Liverpool Eye £51.5m Midfield Target Kees Smit

Liverpool’s midfield rebuild might not be done yet. Far from it.

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, according to TeamTalk. The result was forgettable. Smit’s performance wasn’t.

The 20-year-old started and, by all accounts, delivered another sharp, composed display until Enzo Le Fée’s late penalty settled the friendly. For the analysts dotted around the stands, that kind of outing matters more than the scoreline. This was another live look at a midfielder whose stock has been climbing rapidly across Europe.

Liverpool were hardly alone. The same report notes that Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton all sent representatives, with Smit the main draw for each of them. When that many Premier League clubs pay for a midweek trip to Wearside, it usually signals more than casual curiosity.

This is a race forming in real time.

Long-Term Admiration Meets a Rising Price Tag

Smit has forced his way into the conversation over the past 18 months. He has become a central figure in AZ’s strong start to the season, with the Dutch side sitting second in the Eredivisie and leaning heavily on his influence in midfield. His rise has been steep, but not sudden.

TeamTalk describe Liverpool as “long-term admirers of Smit”, with interest tracked back over a sustained period rather than off the back of a single eye-catching night. His development since breaking into the AZ first team in 2024 has drawn what is described as “sustained interest from England for more than two years.” This is the profile of a player clubs have been following, cross-checking and debating for some time.

There is already a number attached to his name. Smit is rated at around €60m (£51.5m, $69m), a valuation that puts him firmly in the elite young-talent bracket. That figure alone tells Liverpool two things: they will not be alone if they move in January, and they should not expect any bargain once the window opens.

For a club that has already invested heavily in its midfield over recent windows, choosing to go that high again would be a statement about both need and belief.

Iraola’s Midfield Puzzle

The story sharpens when you drop Smit into Liverpool’s tactical picture.

TeamTalk report that “The Reds are understood to be considering a mid-season swoop for a new midfielder,” with Andoni Iraola said to harbour concerns that his current options are not fully delivering the high-intensity pressing game he demands. For a coach whose football is built on aggression, energy and relentless work without the ball, that is not a minor detail.

If the staff feel the press is a half-step short, the midfield is usually where they look first.

Smit’s profile, then, becomes especially interesting. A young, high-ceiling midfielder comfortable in a high-tempo system, already carrying a leading role in a side chasing at the top end of the Eredivisie, fits neatly with what Liverpool have tried to build: age on their side, legs to run, and enough technical quality to play through pressure.

The report claims Liverpool have already “shortlisted four potential options ahead of the January window” and that Smit “too can be added to that list.” No move is portrayed as imminent, but the combination of long-term tracking, clear tactical need and heavy scouting presence points towards a live situation rather than a speculative link.

A Transfer That Never Happened – Yet

There is also some unfinished business around Smit’s future.

He was widely expected to move in the summer, yet no transfer materialised despite “strong interest from clubs across Europe.” When a player stays put in that context, the story usually rolls straight into the next window, especially if performances stay high and the interest remains “genuine and widespread.”

His omission from Ronald Koeman’s latest Netherlands squad is flagged as a disappointment, but the report stresses that it has done little to cool the market around him. If anything, his response at club level has kept the temperature high.

Tuesday’s outing in Sunderland was just one more data point, but the wider picture is clear enough. Liverpool are watching closely. Their rivals are, too. A £51.5m decision is looming over the January window, and for a club trying to sharpen Iraola’s pressing machine, Kees Smit looks less like background noise and more like a potential turning point in their season.