Chelsea’s impressive run of form came to an abrupt end on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues got off to a flying start as Alejandro Garnacho netted his first goal since joining from Manchester United over the summer, but the Black Cats drew level shortly after through Wilson Isidor.
Both sides then missed chances, before Chemsdine Talbi slotted the ball past Robert Sanchez to spark wild celebrations in the away end.
That win moved Sunderland up to second place in the Premier League table, while Enzo Maresca’s side now sit eighth.
Off the pitch, it appears that the West London outfit are in the running to sign an Eredivisie star.
According to TBR Football, Chelsea are among the clubs that are showing interest in AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit.
Smit has impressed for AZ Alkmaar over the past 12 months (Photo: Orange Pics BV/Alamy)
The report claims that the 19-year-old has attracted interest from multiple clubs, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Fulham.
Smit is a product of Alkmaar’s youth academy and has now played 46 times for the Dutch side at senior level, scoring three times and registering five assists.
Newcastle are said to have had scouts in attendance to watch Smit impress against Ajax earlier this month, and the report claims that few young players in Europe are attracting as much interest as the teenager.
It is claimed that Alkmaar are preparing themselves for the youngster to leave the club next year, and the report suggests that is increasingly likely.
Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid are also believed to be interested in the midfielder, as well as German outfits RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
The youngster’s contract with Alkmaar is set to run until the end of the 2027/28 season.