Liverpool Pursue AZ Alkmaar Star Kees Smit for £51.5m

Liverpool’s midfield rebuild might not be finished yet. Far from it, if this week on Wearside is any indication.

Club scouts were among a sizeable Premier League delegation at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, all with the same name circled in their notebooks: Kees Smit. The 20-year-old AZ Alkmaar midfielder could not prevent a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, settled by a late Enzo Le Fée penalty, but the result barely scratched the interest around him.

He started. He impressed again. And the market took note.

A Crowd of Suitors

TeamTalk report that Liverpool are “long-term admirers of Smit” and had staff in the stands specifically to track his progress. They were hardly alone.

Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton were all also represented, with Smit said to be the central reason for their trips. When that many Premier League clubs send scouts to the same game for the same player, it usually signals more than routine monitoring. This is active positioning.

Smit has been one of the breakout midfielders in Europe over the past 18 months. At AZ, he has grown from promising youngster into a central pillar of a side currently sitting second in the Eredivisie. His influence has risen in step with the club’s form, which only strengthens the sense that this is a player on a steep upward curve.

Liverpool’s interest fits that trajectory. Performance data, eye test, age profile – all line up.

A Price Tag That Demands Conviction

This is not a bargain-bin hunt. Smit is described as a “€60m (£51.5m, $69m) rated star”, a valuation that plants him firmly in the elite young-talent bracket.

Any club stepping forward in January will know two things: they will not be alone, and they should not expect a discount. AZ have a valuable asset, the suitors are queuing, and the market for high-ceiling midfielders has already been inflated by recent deals across Europe.

The interest in Smit is not new. His performances since breaking into the AZ first team in 2024 have attracted “sustained interest from England for more than two years”, according to the same report. This is a long-term scouting project, not a reaction to a single sharp display on a cold night in Sunderland.

Liverpool’s Midfield Question

What sharpens the story is what’s happening at Anfield.

TeamTalk claim “The Reds are understood to be considering a mid-season swoop for a new midfielder”, with Andoni Iraola reportedly concerned that his current options are not fully delivering the high-intensity pressing game he demands.

That line matters. Iraola’s football lives on energy, aggression and relentless work out of possession. If he and his staff feel the midfield is a fraction short of that standard, the search naturally turns to players who can raise the collective level in those phases.

Smit’s profile fits that brief. Young, athletic, technically assured, and already trusted in a side competing near the top of the Dutch league. The report adds that Liverpool have “shortlisted four potential options ahead of the January window” – and that Smit “too can be added to that list.”

No move is described as imminent, but the pattern is clear: long-term admiration, tactical need, live scouting. It is a situation building rather than fading.

Unfinished Business After the Summer

Smit was widely tipped to move in the summer. He stayed put.

The report notes he “had been expected to make a move during the summer, but no transfer materialised despite strong interest from clubs across Europe.” When a player of his age and form remains in place after that kind of window, the story rarely ends there. It usually rolls straight into January.

His omission from Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad is flagged as a personal setback, yet the interest around him has barely flickered. The same report is clear: “That setback has done little to diminish the interest” in his services. His response at club level – continuing to perform, continuing to lead – has kept the momentum alive.

Tuesday’s match in Sunderland was just one more data point. But it came with a telling backdrop: a cluster of Premier League scouts, a defined price tag, and a player who has already sat on the edge of a big move once.

A Decision Looming at Anfield

From Liverpool’s perspective, the story fits neatly into the wider puzzle.

Iraola’s system demands intensity and smart pressing from the middle of the pitch. If there is a feeling that the current mix cannot fully “bring his high-intensity press demands to life”, as reported, then investing heavily in a 20-year-old who can both grow and contribute immediately becomes a logical step.

The £51.5m valuation is the sticking point. It is major money for a player still proving himself at the very top level. But with Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton all tracking the same target, hesitation carries its own cost.

Liverpool now face a familiar question in a distorted market: pay the premium for upside and fit, or trust that another, cheaper name on that reported shortlist can deliver the same jolt of energy.

If they decide Smit is the one, January might not feel like a mid-season tweak. It could be the moment they bet big on the next leader of their midfield press.