“It’s only Manchester United”: thrilling update on red-hot race for next De Bruyne, player already contacted – report

Manchester United have been active in signing exciting young talent in recent years, with a focus on the future clearly a major part of INEOS’s vision for the club. Last season teenage sensations Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven were signed from Arsenal, and over the summer the Red Devils spent big on 22-year-old Benjamin Sesko. Targeting midfield prodigy Ruben Amorim is in desperate need of midfield reinforcements as he looks beyond the aging pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. The Red Devils are widely believed to be poised to bring in at least one midfielder in the next couple of transfer windows, with the likes of Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson frequently mentioned. Both players are still in the early stages of their career, but reports suggest that United are preparing to move for someone even younger, targeting one of the most exciting teenage midfielders in Europe as their future-first transfer policy continues. AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit would not be an alternative to a Baleba or Anderson but is a highly promising prospect who has been compared to the likes of Barcelona’s Pedri and creative playmakers like Kevin de Bruyne. United lead the chase United’s interest in Smit has been tentatively reported before, but now CaughtOffside are throwing their weight behind the rumours in no uncertain terms. The outlet cite a “very trustworthy source” as saying that the 19-year-old is likely to leave in the summer due to an “acceptance that they will probably have to cash in on him sooner rather than later”. What’s more, the Red Devils are currently in the strongest position to prise the talented youngster away from the Dutch side, who are expected to look for £25m. The source anticipates that a deal could well be agreed in January to go through in the summer, and claims that while “a whole host of clubs” have scouted Smit, “so far it’s only Manchester United who have made contact with the player”. CaughtOffside reiterate that there is considerable interest in Smit across Europe, naming clubs including Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich amongst the rivals for his signature. Final thoughts It’s exciting to see United linked with such a hotly-tipped youngster but this sort of story is very familiar and often leads nowhere for the Old Trafford club. While Christopher Vivell has been “internally discussing Smit for some time” and has contacted the player to “sound him out about a move”, things are far from concrete. “It’s important to note that this is not the same as formal club-to-club talks or anything like that, so it’s still early days, but a sign of United’s intent, for sure,” state CaughtOffside. The report concludes by noting that interest in Smit “doesn’t impact” United’s plans to reinforce their midfield with someone like Anderson, but while £25m is a fraction of what a marquee signing would cost it is hard to see a fee like that not having repercussions for a big move next summer. If he was to join, Smit would become the latest in a long line of successful Dutch players to represent United. Featured image Daniel Jayo via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Joe Ponting Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.