The English player, Kelly, was acquired for a higher price than the Spanish defender, Huijsen, was sold for. Juventus` advancement to the Club World Cup quarterfinals won`t be enough to offset the financial losses incurred due to their misjudgment regarding the former Next Gen player.
In June 2025, as Juventus and Real Madrid prepare to clash in Miami for the Club World Cup quarterfinals, a prize of 12.2 million euros awaits the winner. Just five months prior, in January 2025, Juventus welcomed Kelly from Newcastle on a loan-to-buy deal. This agreement, tied to Juventus avoiding relegation, amounted to 14.5 million euros, with additional costs bringing the total to 17.2 million euros, plus a 15% sell-on clause.
Conversely, in July 2024, Juventus sold Dean Huijsen—whom they had acquired for free as a 17-year-old in 2022—to Bournemouth for 15.2 million euros, plus 3 million in bonuses and a 10% sell-on clause. Less than a year later, Huijsen is a Real Madrid player, valued at a staggering 60 million euros. His upcoming direct duel with Kelly, who effectively replaced him at Juventus, serves as a stark and humiliating reminder of Juventus` misjudgment. Even advancing to the next round of the Club World Cup won`t suffice for Juventus to recoup the financial and talent loss from this error in evaluating the defender.
A Costly Dual Challenge
Among the criticisms leveled against former Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who was dismissed after the first year of the club`s new cycle, the Huijsen-Kelly transfer saga stands out as a prime example of his strategic imbalance. While few could have predicted such a rapid ascent for the 2005-born defender, he was sacrificed, like other promising youngsters, last summer to generate transfer funds and make room for new acquisitions.
Huijsen himself disagreed with Giuntoli`s plan, which involved a one-year loan spell before returning as a first-team player for the upcoming season. While the long-term vision of developing a top-tier player wasn`t flawed, the handling of the player was poor and inadequate, despite his high demands for a contract renewal. However, what truly undermined Giuntoli was the stark contrast with the Kelly operation: Kelly had been a free agent in summer 2025, yet Juventus paid more for him than they received for Huijsen. To date, Kelly has not proven to be a reliable `big` player.
Furthermore, in the final months of Giuntoli`s tenure, plans were reportedly underway to sell Yildiz using a similar strategy to Huijsen`s. Fortunately, decisive intervention from the club`s ownership preserved Yildiz, a crucial asset for Juventus` new era and a potential star for the upcoming Club World Cup.
