The player of the tournament from Romania, wanted by the giants of Europe » Real Madrid is the favorite

After scoring 10 goals in 46 appearances for AZ's second team, Smit quickly established himself at first team level. In the current season, he managed 2 goals and 5 assists in 27 matches played in all competitions, including European duels.

The excellent form brought him to the attention of the Dutch selectors, being considered a serious candidate for the team that could participate in the World Cup next year.

Real Madrid and Newcastle, in pole-position for the transfer

Real Madrid and Newcastle are the clubs most interested in transferring the young midfielder from Holland. Also, Crystal Palace are analyzing the possibility of a move that would represent a major blow for the London club, according to talksport.com.

Any team that wants to acquire Kees Smit will have to pay more than 25 million euros. Such an amount would become the biggest sale in the history of AZ Alkmaar club, the current record being 24.8 million euros, amount collected in 2023 after the transfer of Tijjani Reijnders to AC Milan.

Kees Smit, the best player of the European Championship in Romania

Currently valued at 22 million euros by Transfermarkt (compared to just 5 million in the European summer), Kees Smit is the undisputed starter at AZ Alkmaar, a club he joined in 2015.

The midfielder can operate as a number 8 in a box-to-box role as well as a number 10, having already made 58 appearances at senior level with 4 goals and 7 assists.

This summer, at the European U19 Championship played in Romania, Smit was the top scorer of the competition, with 4 goals scored in 5 matches, and was named the best player of the tournament.

In the semifinal won by the Netherlands against Romania, score 3-1, at the stadium in Giulesti, Kees Smit managed to score a goal and provide a decisive assist.

Kees Smit, the best player of the U19 European Championship, played in Romania