· 13 November 2025, 21:00
This January, Newcastle United are expected to add more depth to their squad. Whether that comes in the form of players to go into the starting lineup or to simply bolster Eddie Howe's options remains to be seen.
There seems to be an acceptance that the Magpies are shopping around for a young midfielder to join their ranks, with one report today suggesting Newcastle are keen on Club Brugge's Aleksandar Stankovic.
However, he's not the only young option that Newcastle have on their list, as the Magpies are one of several big clubs keeping a close eye on AZ Alkmaar's Kees Smit.
The 19-year-old midfielder has caught the attention of many clubs around Europe and is thought to be rated at around £25 million.
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Kees Smit is still on Newcastle's wishlist
Newcastle want to beat other top teams to the signing of Kees Smit
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are thinking about making a move for Smit in January as they expect most other clubs will be waiting to swoop in the summer.
January deals are notoriously more difficult to get done, but if the bulk of the interested clubs are waiting until the summer to put their money up, that could make things decidedly easier for Newcastle.
The 19-year-old has made 11 Eredivisie appearances this season, scoring twice and assisting two along the way. He even has an assist from one of his two appearances in the Champions League proper to go with the one he got from six outings in the qualifying phase.
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Newcastle want to reduce the average age of their squad
Aside from his obvious talent, The Telegraph claims that one of the big reasons Newcastle are targeting Smit is in a bid to bring down the average age of the squad.
Smit is definitely an exciting prospect, but at 19 and coming from the Eredivisie, we're not convinced he'd be much use to Newcastle this season, or even next.
He feels like more of a project player, like Will Osula, than someone ready to drop into the deep end. However, that could be what Newcastle are looking for this January. We'll have to wait and see.