Tottenham Hotspur have an eye on a midfield talent compared to Kevin De Bruyne, but Newcastle United and Chelsea have now entered the race.
Tottenham Hotspur under Thomas Frank have not been entirely free-flowing, particularly in attack, despite picking up a few wins along the way.
The new manager has been accused of being overly cautious at times, which is understandable to a point, yet for a club like Tottenham, playing front-foot football is fundamental to their identity.
Several factors have contributed to the cautious approach, and one of them lies in the personnel on the pitch. The balance in midfield has been difficult to find, especially when Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha and a traditional number ten have all been deployed together.
Tottenham keeping an eye on AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit
Xavi Simons is still settling into life at Tottenham, while James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined through injury, but new reports have linked the club with a player once compared to Kevin De Bruyne.
According to TBR Football, Tottenham Hotspur are among a host of clubs monitoring 19-year-old Kees Smit of AZ Alkmaar.
The Dutch midfielder is regarded as one of the Eredivisie side’s most prized assets, and AZ are believed to be bracing themselves for his departure in 2026.
Smit has developed rapidly over the past year, combining composure with a mature sense of awareness that has drawn attention across Europe.
He was instrumental in leading the Netherlands to the European Under-19 Championship title in Romania, where he was named Player of the Tournament.
UEFA’s official tournament report praised his all-round quality, writing: “Smit’s dribbling, creativity, clever movement and game intelligence were second to none and earned him comparisons with a young Kevin De Bruyne.”
Spurs face competition for Kees Smit
Tottenham are not short of creative options in the centre of the park, with Lucas Bergvall showing flashes of potential and continuing to develop well, yet it seems Spurs are unwilling to pass up on the chance to secure a talent of Smit’s calibre.
However, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are believed to be monitoring the youngster, while Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have also registered interest.
In England, Tottenham are joined by Chelsea, Brighton, Fulham, Newcastle and Brentford in tracking his progress closely.
Newcastle United even sent scouts who were reportedly in attendance as Smit produced a man-of-the-match display in AZ’s 2-0 victory over Ajax.
Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has also shared what he has been hearing about the player’s growing reputation, telling TBR Football: “Talking to scouts in Europe, there are not many more names that create as much excitement as Smit.
“Many clubs believe Smit is the real deal and from what I am being told there is a very good chance he moves next year.”