Midfielder backed to make Barcelona move – “He’s a mix of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri” | OneFootball

Barcelona have started to draw up their plans for the summer transfer window, and one area that could be addressed is midfield. It’s looking increasingly likely that Marc Casado will depart, and if that happens, he will need to be replaced.

Bernardo Silva has been linked in recent weeks, but one of the players that Barcelona have been following this season is Kees Smit. The AZ Alkmaar midfielder has been one of Europe’s rising stars, and it is taken for granted that he will make a big move during the summer transfer window.

Barcelona have an advantage in that Smit is a fan of the club, and the 20-year-old’s national team manager Ronald Koeman is of the opinion that a move to Catalonia would be in his best interest, as per Diario AS.

“He’s a player for Barça. He could be a mix of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri. If you’re a mix of the two, you’re very good. He’s going to go to a big team from outside the Netherlands, because in Holland nobody can pay the money that is needed to keep him for another year. He’s one of the best young players we have had, but he has to learn more and play more games.”

Real Madrid are also in for Smit

At this stage, Smit is not very high on Barcelona’s list of targets, but that could change as the summer nears. If he is to move to Spain, it is much more likely that he ends up at Real Madrid, who consider him among their leading candidates to reinforce their midfield options at the Bernabeu.

It will be interesting to see where Smit ends up in the summer. Barcelona would have a good chance of landing him if they made a concrete move, but given their financial limitations, and the fact that other positions are being prioritised, it would be unlikely that they pay the money needed to get a deal done.