Real Madrid midfield target wishes to play in La Liga – ‘Playing there would be great’ | OneFootball

Kees Smit is one of the players expected to generate significant attention in the upcoming transfer window.

The midfielder from AZ Alkmaar is being tracked by top Premier League clubs, while both Real Madrid and Barcelona are also monitoring his development closely.

Real Madrid, in particular, have included him on their shortlist as they plan to reinforce their midfield next summer. The young Dutchman is well positioned among their targets, and his transfer fee is expected to exceed €50 million.

Smit’s future will be influenced by superagent Jorge Mendes, as AZ have entrusted him with managing the player’s next move in order to maximize the financial return.

Smit eyeing La Liga move

Now, in an interview on YouTube with Supergaande (h/t AS), Smit was asked where he sees himself playing once he leaves AZ, choosing between Europe’s top leagues.

His answer was clear: “La Liga. Playing there would be great. I love the sun, I’m tired of playing in so much cold and rain, so I’d like to go and play in Spain.”

Smit is a target for Real Madrid. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Smit also revealed that his original plan was to take an intermediate step within Dutch football before moving abroad, although he now believes that scenario is unlikely.

“Ideally, I would have played for another Dutch team, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I never considered leaving AZ. My dream was to play here for the rest of my life,” the young midfielder said.

The Dutch prodigy, who was also linked with Real Madrid in 2025, spoke about offers he received last summer, saying:

“I had offers, but I felt it was best to continue growing here. To be honest, I never even looked at the figures they were offering. And thank goodness for that. Otherwise, I would have started to have doubts. In the end, I’m happy with my decision.”

The AZ starlet admitted he watched a lot of La Liga as a child, while mentioning that he enjoyed watching Barcelona a lot – something that might not go down well with Madridistas.

“I really enjoyed watching Barça. I grew up watching Iniesta and Messi play, who I consider two of my role models,” he said.