Dean Huijsen already has 3 reasons to reject Chelsea move in favor of Liverpool transfer

 Liverpool and Chelsea are set to do familiar battle in the transfer market this summer, with Dean Huijsen the latest common target. The history of these duels has not always favored the Reds, but previous deals should give the defender some cause to think very carefully.

By some accounts, Chelsea has nosed into the lead in the race for Huijsen. That could pave the way for a familiar formula at Anfield.

For many years, Chelsea could at least claim to be winning these transfer races by virtue of its better performance on the pitch. But Arne Slot currently stands on the verge of the Premier League title, while the Blues are struggling to even qualify for the Champions League — and in truth, Liverpool has been in the ascendency for some time.

Should Chelsea miss out, it would be the third year running that it has not participated in Europe's premier competition. It is increasingly hard to see why any player would pick the London club over Liverpool from a competitive standpoint.

Gallingly, that London location has often proved to be a draw in itself, with some players particularly keen on a move to the capital. That's one thing that Liverpool will never be able to control, however well it does on the pitch.

But for anyone interested in genuinely furthering their career, Chelsea's sales pitch is becoming weaker by the minute. Huijsen need only ask some of the players who now look to be in line to give Liverpool a guard of honor on May 4.

The most high-profile transfer battle of recent years came two summers ago, when Liverpool emerged out of nowhere as a credible rival for Moises Caicedo's signature. It made an uncharacteristic monster bid for the Brighton midfielder, but he made his preference for Chelsea clear.

Liverpool succeeded only in ratcheting up the price Chelsea had to pay. Yet Caicedo must now be wondering about his choice.

Had he simply stayed at Brighton, he would have played at a higher level of European football by now — his continental Chelsea career has been limited to the Conference League, whereas the Seagulls played in the Europa League the season after Caicedo left. Nor has he won a single piece of silverware.

If he had opted for Liverpool, then Caicedo would have played in the Champions League by now. He'd also have won the League Cup (against Chelsea, no less), and would be on the verge of a Premier League title alongside his former midfield partner Alexis Mac Allister.

But at least Caicedo has become an important player for Chelsea. The same cannot really be said of Romeo Lavia.

Pursued by Liverpool as an alternative to Caicedo that same summer, Chelsea went ahead and signed them both. Player and club alike must be wondering what on earth they were thinking.

In fairness, Lavia has been dogged by injury issues, and perhaps he would have had the exact same problems at Liverpool. But there was a clear vacancy for him at Anfield, and there's a reality where he became the starting number six in the team that is about to claim the title.

Going back a little further, there was talk that Liverpool was keen on Enzo Fernandez as well. That interest was never quite as concrete, but it's yet another sliding doors moment.

Fernandez is another who has won absolutely nothing at Chelsea. Like Caicedo, he would have played at a better level in Europe just by staying put — and a move to Liverpool would have been better still.

One thing all three players have in common is that they have all signed over their futures to Chelsea for the foreseeable future (2030 at the earliest). While Huijsen might like the security of the long contract on offer at Stamford Bridge, he should consider the reality of handing all the cards to a team yet to genuinely showcase its competitive credentials under the current ownership.

Caicedo, Lavia and Fernandez are ultimately little more than three reasons for Huijsen to pick Liverpool over Chelsea. They have all tied themselves to a ship that may yet be sinking, and their sense of what could have been must be growing stronger every year.