Real Madrid Says Yes: €30 Million for the ‘New Kroos’

Real Madrid is fully focused on the present — and that means Wednesday’s trip to Greece to face Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.

Still, Florentino Pérez and José Ángel Sánchez continue looking toward the future, working on plans to reinforce the midfield.

At the moment, the club has a strong list of talents who could one day “replace” Toni Kroos, but the frontrunner appears to be Kees Smit.

The challenge for Los Blancos in the pursuit of the AZ Alkmaar jewel is the sheer number of clubs following him, something confirmed by Ekrem Konur on his social media.

“Liverpool, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Newcastle are in the race for AZ Alkmaar’s 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit. AZ are asking for €30 million, with a contract valid until 2028,”
reported the journalist.

A Talent Very Similar to Pedri

Moreover, Ronald Koeman’s public praise of Kees Smit has only increased interest in the Dutch prodigy.

“I coached Pedri at Barcelona, and I see things from him in Kees Smit. The body turns, the use of both feet, his vision… These are all things I saw in Pedri back then. What he’s showing at such a young age is impressive. If he achieves even half of what Pedri has in his career, everyone in the Netherlands will be happy,”
said the Netherlands national team coach.