Manchester United are reportedly battling with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool over a deal to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, as per TEAMtalk.
After coming through the Dutch club’s youth system, the 19-year-old made his first team debut last year before establishing himself as a key starter this season.
In 27 appearances across all competitions, the youngster has scored twice and registered five assists across all competitions thus far this campaign. Moreover, he has been helping his side to push for a European place finish in the Eredivisie.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that the Dutchman’s recent eye-catching performances haven’t gone unnoticed as he has been attracting a lot of attention from several big clubs around Europe.
In the Premier League, Man Utd, Tottenham, and Liverpool are keen on purchasing him; moreover, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle United are in this race as well.
They have been monitoring his development closely over the last 12 months before making a potential swoop in January or next summer. Premier League scouts have labelled Smit as the Dutch Adam Wharton, and he is regarded as the best midfield prospect to emerge from the Eredivisie since Frenkie de Jong.
Battle
With his existing deal set to run until 2028, AZ Alkmaar are in a strong position to demand a big fee to let him leave and have no intention of selling him in mid-season. The player isn’t even agitating for a move next month.
They want a club record fee to let him leave with Tijjani Reijnders, who joined AC Milan for around £17m, currently their record departure. AZ have slapped a £52m price tag on his head and may even demand up to £65m.
The report say that Smit might not opt to move to the Premier League with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona keeping a close eye on his performances.
Smit is a technically gifted player and likes to be deployed in the double midfield pivot role. He can play threading passes between the lines, can dribble past opposition defenders in tight areas, and is also composed with possession.
He is a top-class talent and would be a great coup for Man Utd, Liverpool, or Tottenham should any of those clubs eventually manage to secure his service next year.