Huijsen's Rise as Mourinho's Key Defensive Choice
The new season is closing in and Real Madrid arrive loaded. Six summer signings, a refreshed squad, and Jose Mourinho already talking up the work done so far. But beneath the optimism lies a decision that could shape the spine of his team.
At the heart of it: the left side of central defence.
Madrid have moved to deepen the position by bringing in Ibrahima Konate to battle with Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao. On paper, it looks like a logjam. On the pitch, one name is edging ahead.
Huijsen’s advantage
Right now, Huijsen is the frontrunner to start as Madrid’s main left-sided centre-back, as reported by MARCA. Not a token promotion. A genuine first-team role to open the campaign.
There’s a clear tactical reason. Among Madrid’s central defenders, Huijsen is the only one truly comfortable with both feet, not locked into being purely right‑footed. For a coach like Mourinho, who obsesses over structure and build-up angles, that matters. It changes how Madrid can play out from the back, how they can escape pressure, how they can control games.
Then there is form. Huijsen has gathered momentum in recent weeks, capped by a standout performance in the friendly against Deportivo La Coruna.
Given his first start under Mourinho at the Teresa Herrera Trophy, the Spaniard took command. He marshalled the backline with authority, stacked up seven successful defensive actions and did not lose a single duel. Not one.
It wasn’t just a good pre-season outing. It was the kind of display that hardens internal belief – that Huijsen can grow into an undisputed starter and, in time, a pillar of the Real Madrid defence.
The weight of the No.4
The shift in his status is written not only in tactics and minutes, but on his back.
With David Alaba gone, Huijsen has taken the iconic number four shirt. At most clubs, it’s just a number. At Real Madrid, it carries history and expectation. Sergio Ramos. Fernando Hierro. Leaders, enforcers, captains of eras.
Huijsen has not shied away from that burden. He has embraced it.
"It was always my dream to play for Real Madrid and wear the number four. As a child, my idol was always Sergio Ramos," he wrote on social media. No ambiguity. He knows exactly what he is stepping into.
For Mourinho, that mentality counts. A centre-back at Madrid is judged not only on clearances and duels, but on presence. On whether he can own the box, the shirt, the moment.
The one concern that won’t go away
There is, however, a shadow that lingers over Huijsen’s rise: his body.
Injuries disrupted his previous campaign and ultimately cost him a place in Spain’s World Cup squad. Just as his trajectory seemed to spike, his fitness broke the rhythm.
The warning signs have not disappeared. Much of last week he trained alone due to discomfort, a reminder that his physical condition remains the key hurdle between promise and permanence.
Mourinho’s dilemma is clear. On one side, a technically gifted, two-footed defender who has just delivered a commanding audition and taken on the No.4 with intent. On the other, the risk that his season – and Madrid’s plans – could be unsettled by recurring fitness issues.
For now, Huijsen holds the upper hand. The question is no longer whether he can win Mourinho’s trust for the start of the season.
It’s whether his body will let him keep it when the real games begin.
