Newcastle United are not expected to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit during the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope.
Writing on his X account, Hope said that the Magpies won’t be able to match the Dutchman’s asking price:
“Kees Smit [is] more likely to move in the summer but, if he does leave AZ in January, it will probably be for a fee beyond where NUFC are able to go this month.”
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Smit has been on the Magpies’ radar for quite some time, but he is a player in demand and AZ’s valuation is believed to be excessive.
How much would the Newcastle United target cost?
Another journalist, Fabrizio Romano, has claimed that AZ have already turned down bids worth up to €60m (£52m).
There are suggestions that Smit, who has been compared to Barcelona superstar Pedri by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, could fetch closer to €75m (£65m).
In that context, you can understand why Director of Football Ross Wilson may have put the blockers on the move in favour of other, more realistic targets.
The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ have all been linked with Smit
The 19-year-old’s price tag has definitely been influenced by the sheer number of teams who are keen on signing him.
In addition to Newcastle, it is believed that Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have been keeping tabs on Smit as well.
Clubs from other countries are also said to be keeping tabs on the midfielder, so AZ will feel well within their rights to demand top dollar.
For now, it seems that any attempt to sign Smit has been put on the back burner until the summer at the very least.
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