Image Credits: Imago Images
The January transfer window presents clubs with a balancing act—addressing immediate needs while keeping one eye on future squad development.
For Liverpool, who invested heavily last summer with expenditure exceeding £400 million, the winter market will likely not be explored.
Although DaveOCKOP already exclusively revealed that Adam Wharton is a midfield transfer target, any move will likely only take place in the summer.
Reports from the Netherlands now suggest the Reds could look for another midfield signing.
Indeed, Dutch outlet Soccernews.NL has reported that Liverpool and especially Arne Slot are interested in AZ wonderkid Kees Smit.
They claim that the 19-year-old has been on the Reds’ radar for several months, with sources indicating Slot has been “charmed” by the playmaker since he was just 10 years old during the manager’s time at AZ between 2017 and 2020.
They report:
“Coach Slot has known who Smit is for some time, from their time together at AZ. When the ruddy ball virtuoso was only ten or eleven years old, Slot was already charmed by him.”
“Liverpool – like many major European (top) clubs – has been following the nineteen-year-old talent intensively for many months. The reigning champion of England is now seriously considering getting involved in the battle for the creative midfielder.”
The teenager has enjoyed a breakout 2025, registering 12 goals and seven assists across all competitions while establishing himself as a regular starter in the Eredivisie.
Ronald Koeman recently compared Smit to Barcelona’s Pedri, praising his spatial awareness and decision-making under pressure:
“I once experienced Pedri as a coach of Barcelona. And now I see things with Smit that I also saw with Pedri. Then it’s about two-leggedness and scanning. If Smit gets even half of Pedri’s career, then we will be very happy in the Netherlands. Other than that, I don’t say too much, because then people might get confused.”
It is further added that AZ is certain that they want to see their own transfer record broken to sell Smit when Tijjani Reijnders moved to AC Milan for €25 million euros.
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