Wednesday Wonderkids

Take a look at a deep dive into three promising young talents as part of our ongoing 'Wednesday Wonderkids' series.

Dean Huijsen

Despite only being 20, Dean Huijsen has already developed a career path that most footballers would be jealous of. Over the course of eighteen months, he has played for Juventus, Roma, Bournemouth and has now signed for Real Madrid with a price tag of £53 million.

He is the first Bournemouth player ever to be signed by Los Blancos, which perhaps serves as indicator enough that Huijsen is a generational talent. His season under Andoni Iraola highlighted many of the centre-back's key strengths: from sensational levels of ball progression to being an expert at drawing opponents into errors.

Juventus sold Dean Huijsen - and just 11 months later, he went for three times the price 💰👀 pic.twitter.com/DsgVv7j8gb

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) July 1, 2025

It is not an overstatement to say that Huijsen was instrumental for Iraola to be able to play the style of football he desired. He was dispossessed just 0.04 times per 90 in the Premier League - placing him in the top 13% - and demonstrated exemplary ability to drive forward in possession, play line-breaking passes, and invite pressure to incite the 'fabricated transitions' that Iraola's men used to great effect last campaign.

Key Progressive Stats

• 1.59 Shot-Creating Actions per 90 (top 7%)
• 1.52 Progressive Carries per 90 (top 9%)
• 6.67 Passes into Final Third per 90 (top 12%)
• 4.89 Progressive Passes per 90 (top 15%)
• 0.56 Key Passes per 90 (top 6%) Data from FBRef, percentiles given in relation to 2024/25 Premier League positional peers.

Anyone who watched Bournemouth last season will remember Huijsen's endlessly composed but slightly lanky figure.. Yet as he already stands at 6'5", his physical profile has potential akin to how his technical ability blossomed over the course of 2024/25. It is likely that Real Madrid will be eager for Huijsen to 'bulk up' to enable him to become a more imposing presence to opposition forwards.

That's not to say that the Spaniard is defensively poor - far from it. He has become an expert at defending space and snuffing out potential problems before they emerge. He is the type of defender most forwards hate to play against: always appearing to be one step ahead. He is a year away from being widely considered one of the world's best.

Key Defensive Stats

• 1.89 Interceptions per 90 (top 4%)
• 7.34 Clearances per 90 (top 4%)
• 1.34 Tackles per 90 (top 54%)
• 0.59 Middle-Third Tackles per 90 (top 22%) Data from FBRef, percentiles given in relation to 2024/25 Premier League positional peers.

Since signing for Madrid, Huijsen has already got four full nineties under his belt in the Club World Cup, keeping two clean sheets in the process, one of which was against Juventus, his former club. He seemingly already has Xabi Alonso's full trust in the left side of his back three, and the 20-year-old has barely put a foot wrong. All of this suggests that Huijsen's stocks will only continue to rise over the course of the coming season.

Andreas Schjelderup

If you've followed the scene of 'wonderkids' for a while, you might remember Andreas Schjelderup. Additionally, if you've watched Benfica in the Club World Cup, you may have noticed the long-haired left-sided forward who scored in Benfica's 1-0 victory over Bayern.

The youngster was first touted as Norway's 'next big thing' when he was a teenager, and having just turned 21, Schjelderup is well positioned to reach new heights over the coming season.

His aforementioned goal against Bayern - where he finished first time through a narrow gap after a cutback - was a fairly typical Schjelderup finish, and it highlights one of the Norwegian's most standout abilities: positioning. He is wise beyond his years when it comes to knowing where to place himself on the pitch, whether it is to ghost into the box for a finish, or to receive the ball between the lines from a teammate.

Key Stats

• 11.85 Progressive Passes Received per 90 (top 3%)
• 15 Yards Average Shot Distance (closest 7%)
• 3,26 Shots per 90 (top 5%)
• 4.29 Progressive Carries per 90 (top 12%)
• 2.4 Key Passes per 90 (top 14%)
• 0.52 Assists per 90 (top 1%) Stats from FBRef, percentiles given in relation to the 'Next 14' competitions over the past year. Next 14 defined by FBRef as the 14 leagues outside of Europe's 'big five'

Schjelderup made just three starts in Liga Portugal last season, with seventeen appearances as substitute. He spent the year prior with Nordsjaelland on loan, starting 24 times in the Danish Superliga. He accumulated 9 goals and 6 assists in what could be considered a breakout season.

It's probably fair to say that the young Norwegian isn't the finished article just yet. Both his crossing and finishing leave something to be desired, but his ability to battle himself into threatening positions is inarguable. With the right attitude and coaching, Schjelderup may be set to reach another level next season.

Kendry Paez

Chelsea's latest acquisition in their endless production line of teenage prospects is Kendry Paez, an 18-year-old Ecuadorian who the Blues acquired for £8.6 million.

Paez is an attacking midfielder who played over 2500 minutes for the Independiente senior side since 2023, scoring twelve league goals over this period. The young Ecuadorian comes equipped with typical South American flair and a catalogue of goals impressive enough to excite any Chelsea fan.

It's somewhat of an analytical cliche to say that 'you can tell how good a player is by their first touch', but in Paez' case, that is absolutely true. Remember when Neymar adopted a 'back-heel touch' as his own? Paez is more than capable of pulling that off time and time again. Better still, his first touch is more than just showboating. if he wants to stop the ball dead, he will. If he wants to place it in space to run into, he will. Very few young footballers play like they have the ball on a string - but Paez is certainly one of them.

Kendry Páez vs Palmeiras
16 years old.

Man of the Match.pic.twitter.com/khiV9HF37e

— ️️. (@AtomicCFC) April 25, 2024

He has demonstrated a range of finishes too - powerful driven strikes from range, delicate chips, and even a halfway line goal. But his most common means of scoring comes by cutting in from the right and tucking it past the goalkeeper. And he does it with such confidence.

Due to never playing at what would be considered 'elite level', it remains to be seen how far Paez' skillset will carry over into European football. He is set to spend the coming season on loan at Strasbourg, which, if last season was anything to go off, is a great proving ground for young players.

Kendry Pàez and Mathis Amougou will spend next season on loan at Strasbourg.

(@TheAthletic) pic.twitter.com/RAC8lxbkim

— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaIoanArmy) July 1, 2025

It also means that data on Paez is fairly limited, but it won't be long until we see him in action in Ligue 1.

Three players. Three very different paths. Huijsen already looks built for the elite, Schjelderup’s rise may just be reigniting, and Paez is about to test his skill set on the European stage. Regardless, it's more than likely that we’ll be hearing their names a lot more this time next year.