Rio Ferdinand has seen enough. In his mind, Kees Smit should already be on a plane to Manchester.
The Manchester United great has launched a full-throated plea for his former club to move decisively for the 20-year-old AZ midfielder, a player he believes is too good – and too important – to let slip away to a rival.
A rising Dutch star on the move
Smit’s stock has rocketed over the past few months. He made his debut for the Dutch national team only last month and is now widely expected to be approaching the end of his time in Alkmaar.
After AZ’s emphatic 4-0 win over Sparta Prague in the Conference League, Smit openly admitted to Ziggo Sport that he is seriously considering a summer departure.
“Basically, I want to play a lot; that’s important to me. I could stay at AZ, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said, laying bare his ambition and hinting that the next step will be a significant one.
Top European clubs are circling. The sense is that his next move will not be sideways.
Ferdinand’s verdict: ‘The real deal’
If Ferdinand has his way, Smit’s next home will be Old Trafford.
“Kees Smit is the real deal, I’m telling you,” Ferdinand declared on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents. The tone was not casual punditry; it was a call to arms.
“He’s the kind of player where you think: I’d sign him right now, even if he might not be quite ready for the first team just yet. I hope he breaks through and takes the world by storm. And if we have to wait six months or a year for him, I don’t mind at all, because we absolutely cannot let him go to another club.”
That last line carries weight. United have been here before, watching young continental talents blossom elsewhere. Ferdinand is adamant they cannot repeat that mistake.
His enthusiasm only grew as he described what he has seen.
“Kees Smit is a top player, believe me. That lad… I’ve seen him play a few times now and that was enough for me. I’ve seen the footage and… wow! I’ve also spoken to a few people in the Netherlands, friends of mine… He’s got the real deal,” Ferdinand said.
The message is clear: this is not a punt, not a hunch. In Ferdinand’s eyes, Smit is a modern midfielder built for the highest level, and United must act.
AZ’s price and Smit’s reality check
AZ, of course, know exactly what they have. Reports suggest the Dutch club are demanding around 60 million euros for their homegrown asset, a figure that has rippled through boardrooms and fanbases alike – and one that Smit himself cannot ignore.
“I understand that everyone is talking about it. The figures I’m hearing are absurd,” he admitted. “I get that people disagree with it or think it’s a huge amount of money. I feel the same way myself.”
It is a rare moment of honesty in a market that often shrugs off eye-watering fees as the norm. Smit hears the numbers. He shares the disbelief. Yet he remains at the centre of it all.
AZ’s present, Smit’s future
For now, the midfielder’s focus stays on AZ’s immediate challenges. On Thursday, he lines up in the Conference League quarter-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, another showcase on a European stage where scouts will be watching every touch.
Domestically, AZ sit sixth in the Eredivisie, three points behind Ajax. It is a season on the edge: close enough to push higher, vulnerable enough to slip. Smit stands in the middle of that tension, driving a team still fighting on multiple fronts while his own future drifts ever closer to a decisive moment.
United, and others, know the window is opening. AZ have named their price. Ferdinand has made his plea.
The next move belongs to the clubs brave enough to meet that valuation – and to a 20-year-old who already sounds ready to leave his comfort zone behind.
