‘That made me proud’ — Dutch talent Kees Smit reacts to Barcelona and Real Madrid speculation | OneFootball

Despite having one of the best youth talent pipelines in the world of professional football, FC Barcelona also continue to remain aware of the promising talents emerging outside of their own system.

For this purpose, the Blaugranes rarely miss the opportunity of eyeing talent at some of the most notable youth-level competitions.

Earlier this summer, at the European U-19 Championship held in June, one player who particularly caught Barcelona’s attention was Dutchman Kees Smit.

Smit actually helped his team win the competition, beating Spain in the final, by being the top scorer and the most valuable player of the competition. Barring Spain, he scored against all the teams he faced, including Germany, Norway, England, and Romania.

Earlier in June, Sempre Barca had exclusively reported Barcelona’s interest in the youngster. Now, recently, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Smit himself has acknowledged and responded to that speculation:

For now, Kees Smit will continue to play and grow with AZ Alkmaar, but has recently been linked with Real Madrid. Thus, it remains to be seen whether Barcelona will be able to pounce on this promising talent in European youth-level football in the coming months or years.