Liverpool are among the clubs linked with a move for the Dutchman Kees Smit.
Liverpool are leading the race to sign a Dutch midfielder, reports suggest.
It has been claimed that the Reds are ahead in what is expected to be a fierce battle to secure the signature of Kees Smit.
The 20-year-old is expected to be in high demand during the summer transfer window. Smit has made 32 appearances for AZ Alkmaar this season, recording three goals and five assists.
Smit has been linked with a host of clubs ahead of a potential summer transfer. The likes of Real Madrid have been mentioned, while Newcastle United have reportedly shown strong interest in the past.
But according to journalist Ekrem Konur, Liverpool have held initial talks with Smit for a deal that could be worth in the region of £52-60 million. Konur posted on X: “PSG, Arsenal & Bayern Munich are monitoring AZ Alkmaar’s midfielder Kees Smit! Real Madrid tracking for months but no formal bid. Liverpool leading the race after initial talks for summer move. AZ asking price: €60-75M.”
Netherland head coach Ronald Koeman has previously compared Smith to Barcelona’s Pedri. Speaking last year, Koeman said: “I almost regret mentioning his name again [Pedri], but he’s a guy who plays in the same position.
“The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness... I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”
Smit has previously admitted that he does want to move on from Alkmaar in the upcoming years.
Liverpool could be in the market for a new midfielder in the summer transfer window amid uncertainty around Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister respective futures.
Jones sees his Anfield contract expire in the summer of 2027. The homegrown 25-year-old was pursued by Inter Milan during the January transfer window while Tottenham Hotspur have been linked. Jones may want regular football elsewhere if he cannot be guaranteed it at Liverpool.
Endo, currently sidelined with a foot injury, also sees his deal come to an end in 2027. The fans’ favourite has started just two Premier League games under head coach Arne Slot.
Mac Allister, meanwhile, is tied down until 2028. But there has been speculation over the Argentina international’s future, with Real Madrid said to be keen.
Slot has talked about Liverpool signing younger players based on potential, with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni all below the age of 23 when arriving last summer. The Reds have also agreed a deal for 20-year-old defender Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes ahead of the summer.
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