Will Arsenal or Real Madrid sign AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit in the transfer window | Iconic Media / Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Will Arsenal or Real Madrid sign AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit in the transfer window | Iconic Media / Getty Images | Iconic Media / Getty Images
Mikel Arteta’s side could do with more youth in midfield - and a Real Madrid transfer target may be perfect for them.
Arsenal’s cat-and-mouse chase of a first Premier League title in over two decades continues to give Gunners and Manchester City fans heart attacks equally, and for Mikel Arteta’s side the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The Gunners have the chance to become the next Premier League (and potentially European) dynasty if they can go distance this season and get over the line as top flight champions, and they remain one of the favourites to win the Champions League too. While falling short in their two primary aims could finally break Arteta’s squad after so many near misses, if they can get that mental monkey off their backs in a season where so much has gone against Arsenal especially in terms of injuries.
The Real Madrid target who could be in Arsenal’s sights this summer
None of the midfielders available to Arteta after Ethan Nwaneri was sent on loan to Marseille are under 27, and his stock there is already pretty limited with precious little behind Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi closer to the base of midfield - while none of Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze or Nwaneri have been consistently brilliant further up the pitch.
With that in mind, AZ Alkmaar midfield starlet Kees Smit is a huge target for Arsenal this summer. Unfortunately, the same goes for most of Europe’s other super clubs, so the Gunners have a battle on their hands. Real Madrid, in particular, have been linked with a move for Smit on a constant basis over the past few months.
However, according to CF Bayern Insider columnist Christian Falk, Arsenal lead clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in their pursuit of the 20-year-old - and if that proves to be true, then the young Dutchman has the potential to be a transformative long-term signing as well as a player who can offer the short-term depth that Arteta sorely needs.
Smit can transform Arsenal’s future
Smit has quickly become one of the hottest prospects in Europe in a breakout campaign for AZ Alkmaar, notching 18 Eredivisie appearances so far this weekend. That equals his record tally from last season and he’s already played 60% more league minutes in the same number of games.
He’s made four goal contributions from central midfield and claimed three more assists in Europe, and his underlying data is even more impressive. Smit’s in the top 9% for chances created among similar midfielders according to FotMob (having turned 20 less than a month ago, remember) and doesn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities either.
Obviously that doesn’t go unnoticed though and Arsenal will have to fight off a host of superclubs with better domestic and European pedigree if they are to capture the Dutchman. Yet according to Falk, they’re the team in pole position right now.
“No, it’s not hot for Bayern Munich. Smit is a player Arsenal is also interested in, so for (Leon) Goretzka, this could be a potential rival for his position next summer,” Falk said, as reported by CaughtOffside.
“From what I understand, Arsenal and the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid are closer to signing this player than Bayern Munich.”
Smit wouldn’t be ready to break into the Arsenal starting 11 every week but Arteta doesn’t need him to be. Instead he could join the growing ranks of the next generation at the club, ready to link together a defence boasting Myles Lewis-Skelly, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera with an attack spearheaded by Max Dowman.
If he can take to that role and thrive then Arsenal could be looked back on as the defining team of the 2020s and be the team best placed for success in the next decade, but if The Gunners do miss out they may be watching him turn their European dreams into nightmares for many years to come.
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