Manchester United have reportedly opened talks to trump Chelsea and Liverpool in the race to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, as per Caught Offside.
The 19-year-old has started attracting a lot of attention ahead of the upcoming winter transfer window, having displayed impressive performances at AFAS Stadion this season.
In 19 appearances across all competitions, the midfielder has netted two goals and registered four assists thus far this season. Moreover, he has been a regular member of the U21 Netherlands national team.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Man Utd are interested in Smit and their head of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, has been the driving force behind the deal. The German has even held talks with the player’s representatives to persuade him to join.
AZ Alkmaar would ideally want to keep hold of him, with his existing deal set to run until 2028. However, they understand that they can’t keep him if a big club like United eventually make a move and want around £25m to sell him next summer.
Ruben Amorim’s side might even look to finalise the move in January, with the player then joining at the end of this season. However, the report claim that apart from the Red Devils, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United are also interested in the Dutchman.
Smit to Man Utd
Moreover, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also been keeping a close eye on the youngster’s development. However, United are the only club to have made contact to seal the deal and are looking to stay ahead in the race.
Smit is a technically gifted midfielder and has a similar playing style to his compatriot, Frenkie de Jong. The 19-year-old likes to be deployed in the double midfield pivot role but can also provide cover in the box-to-box position.
Furthermore, he can play in the creative midfield role if needed. He can play threading passes between the lines, has the ability to carry the ball from deep through his dribbling and can also chip in with important goals.
Smit is a highly talented player and possesses the potential to become a world-class midfielder in the future. So, he would be a great coup for Man Utd should they eventually manage to secure his service by defeating Liverpool, Chelsea and other European giants in this race.