Liverpool to PINCH £52m midfielder from Real Madrid

Things are going from bad to worse at Real Madrid.

Xabi Alonso lost his job as head coach after only a few months - following defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona on Sunday.

Former Liverpool teammate Alvaro Arbeloa has jumped into the hot seat for now - but that shakeup hasn’t paid dividends yet.

Madrid were eliminated from the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night by second-division minnows Albacete - sparking another meltdown in the Spanish capital.

Kees Smit should choose Liverpool over Madrid

Right now heading to the Bernabeu isn’t as an attractive option as it has previously been for transfer targets. There are so many issues to work out that it would be easy for any new signings to slip through the gaps - particularly for emerging young talents.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to the 15-time European champions in recent months is Kees Smit.

The 19-year-old midfielder is heading right to the very top with his club - AZ - placing a reported €60m (£52m) price tag on his head.

Smit was outstanding in the recent 6-0 KNVB Beker win against Ajax and looks set for a massive summer transfer.

Liverpool match Madrid's Kees Smit interest

With Madrid uncertain of their next move and Arbeloa unlikely to last the course Smit would be well advised to scan the landscape for alternative landing spots.

And according to a report in the Daily Star Liverpool are ready to make a move for the outstanding young playmaker.

“Liverpool seem set to engage in a bidding war for Kees Smit,” the report reads.

“The AZ Alkmaar sensation has been turning heads in the Eredivisie recently, prompting the Reds to keep tabs on him.”

Smit on the road to the top

Already into his third season of senior football Smit was named player of the tournament last summer as the Netherlands under-19s won the European Championship.

AZ remain quite well protected from a transfer fee perspective with Smit signed up until 2028. This season he has been in very good form for his club - both in the Eredivisie and the UEFA Conference League.

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