United on red-alert as 19-yo midfield magician demands transfer, he would be Old Trafford’s answer to Pedri

Kees Smit has revealed when he plans to leave AZ Alkmaar with the Dutch side hoping to establish a bidding war amongst Europe’s elite, including Manchester United, for their midfield starlet.  A Target at Old Trafford The Red Devils are prioritising an overhaul of Ruben Amorim’s engine room in 2026 with two new options expected to arrive next year. The primary targets are understood to be Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton, with INEOS having directed recruitment towards players with Premier League pedigree since taking over the club. There is a considerable tax incurred by shopping in the English market, however, with all three options expected to cost upwards of £100 million. As such, a cheaper alternative on the continent may be signed to compliment a more expensive domestic purchase — with Smit fitting the bill as a long-term target at Old Trafford. The 19-year-old starlet has established himself as one of the premier prospects in midfield across Europe, drawing comparisons Frenkie De Kong, given his incisive passing and playmaking ability from deep. A midfielder who can dictate play and function as the tempo setter of their team — a metronome — is a rare profile, with every top club on the hunt for such a player. The Athletic reveals the “Netherlands Under-21 international is being watched by Europe’s top clubs” with reports suggesting Real Madrid are leading the pack.  Fabrizio Romano corroborates this interest across the continent, describing “all European top clubs [as] attentive” to Smit’s progress and the youngster as “one to watch” in 2026. 🚨🇳🇱 Kees Smit, one to watch in 2026 (January unlikely) with all European top clubs attentive to talented 19 yo midfielder. Understand he’s expected to cost more than reported €40/45m fee as AZ Alkmaar already rejected higher initial proposals. ➕🎥 https://t.co/f036YyLMCC pic.twitter.com/DsqTeANHgU — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 28, 2025 Tweet: “Kees Smit, one to watch in 2026 (January unlikely) with all European top clubs attentive to talented 19 yo midfielder. Understand he’s expected to cost more than reported €40/45m fee as AZ Alkmaar already rejected higher initial proposals.” A report relayed The Peoples Person contended United had tabled a bid worth £25 million last month. But Romano reveals this valuation won’t come close to meet AZ’s demands as “higher initial proposals” have already been rejected. As such, the Italian transfer guru predicts, it will cost in excess of £40m to win the red-hot race for Smit with The Athletic indicating a fee as high as £52m may be required. This would still amount to around half of what United will need to spend on their primary targets in England, however. Smit’s Plan to Leave Holland In an interview with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf (relayed by FC Update), Smit himself predicted he would leave AZ within the next eighteen months. “I think six months, or a year and a half. After that, I hope to have made a good move,” when asked about his future. “Around €30 million? Then I’ll be AZ’s highest-paid outgoing transfer. That’s my goal.” The 19-year-old has one eye on the national team, with Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman describing him as the “future” and drawing a comparison to Pedri, Barcelona’s midfield magician. “I think the step to the Dutch national team is still a big one. There are some very good midfielders there. I’ll have to start at a bigger club first to have a chance,” Smit revealed, pouring further fuel on the fire of a potential exit from the Eredivisie. United have demonstrated a renewed focus on securing the best young talent across world football since INEOS took the helm at Old Trafford. A move for the ‘next Pedri’ would certainly fall in line with this approach, with the Theatre of Dreams offering the exact stage the ambitious youngster is targeting himself. 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 Darragh Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.