his high footballing IQ to be in the right areas at the right time.
Whether that be pushing up into midfield, dropping off to man-mark a striker with his 6’4” frame, or filling in at left-back, the prospect is a great fit for Iraola's demands for flexibility.
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Replacing Lloyd Kelly
In many respects, Huijsen will remind Bournemouth fans of Lloyd Kelly; tall, fast, and quality with the ball at his feet.
There was a general feeling of disappointment that Kelly had been allowed to reunite with former boss Eddie Howe upon the expiry of his contract.
But there will be much credit for Thiago Pinto, Neil Blake and Simon Francis to take as they have looked to replace Kelly seamlessly with this signing.
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When can Bournemouth fans watch Huijsen?
The Amsterdam-born defender will, fitness-depending, feature in Bournemouth’s final two pre-season fixtures, as they welcome both Girona and Rayo Vallecano to the Vitality Stadium early in August.
This will give Iraola the perfect chance to try out some new shapes and tactics against his former employers Vallecano and Champions League side Girona.
Cherries fans should expect to see multiple different formulas used in those games, and for Huijsen to feature heavily.
