Newcastle United confident a deal could be reached for talented 19-year-old Dutch midfielder
Newcastle United have been scouring Europe for top young talent and are thought to have identified a player they could make a move for in January.
The Magpies are thought to be among several clubs keeping an eye on 19-year-old AZ Alkmaar talent Kees Smit, but as reported recently, Newcastle are contemplating a January bid in the hope of forcing their way to the front of the queue.
Newcastle are hoping that most of the other clubs monitoring Smit will be waiting until the summer to try and tempt him away from Alkmaar, leaving Newcastle with a clearer run in January.
AZ Alkmaar are thought to be open to the sale, but will demand around £25 million to do so. While that's an affordable figure, it's a lot of money for a young player untested in the Premier League.
Craig Hope confirms Newcastle's interest in Kees Smit
Craig Hope has written in his Newcastle Confidential column that he feels Newcastle are confident that they can put together a package that Smit could find agreeable.
"There is more of a live interest in AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit. And, while there is competition for the 19-year-old from home and abroad, I get the feeling there is hope that a package (financial and development) could be presented that would appeal to Smit. It’s thought AZ want between £20-25m for the Netherlands Under 21s star.
This came after Hope also confirmed Newcastle's interest in Ecuadorian centre back Joel Ordonez of Club Brugge.
Newcastle will spend in January, but we feel a lot will depend on the team's form going into the window
Newcastle have money to spend in January, and while it's well known that the club prefer to do their business in the summer, like most other clubs, it does feel as though there's a big chance that Newcastle will spend this winter.
If Newcastle's form doesn't improve, they'll almost be forced to spend in a desperate bid to rectify the situation, but then that calls into question whether the likes of Kees Smit would be seen as a priority, as they'll be looking for players to make an immediate impact rather than spending on development players.
Kees Smit is one of those players who gets us excited when we see that we've been linked with him, especially after scooping Player of the Tournament in the Under-19s European Championships, but he's so highly sought after that we're not getting too carried away with the idea that he'll sign for us. And then of course, it's always a lottery as to whether these players live up to their early promise.
