Award-winning star confirms Barcelona are battling Man City for his signing

Manchester City and Barcelona are among a host of top clubs chasing coveted Dutch talent Kees Smit, with the teenager having spoken openly about the interest.

Smit is a 19-year-old midfielder who can operate in either of the No 8 or No 10 roles. He is a graduate of the AZ academy who enjoyed a breakout season last term.

Smit registered 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players in the Eredivisie.

Smit’s reputation grew further after he fired the Netherlands to glory at this summer’s U19 Euros, winning both the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament.

The starlet is contracted to AZ until June 2028, but the biggest clubs in Europe are looking to prise him away from the Netherlands in the near future.

Manchester City News claimed on July 4 that Pep Guardiola’s side are interested in Smit, as they ‘know all about him’ after several scouting missions.

It emerged three days later that Manchester United and Real Madrid are both eyeing Smit, too.

Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Marseille are just some of the other sides to have been credited with interest.

In an interview with Dutch outlet HLN Nieuws, Smit was asked about the links with Barca and Real Madrid specifically. He confirmed their interest by saying: “Those are great things. The two biggest clubs in the world, I think. I thought it was nice to see and read about.

“I just want to show here that I can do it.”

Smit added: “The interest from Barca and Real is nice but of course, you don’t know if I’ll play. I’m not really distracted by it.”

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Kees Smit the next big thing in Dutch football?

Smit is clearly a grounded young player as it seems he wants to prioritise his development over money and fame when choosing his next move.

Therefore, it Man City are to beat the likes of United, Barca and Madrid to his services, they will need to demonstrate a clear pathway into the first team during negotiations.

Smit’s exact price tag has yet to emerge, though sources in the Netherlands have tipped AZ to hold out for at least €25million (£22m / $29m) before selling.

Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo have previously described Smit as a ‘complete midfielder’ with ‘superior individual technical ability’.

Pro Sport Agent, meanwhile, has lauded Smit for his ‘elite ball control, exceptional vision and ability to break the press by driving forward’.

Smit works hard, is elegant on the ball and often picks out incisive forward passes. He has been compared to midfielders such as Luka Modric and Frenkie de Jong.

Smit’s next move has yet to be finalised, but he looks set to have his pick of major clubs.

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Elsewhere, a report has claimed that Arsenal are looking to sign a Barca star who has been described as an ‘animal’.

While Barca themselves are ‘working hard’ to land a Man Utd player.

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