Tottenham and Chelsea leading race to sign one of the ‘crown jewels’ of Dutch football

8 hours ago 31

Tottenham Hotspur are at the front of the queue to land a Dutch youngster, who is seen by many as a generational talent, but they face plenty of competition for the youngster’s services, the strongest of which is coming from Chelsea.

It was claimed by The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel earlier this week that Tottenham have decided to pursue experienced players this summer, which marks a change in the club’s transfer strategy compared to the last few years.

However, he made it clear that the change in policy does not mean that Spurs will stop going after young gems, especially given the success they have had with those kinds of deals over recent windows.

That has already been evident this summer, with Tottenham completing a permanent deal for Mathys Tel and Spurs soon expected to announce the arrival of young Japanese defender Kota Takai.

Tottenham now eyeing a move for Dutch midfielder Kees Smit

TBR Football have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are now turning their attention towards one of Eredivisie’s most highly rated young talents.

The player in question is AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit who has become a linchpin for the side, making 43 appearances for the club last season despite being just 19 years of age.

The teenager is very versatile, having operated in the base of the midfield, a box-to-box role and as an attacking midfielder, and he is seen as one of the ‘crown jewels’ of Dutch football.

The report says that AZ now face a battle to hang onto Smit, with the interest in his services now growing and Tottenham and Chelsea are at the forefront to land the youngster.

Spurs have followed him closely for many months, with the club’s technical director Johan Lange tracking his development, having sent officials to Romania to watch the AZ man in action at the U19 Euros this summer.

Several European giants have also watched Kees Smit

TBR Football say that apart from the two London clubs, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United have also kept tabs on Smit at different times.

The interest in him is not restricted to the Premier League, with Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Marseille also keeping an eye on him.

However, it is the Lilywhites and Blues who are currently ahead in the race and the outlet claims that they have heard from some sources that the next chapter of Smit’s career could be in England.