£60m new Frenkie de Jong is begging to join Liverpool | OneFootball

It looks like Liverpool will be conducting a midfield overhaul this summer.

Arne Slot could do with improving his options in the middle - as Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are not as strong as they were during the 2024/25 Premier League title-winning campaign.

Meanwhile Wataru Endo is injured long-term and Curtis Jones has a complicated contract situation which could see him sold in the off-season.

That’s why links with new midfielders make sense and one name emerging on the list is that of Kees Smit.

The AZ Alkmaar standout has hit new heights for the Eredivisie side this season - earning him links with some of the biggest clubs around.

Real Madrid and Liverpool are reported to be keen on the 20-year-old who last week celebrated his first-ever call-up to the Netherlands’ national team.

Kees Smit dubbed the new FDJ

Smit was excited to play alongside Virgil van Dijk - perhaps a good omen for Liverpool’s chances of signing him.

And now former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that Liverpool would be signing the new Frenkie de Jong if Smith were to arrive at Anfield.

"He has the potential to become the new Frenkie de Jong. We're going to really enjoy watching him play,” he told ESPN NL via Mundo Deportivo following Smit’s international debut versus Norway.

It looks like Smit will cost around £52m if AZ were to cash in this summer. The all-action midfielder is under contract with the Alkmaar outfit until 2028 and it’s highly unlikely that he will extend his stay there.

Kees Smit: Situation summary

Kees Smit is a 20-year-old Dutch midfielder at AZ Alkmaar, a homegrown talent who joined the club’s academy at nine and signed his first professional deal in 2021.

Now a full Eredivisie regular, he has become a key figure for AZ and broken into the senior Netherlands setup after standout performances for Jong Oranje.

Smit is a technical central/attacking midfielder, 1.82m tall, right-footed, and excels as a roaming playmaker who dictates tempo, receives under pressure and progresses play through incisive passing and ball-carrying.

He creates a high volume of chances, links phases from build-up to final third and offers late box entries, reflected in solid 2025-26 numbers for goals, assists and minutes with strong average ratings.

Under contract with AZ until June 2028, he is viewed as a premium asset, with AZ reportedly mandating Jorge Mendes to help drive a record sale.

Liverpool, Arsenal and others are tracking him ahead of a likely 2026 move, with Champions League-level clubs currently best placed.