Newcastle United are prepared to compete with Europe’s top teams for the signature of AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit.
The 19-year-old has attracted interest from clubs across the continent following his impressive performances in the Eredivisie.
Newcastle are among the clubs keen, according to Sky Sports, while AZ are unlikely to stand in the players way. However, the Dutch side will demand a club-record fee for Smit, eclipsing the £21.9m that took Tijjani Reijnders to AC Milan.
Newcastle face stern competition for the midfielder, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all monitoring his progress.
Smit was named Player of the Tournament as the Netherlands won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in the summer and has earned praise from senior coach Ronald Koeman this month.
“I almost regret mentioning his name again [Pedri], but he’s a guy who plays in the same position,” Netherlands manager Koeman said on Smit.
Newcastle United are weighing up a move for Dutch sensation Kees Smit in January
Newcastle scouts watched the Dutch sensation in AZ Alkmaar’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace pic.twitter.com/G7wCbYKowk
“The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness… I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”
