Kees Smit Reveals Transfer Plan and Potential Value Amid Interest From Newcastle, Real Madrid and Crystal Palace

Dutch wonderkid Kees Smit has stated that he plans to make a “good move” in the next 18 months.

The 19-year-old has been a regular member of AZ Alkmaar’s first team since November 2024. He featured in both legs of AZ’s Europa League clash with Tottenham in last season’s Europa League, before starting against Crystal Palace in the Conference League this term.

After scoring two goals and providing five assists in 27 appearances across all competitions this season, Smit has been tipped for a possible call-up by the Netherlands for next summer’s World Cup. FootballBlog.co.uk recently simulated the entire 2026 World Cup and the Netherlands were the champions.

Is Kees Smit the next Pedri?

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has previously compared Smit to Barcelona and Spain star Pedri. Speaking in November, Koeman said: “Kees Smit is a player I’m looking at.

“I once saw Pedri at Barcelona, ​​and I see things in him now… the turning, the scanning, the vision, the two-footedness. If Kees gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”

Smit has been at AZ since the age of nine but he is expected to move onto bigger and better things before long.

Kees Smit discusses his transfer plan and market value

Smit admitted in a recent interview with De Telegraaf that he was coming towards the end of his time in Alkmaar. He said: “I think six months, or a year and a half. After that, I hope to have made a good move.”

Smit also revealed that he believes his transfer value is around €30 million (£26m) and that he hopes his next club will reimburse AZ fairly.

“Around €30 million,” he replied when asked how much he was currently worth. “That would make me AZ’s highest-paid outgoing transfer. That’s my goal.”

A transfer fee in the region of €30m would indeed make Smit the most expensive export in AZ Alkmaar’s history. At present, that record is held by current Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who left Alkmaar for a transfer fee of roughly €25m when he left to join AC Milan in 2023.

Newcastle, Real Madrid and Crystal Palace admire Kees Smit

In terms of who might pay €30m to sign Smit, the biggest interest so far is said to come from Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.

Madrid could look for reinforcements in January after finishing 10 points behind Barcelona in the 2025 La Liga calendar year table.

Meanwhile, Palace should have plenty of available funds in 2026 after being one of seven Premier League clubs to make a net transfer profit in the most recent summer window.

Newcastle’s net transfer spend last summer was just under £100m.