Real Madrid ‘move away’ from £55m Liverpool midfielder but it’s bad news for Man Utd | OneFootball

Real Madrid are abandoning their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in 2026 in favour of a move for Kees Smit, according to a reputable Spanish source, and while that is good news for the Anfield faithful, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will not be pleased at all.

Mac Allister is a midfielder that Real Madrid have long admired, with TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, reporting on September 20 that there is “genuine” interest from Los Blancos in the Argentina international. However, Liverpool have no intention of selling Mac Allister in the summer of 2026.

Liverpool’s stance on keeping Mac Allister despite interest from Real Madrid was further made by The Telegraph journalist Sam Wallace last month.

The Spanish media is now reporting that Madrid are moving away from Mac Allister and are focusing on AZ midfielder Kees Smit.

Smit has emerged as one of the finest young midfielders in Europe, with the 19-year-old Dutchman impressing a number of clubs, including Madrid.

AS, a Real Madrid-leaning publication, has reported that Madrid will ‘move away’ from making mega-signings such as Vitinha of Paris Saint-Germain or Mac Allister, who cost Liverpool £55million (€63.2m, $73.7m – including add-ons) when they signed him in 2023 and has won the Premier League and the EFL Cup with the Reds.

The report noted: ‘Time passes, and the strategy of incorporating young talent remains in place for the 2026 summer transfer window.

‘Sporting successes support this. Season after season, since the summer of 2019, major signings are viewed with the understanding that there’s a decade ahead to shape the first-team squad and to amortise the cost of these operations over time without difficulty.

‘Signing a fully developed player has become a thing of the past. In the 2019-2020 season, Hazard, Mendy, and Jovic arrived, although the latter was initially seen as a young player with supposed talent, something he ultimately failed to demonstrate.

‘Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler, Endrick, Huijsen, Carreras… are all footballers who respond to the aforementioned profile and in which Kees Smit, the midfielder of AZ Alkmaar, fits perfectly.

‘On January 20, he will be 20 years old. All the football in the world ahead and an operation that would move away from the three digits of signings such as that of Vitinha or McAllister, footballers capable of generating the game that Real Madrid leaders and coaches believe they need.’

Real Madrid stance on Kees Smit is bad news for Man Utd

Madrid have been hovering up top young players for the past few years, with the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Alvaro Carreras and Aurelien Tchouameni now starring for the first team.

Los Blancos are (arguably?) the biggest club in the world, and the chance to play for the European giants is a dream for most, if not all, young footballers.

With Madrid now focusing on a 2026 deal for Smit, Manchester United will be seriously concerned.

On December 30, TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, reported that Man Utd have joined the race for Smit.

Sources have told us that Man Utd are determined to reinforce their midfield, and Smit is a player that the Red Devils would love to sign.

We understand that Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are among the clubs interested in Smit.

Man Utd were already facing stiff competition for Smit, and Madrid now getting serious about the Dutch midfielder is further bad news for Red Devils manager Amorim.

Sources have indicated to us that AZ will ask for more than €60million (£52.2m, $70.6m) for Smit, with some in the Netherlands of the feeling that he could cost €75million (£65.3m, $88.3m).