Real Madrid midfield target Kees Smit will reportedly cost more than €45 million ($53.6 million), a price that could jump even higher this summer as several European giants battle to sign the young Dutchman.
The 20-year-old has been on Los Blancos’ radar in their pursuit of a long-term successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić. The 15-time European champions are in desperate need of an orchestrator in the middle of the park, one with high intelligence and exceptional vision who can control the game in tight spaces and progress the ball forward.
Smit fits the profile, but obtaining his signature will not be easy—or cheap. Fabrizio Romano reports a “huge battle” is coming this summer for the Netherlands international, who will fetch “big money,” more than €45 million.
Not only are Real Madrid interested in Smit, but Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are also keeping a close eye on the midfielder, currently under contract with AZ Alkmaar through June 2028.
Will Real Madrid Splash Enough Cash for Smit This Summer?
Kees Smit
Kees Smit has suitors across Europe. | Ed van de Pol/BSR Agency/Getty Images
It’s no surprise Smit’s price tag is rising by the day, especially after Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman likened his skillset to Barcelona maestro Pedri. The bigger question is whether Real Madrid will go to war with Premier League giants to sign the youngster.
The club has never been shy about shelling out head-turning sums for superstar players, either at the height of their careers or as young, raw talents. Los Blancos paid an initial €103 million to lock down then-19-year-old Jude Bellingham back in 2023. They also forked over an initial €100 million to sign Eden Hazard in 2019.
Yet in recent seasons, the Spanish giants have been frugal when it comes to signing reinforcements. Real Madrid have done no business in January and have only spent more than €100 million in two of the last six summer transfer windows.
With the club in the market for at least two additional defensive reinforcements along with a midfielder this summer, they might be hesitant to hand over a sum large enough to beat out the Premier League competition for Smit.
Is Smit the Answer to Real Madrid’s Midfield Woes?
Kees Smit
Ed van de Pol/BSR Agency/Getty Images
On paper, Smit has all the skills—the composure, the vision, the positioning, the line-breaking passes—to revive Real Madrid’s floundering, often lifeless midfield. Yet the transition from representing AZ Alkmaar to arguably the biggest club in the world might take time for a player so young and inexperienced.
And Los Blancos do not have any more time to waste. The club already finished 2024–25 without a major trophy and only have two chances left—La Liga and the Champions League—to claim one this season. Patience has run out in the Spanish capital, and signing another young player who, like Dean Huijsen, might takes months to find his footing, is simply not the quick solution the team is searching for.
Instead, a player already brimming with experience, like Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha or 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri are candidates more in line with Real Madrid’s goals of returning to the mountaintop in both Europe and Spain as quickly as possible.
Of course there is the chance that Smit comes in, adapts instantly and becomes the missing piece of Los Blancos’ unbalanced team. But are the 15-time European champions willing to take that risk? Or will they instead push for a player with heaps of experience who can come in and immediately take over ... only time will tell.
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