Cole Palmer marked his return to action with a goal as Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.
The England international has struggled with injuries throughout the current campaign and hadn’t featured in the league at Stamford Bridge since the opening weekend, but he put Enzo Maresca’s side in front early on after latching on to Malo Gusto’s pass.
The Frenchman then got his name on the scoresheet, doubling Chelsea’s advantage against the Toffees.
Maresca’s side held on and now sit fourth in the top flight table, and it appears that the west London side have also been handed a boost off the pitch.
As reported by INews, Chelsea have entered the race to sign AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit and are now in pole position to land the midfielder.
The report claims that the Blues are very interested in the 19-year-old, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young midfielders in Europe.
Smit is widely regarded as one of the most promising young players in Europe (Photo: Orange Pics BV/Alamy)
Chelsea are said to be ready to battle it out with the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United in the race to sign the teenager, who is also on the radar of Arsenal and Manchester United.
Smit is a product of AZ’s youth academy and has now played more than 50 times for the Dutch side across all competitions.
It is claimed that Chelsea have been in contact with Smit’s representatives, although it isn’t yet clear whether or not the Blues will make a move to sign the midfielder in January.
Newcastle are said to be weighing up a mid-season move for the youngster, as they are anticipating a huge increase in interest surrounding the player next summer which may make a deal even more difficult to agree.
The report claims that AZ could be willing to accept an offer in the region of £30 million for the player.