Real Madrid to beat Manchester United in transfer race for midfield wonderkid Kees Smit: Report

Kees Smit of AZ Alkmaar has emerged as the clear favourite over Angelo Stiller and Adam Wharton in the race to become a Real Madrid star, a Spanish report claimed. The 19-year-old Dutch midfielder is also wanted by Manchester United and Newcastle United, among other European giants, but journalist Mario Cortegana declared Los Blancos the clear favourites in the pursuit of the player.

For Real Madrid, he could be developed as the next Luka Modrić due to his calmness in possession, balance under pressure, and ability to control tempo. He can dribble well, has the lungs to press non-stop and make recovery sprints, and, most vitally, can even match Modrić’s long-range finishing.

How much money will Kees Smit deal cost?

AZ Alkmaar will demand around €60 million for their prized young man if they are to agree on a deal, the media report said, while naming Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund among the teams to have shown interest in him. He has made 52 senior appearances for the side, scoring four times and assisting seven. Although he was handed a senior debut at 17, it was the role he played in the 2025 Under-19 European Championships that led to a breakthrough season at club level. He managed four goals and an assist for the Oranje in the tournament and became the Player of the Tournament.

Described as a “total footballer” by Dutch media, Kees Smit is often referred to as the next Bruno Fernandes or James Maddison by the media back home. “There are several players on the radar. Kees Smit is being followed by big European clubs with increasing interest, to the point that teams a step below, like Newcastle, want to make a move in the winter transfer window. The Magpies know that from next summer onwards, the bidding war is going to be fierce. We were told by AZ Alkmaar that they have no intention of letting him go in the winter and that they want around €60 million,” Mario Cortegana was quoted as saying by Defensa Central. Another reporter said that bidders will have to include guaranteed regular playtime for the teenager so that his growth is not stunted.

Who is Kees Smit?

Hailing from the small town of Heiloo, Smit was nine when he joined AZ Alkmaar’s academy. “Smit has the kind of press-resistance you expect from a modern central midfielder. His first touch and ball control are clean, allowing him to receive on the half-turn and roll out of tight areas. Smit can dictate tempo in midfield – his short passing is crisp and accurate, and he is very comfortable playing one-twos in build-up. From deeper zones he’s capable of punching forward balls into attackers, while also striking longer diagonals to switch play and stretch opposition blocks,” Futbird said in a report.

Additionally, he is always on the lookout for runners and will not miss out on a chance to send in a cross. Off the ball, his positioning in half-spaces equips the side to transition quickly from attack into defence and vice versa.

Ronald Koeman, the current manager of the Netherlands national team, even went to the extent of comparing him to Spaniard Pedri once. “I have to be careful with what I say, but I coached Pedri at Barcelona and I see things of him in Kees Smit. The turns, the use of both feet, the vision... it’s what I saw in Pedri back then. What he’s showing at such a young age is impressive. If he achieves half of what Pedri has achieved in his career, everyone in the Netherlands will be happy,” Defensa Central quoted him as saying.

His first touches are almost perfect most of the times, making it somewhat easier for him to deal with rival pressing waves, reports said. He can receive the ball on the half-turn and roll out of tight areas, which are qualities that a manager like Xabi Alonso will love to see in his midfielders.