Liverpool Pursue AZ Midfielder Kees Smit for £51.5m

Liverpool’s midfield rebuild might not be finished yet – and Kees Smit is rapidly moving from name on a list to name on a plan.

The 20-year-old AZ Alkmaar midfielder was under the microscope at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, with a sizeable Premier League scouting contingent watching closely as AZ fell 1-0 to Sunderland. The result? Almost irrelevant. The performance? Anything but.

Reports say Smit started and delivered another “eye-catching display”, even as Enzo Le Fée’s late penalty settled the friendly. For the scouts in the stands, it was another live data point on a player whose reputation has accelerated over the last 18 months.

Liverpool were there. Not by accident, not in passing. TeamTalk describe the club as “long-term admirers of Smit”, with representatives specifically dispatched to Wearside to track his progress.

They were far from alone. Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton were all also in attendance, with Smit cited as the primary reason for their trips. When half a dozen Premier League clubs converge on the same young midfielder, this is no background hum of interest. This is a race forming in real time.

A Rising Midfield Centrepiece

Smit has emerged as one of Europe’s standout young midfielders over the past year and a half, and his rise has dovetailed with AZ’s strong domestic form. With the club sitting second in the Eredivisie, his influence in the middle of the pitch has only grown.

Crucially for Liverpool, this isn’t a case of jumping on the latest social-media clip. The report stresses that his performances since breaking into the AZ first team in 2024 have attracted “sustained interest from England for more than two years.” That points to a long-running scouting operation rather than a knee-jerk reaction to one good night in Sunderland.

Across the continent, clubs are fully aware of what AZ have on their hands. Smit’s displays have ensured he “remains firmly on the radar” of top sides, and the financial markers are already down: he is described as a “€60m (£51.5m, $69m) rated star”.

That price bracket puts him firmly in the premium young-talent category. If Liverpool decide to move in January, they know two things already: they won’t be alone, and they won’t be walking into a bargain bin.

January and the Iraola Factor

The story sharpens when you add Liverpool’s internal situation to the mix. TeamTalk report that “The Reds are understood to be considering a mid-season swoop for a new midfielder”, with Andoni Iraola said to harbour doubts over whether his current options can truly deliver on his high-intensity pressing demands.

That line matters. Iraola’s football is built on relentless energy, aggression and smart pressing out of possession. If the coaching staff feel the current midfield group cannot consistently hit those levels, then a profile like Smit’s becomes more than just interesting – it becomes relevant to the system.

Liverpool are said to have “shortlisted four potential options ahead of the January window”, with Smit now added to that cluster. No move is described as imminent, but the combination of long-term admiration, clear tactical need and growing market pressure gives this story real weight heading into winter.

One decisive call in January could reshape the middle of Liverpool’s team for years.

An Unfinished Transfer Story

Smit’s name has been circulating for some time. He “had been expected to make a move during the summer, but no transfer materialised despite strong interest from clubs across Europe.” Those sagas rarely just evaporate. When a player continues to perform and the interest remains “genuine and widespread”, the next window often becomes the real flashpoint.

His omission from Ronald Koeman’s latest Netherlands squad is highlighted as a personal disappointment, yet the same report is clear: “That setback has done little to diminish the interest” in him. If anything, his club form has kept his momentum intact and his market value buoyant.

So Tuesday’s outing at Sunderland was just one game – but symbolically, it said plenty. Liverpool were watching. So were a cluster of rivals. The price tag is already set. The tactical fit is obvious.

For Liverpool, this is the kind of move that aligns age profile, upside and system demands. The £51.5m fee is the jarring part, a serious outlay for a player still proving himself at the very top level. Yet in a market where elite young midfielders command eye-watering sums, hesitation can be as costly as overpaying – especially when Chelsea, Tottenham, Forest, Villa, Palace and Brighton are all circling the same target.

If Iraola is convinced a new midfielder is needed to truly bring his pressing blueprint to life, interest in Smit can flip to action quickly. Supporters will want someone who lifts the level immediately, not just a project for three years’ time.

Smit looks like a rare blend of both. The only real question now: will Liverpool decide that January is the moment to strike?