Liverpool have been tipped to shake up their midfield options in the summer transfer window.
Arne Slot is getting diminishing returns on certain members of his midfield at present with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister a long way off their Premier League title-winning best.
Factor in contract uncertainty for Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo - both tipped to leave Anfield this off-season - and you can see why the Reds would need to recruit.
One name very much in the frame is Kees Smit - the AZ midfielder attracting attention from top clubs across Europe.
Liverpool and fellow Premier League suitors Arsenal have got a key advantage over Newcastle in the chase for the recently called-up Dutchman.
With Arsenal going for the title and Liverpool fighting for a place in the top five Champions League football will be crucial in deciding the midfielder’s next move.
Qualifying for the Champions League is therefore vital in more ways than one - with Liverpool’s chances of signing Smit this summer depending on it.
“Kees Smit is more likely to join either Liverpool or Arsenal than Newcastle United in the summer transfer window,” the report reads.
“Smit is destined to join a team playing in the Champions League if he leaves Alkmaar in the upcoming summer window.
“Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in signing him, while Newcastle have been linked with the 20-year-old for the last few months. “Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal are all being mentioned as potential destinations for Smit.”
Kees Smit has emerged from AZ’s academy in Heiloo to become one of the Eredivisie’s standout young midfielders and a priority target for several elite clubs.
Rise and season to date
Smit joined AZ aged nine, progressed through every age group and debuted professionally at 17, winning the UEFA Youth League with AZ U19 on the way. By 2025‑26 he is a regular for AZ, logging over 1,200 minutes with one goal and three assists in 16 official games, and contributing in both Eredivisie and Europe.
A press‑resistant central midfielder, Smit is described as a deep‑lying or roaming playmaker who can also operate box‑to‑box. He dictates tempo with his passing range, carries through pressure, and combines defensive work with line‑breaking passes and the ability to glide past opponents.
Contract and interested clubs
Smit is under contract at AZ until June 2028, earning an estimated €180k base salary in 2024‑25, and AZ are expected to demand €60–75m for him. He is openly targeting a move abroad by 2027, with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle all reported as keen and 2026 viewed as a key window.
