Liverpool have been linked with a transfer bid for a player that Newcastle want to sign - and not for the first time.
Liverpool have made something of a habit of frustrating Newcastle in the transfer market over the past year or so. Whether they’re bullying the Magpies into selling Alexander Isak or beating them to the punch on players like Victor Muñoz and Hugo Ekitiké, it’s felt as though almost every players Newcastle want in their squad seems to wind up at Anfield instead – and it might just be happening again.
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New reports suggest that Liverpool have opened talks over a deal for AZ Alkmaar wonderkid Kees Smit, widely regarded as being among the most talented young midfielders in Europe – and also a player that Newcastle have admired for some time. But will Smit become the latest member of Andoni Iraola’s squad, or is there still a chance that he ends up on Tyneside this summer?
Liverpool in talks over Kees Smit deal – reports
Smit has seven goals in 77 appearances for AZ Alkmaarplaceholder image
Smit has seven goals in 77 appearances for AZ Alkmaar | Getty Images
According to TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey, Newcastle were “leading the charge” to sign the 20-year-old Smit – but the same outlet now suggests that the Dutchman’s representatives have approached Liverpool in the hopes of kick-starting negotiations as Andoni Iraola’s side search for a new midfielder.
Smit has been linked with several Premier League sides, including Newcastle and Liverpool, on a number of occasions over the past year since he broke into AZ’s first team in the 2024/25 season, and the odds that he gets his big move in the current transfer window appear to be increasing.
While there are no reports which suggest that Liverpool have yet made a formal offer, they certainly seem to be keen to sign a player with a similar profile, with Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi another player of interest – but with Bouaddi perhaps more likely to move to Arsenal or PSG, Smit could easily end up at the top of Liverpool’s shopping list.
With Smit’s contract set to come to an end in 2028, AZ appear to be increasingly open to a sale in order to extract the maximum possible value from their most talented asset, with the asking price expected to be in the region of €60m (£52m). Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have also been suggested as teams who could be interested in striking a deal.
Newcastle’s interest has been the subject of contradictory reports. While Bailey had them at the front of the queue for Smit, The Daily Telegraph’s Luke Edwards suggested this week that Eddie Howe’s side had “not pursued” a deal as they were not convinced that Smit was interested in making the move to Tyneside – but he also acknowledges that the Magpies are admirers of the youngster’s talent.
That admiration now looks increasingly likely to go nowhere, even if it’s far from certain that he will end up being yet another player lured away to Anfield. Liverpool’s priority is a deal for Yan Diomande, with further big splashes likely to be put on the back burner while they negotiate with RB Leipzig. If that deal ends up costing more than anticipated, it may constrict their spending in other positions.
Is Smit the midfielder Liverpool need to get back into title contention?
Smit represented the Netherlands 34 times at youth levelplaceholder image
Smit represented the Netherlands 34 times at youth level | Getty Images
While it’s not yet clear whether or not Iraola will make significant changes to the tactical template used by his immediate predecessors, Smit certainly fits the template of the kind of midfielder they have made use of to accentuate their hard-pressing ‘heavy metal’ style of play.
An energetic box-to-box player who can cover large swathes of the pitch over the course of a game, Smit combines both effective work off the ball – he averaged over five recoveries per game in the Eredivisie over the past season – with genuine creative quality and an impressive passing range.
He currently lacks the technical quality to be an effective dribbler but otherwise has no noticeable weaknesses, and has a potent long-range shot in his arsenal as well. There are plenty of rough edges to be polished, but Smit has the potential to be a hit in the Premier League.
Smit missed out on a place in the Netherlands’ World Cup squad but was handed his debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Norway in March. His absence from the final squad that was sent to North America should at least ensure that he’s in a good place to negotiate with any potential suitors.
Liverpool are in the market for a midfielder partly due to the potential sale of Curtis Jones, who is the subject of interest from Inter Milan, and partly because existing regulars such as Alexis Mac Allister struggled to find their best form during the 2025/26 season, a situation which suggested the need for added strength and depth. Liverpool’s current preference seems to be to sign a developmental prospect – and Smit is certainly a match for their broader philosophy.
With Smit’s representatives currently shopping their client to several clubs, it’s impossible to say whether Liverpool are a likely final destination – but they appear to be one of the options, and could well end up signing yet another player that Newcastle wish they’d got hold of instead.
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