Liverpool Eye Kees Smit as January Midfield Target
Liverpool’s midfield search is starting to look very specific, and very expensive.
Club scouts were in the stands at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, watching AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit in a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. The result did not matter. The 20-year-old Dutchman did.
TeamTalk report Liverpool were part of a sizeable Premier League contingent tracking the midfielder, who “started the game and produced another eye-catching display” before Enzo Le Fée’s late penalty settled the friendly. For a player already regarded as one of the Eredivisie’s standout young midfielders, this was another data point, not a one-off audition.
Liverpool, the report says, are “long-term admirers of Smit” and had people on Wearside specifically to monitor him. This is not a casual glance.
Premier League Pack Circles Smit
Liverpool were far from alone. According to the same report, Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton all sent representatives, with Smit identified as the central reason for their trips.
That kind of turnout tells its own story. When half a dozen Premier League clubs spend time and money to watch the same player live, it usually signals an active race, not background curiosity.
Smit has “emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting young midfield talents over the past 18 months” and has grown into a key figure in AZ’s strong start to the season. With the Dutch club sitting second in the Eredivisie, his influence has only increased. The profile matches what Liverpool typically chase: young, upward curve, proven in a tactically demanding league.
The report notes that his performances have kept him “firmly on the radar of clubs across the continent”, with “sustained interest from England for more than two years” since he broke into the AZ first team in 2024. This is long-term tracking, not a reaction to a single good night in Sunderland.
There is already a price attached. Smit is described as a “€60m (£51.5m, $69m) rated star”, putting him in the top bracket of young midfielders. If Liverpool decide to move in January, they know two things: competition will be fierce, and discounts will be unlikely.
Iraola’s Midfield Question
What sharpens all of this is Liverpool’s internal debate. TeamTalk report that “The Reds are understood to be considering a mid-season swoop for a new midfielder”, with head coach Andoni Iraola said to harbour doubts that “his current options cannot bring his high-intensity press demands to life.”
That line cuts to the heart of it. Iraola’s football lives off energy, aggression and relentless pressing. If he feels the current midfield cannot consistently deliver that, recruitment becomes less of a luxury and more of a requirement.
In that context, Smit’s profile becomes highly relevant. Liverpool are said to have “shortlisted four potential options ahead of the January window”, with Smit now “added to that list.” No move is described as imminent, but the combination of long-term admiration, tactical need and escalating market interest makes this a situation that could accelerate quickly once the window opens.
Unfinished Business After Summer Stalemate
Smit “had been expected to make a move during the summer, but no transfer materialised despite strong interest from clubs across Europe.” That kind of near-miss rarely disappears. It usually rolls straight into the next window, especially when the player continues to perform and the interest remains “genuine and widespread”.
His omission from Ronald Koeman’s latest Netherlands squad is flagged as a disappointment, yet the report is clear: “That setback has done little to diminish the interest” in him. If anything, his response at club level has kept the momentum alive and the scouts coming back.
Tuesday’s outing in Sunderland was only one match, but the message was broader. Liverpool are watching Kees Smit closely. Several Premier League rivals are doing the same. With a £51.5m valuation hanging over his head and Iraola pushing for a midfielder who can ignite his press, the question is no longer whether Smit is on the radar – it is whether January becomes the moment Liverpool decide to pay the price.
