Liverpool watched Kees Smit when AZ Alkmaar faced Sunderland in the Europa League this week, and they were not alone. Smit, a Netherlands midfielder, is already rated at £51.5m, which is the sort of price point that brings more than one club into the frame. Liverpool and Tottenham are both in that group.
The crowd around Smit
The BBC's gossip column said Liverpool watched the 20-year-old during the Europa League tie, while Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa were also keeping tabs on him. That is the part of the story worth watching now. Once one club starts the work, others tend to follow, especially when the player is young enough and expensive enough to be treated as a longer-term investment.
Tottenham's own league form is part of the wider background. They have taken just 1 win in their last 5 league matches, while Liverpool are unbeaten in 5 but have drawn 4 of those games. Neither sequence decides a transfer race on its own, but both clubs are clearly active in a market where midfield quality is being chased early.
Monaco's plans and the other winter names
Monaco bring a separate layer to the market. They have confirmed plans to sell Folarin Balogun in January after the 25-year-old changed his mind over a move to Everton on deadline day. He has 3 goals in 4 appearances this season, from 324 minutes, so Monaco are not dealing with a player short on output.
There is a split in how that sale is being framed. The club's stance is about a January exit, but the headline fact is the same either way: Balogun is available for a winter move. Tottenham are also considering Mauro Icardi after he left Galatasaray, although he will not be able to register until January, which makes that chase one for later in the window rather than now.
The Kees Smit chase feels like the most immediate story, though. Scouts have already had a look in Europe, the valuation is public, and the list of clubs around him is growing before the market has even opened.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
