Spurs have been a linked with a January transfer which could bring the next Luka Modrić to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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With so many of the traditional contenders for the top four and even the Premier League title struggling for form, the 2025/26 season is starting to look like a golden opportunity for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur – and it would be no surprise if they made some significant moves in January in order to take advantage.
There are several areas in which Spurs could still improve, but new transfer rumours suggests that the midfield is due for an overhaul – and if the gossip columns have it right, then they could be considering a bid to sign a young playmaker with the talent to be their next Luka Modrić.
Why Spurs are supposedly interested in wonderkid Kees Smit
That’s despite being more of a creator than a finisher of chances. Smit can play on the flanks but more usually operates as a box-to-box midfielder, and its his first touch, fluid dribbling and ball control – as well as his precise passing – which catch the eye.
Smit is blessed with a graceful style of play and fluent technique, and it helps him to glide past defenders and opposing midfielders as he surges downfield with assurance, if not necessarily immense pace. He has Modrić’s knack of finding ways to carry the ball past his man with apparent ease, even if – at 6’0” – he doesn’t have the same low centre of gravity which the Croatian used to squirm between gaps.
And while it might be generous to equate the precision and range of his passing to Modrić’s just yet, he’s on the right track. His weight of pass is exceptional and his vision unquestionable. So far this season, he has two Eredivisie assists for AZ and has been creating 4.77 shooting chances for his team-mates per game on average – a very impressive mark.
He's also growing as a defensive player, making nearly two-thirds of his tackles against opposing ball-carriers and managing nearly six ball recoveries per game on average. He’s not just a creator but a hard-working ball-winner, too. Modrić is a comparison that has been made by the continental press, but Adam Wharton may have a more similar playing style overall.
Given that Frank reportedly wants to add at least one new central midfielder to his squad soon, Smit could be precisely the player that Spurs need, effective on and off the ball and able to generate chances in volume and to break the lines with the ball at his feet – and he can play as a number ten, too, should Xavi Simons continue to struggle. It’s no surprise that numerous media outlets, including TBR Football, believe that Spurs are watching Smit with great interest.
Will Spurs be able to sign Smit in 2026?
The question, of course, is whether Spurs will be able to seal a deal for Smit when plenty of other teams have taken notice of his talents, too – Newcastle United and Chelsea have been linked with a bid, while Real Madrid supposedly have him somewhere on their shortlist too.
Stories from Spain suggest that Wharton and others are likely to be higher on their shopping list over the course of the next couple of transfer windows, but both Newcastle and Chelsea would love a midfielder with Smit’s profile and room to develop as well. It is unlikely that Spurs get a free run at his signature if they do make a move.
Some of the recent reports suggesting that Spurs are interested, including one from Football FanCast, note that AZ may have been prepared to negotiate for around €30m (£26m) this summer – as the level of interest increases, that price may well go up, but it provides a starting point for guesses as to how much suitors may need to spend.
All three of Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea are likely to be able to afford that in January without damaging their standing with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, although it’s not clear whether AZ would be willing to sell their star player mid-season as yet. With his contract only due to expire in 2028, the Dutch club have plenty of leverage and don’t need to cash in with any urgency.
As such, it’s perhaps more likely that this deal gets done next summer, wherever he ends up – but if he continues to blossom in the Netherlands, then signing him could easily become a matter of some urgency for any number of teams, Spurs among them. It’s a deal which they seem relatively unlikely to regret should they pull it off.