Liverpool are among a host of teams who have been monitoring the progress of AZ Alkmaar attacking midfielder Kees Smit, according to reports.

The 19-year-old recently caught the eye at the European Under-19 Championships, where he was named the player of the tournament after the Netherlands won the final.

TBRFootball claim that Smit is attracting interest from no less than 8 Premier League teams. Chelsea and Tottenham are said to be “at the front of the queue”, with the likes of Arne Slot’s side, Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton and Leeds also in the mix.

There are various other teams from across Europe, including Real Madrid, who have taken a keen interest in the teenager as well.

Smit has already made a name for himself at club level

The midfielder started last season with AZ’s Under 21s, who play in the Dutch second tier. He made a big impression, scoring 8 goals and providing 5 assists in just 13 league appearances.

Smit was quickly promoted to the first team, and while he didn’t get off the mark in the Eredivisie, he scored in both the Europa League and the Dutch Cup.

By the end of the campaign, the Dutchman was a regular starter for AZ and he is likely to be even more influential if he remains with the club for 2025/26.

Liverpool are not in the market for an attacking midfielder

Having spent £116m on Florian Wirtz, the Reds have more than enough options in the middle of the park, along with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo.

Most would agree that Slot could do with having some cover for Gravenberch in the No.6 position, but Smit would not be a good fit for that role. With that being the case, it is not surprising that the Merseysiders are not frontrunners for his signature.

In other news, Romano reveals Liverpool should expect another “approach” from La Liga giants for one of their players