Liverpool told $70M is not enough for top European prospect as Real Madrid also interested

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesTransfersLiverpool is being linked with a move for a top European prospect in AZ Alkmaar's Kees Smit, but he won't come cheap amid competition from a host of big clubsAZ Alkmaar prospect Kees Smit(Image: 2025 BSR Agency)Liverpool has been told that a huge sum of money will be required in order to sign AZ Alkmaar prospect Kees Smit, who is apparently being eyed by a host of top clubs.Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid are all among the clubs that are being linked with a move for Smit. The 19-year-old is already a regular starter for AZ, and it will surely not be long before he makes his senior international debut for the Netherlands, having been named as the player of the tournament at the Under-19 Euros earlier this year.Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano provided an update on the youngster's transfer prospects, suggesting that AZ has already rejected offers of around €60 million ($70 million) for the teenager.READ MORE: Alexander Isak could make return sooner than expected after awful leg injuryREAD MORE: Dominik Szoboszlai following Steven Gerrard's example with off-pitch gesture in Wolves win“All the big clubs are interested [in Smit],” Romano said in an update, cited by Madrid Universal.

The price is higher.”Smit is expected to remain at AZ beyond the January transfer window, with a move away from the Dutch club more likely to take place next summer.The teenager is contracted to AZ until 2028 but it seems unlikely that he will see out that deal amid the interest in him from a host of European giants.Kees Smit is a hot prospect in the Netherlands(Image: 2024 Soccrates Images B.V.)In a new interview with De Telegraaf, Smit himself said that he hopes to move on over the next couple of years. "How long do I see myself at AZ?

I think six months or a year-and-a-half, after that, I hope to have taken the next step."I expect my transfer to be completed for €30m. In fact, I think it's wonderful and I've started thinking about it."Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman previously likened Smit to Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong."Kees Smit is a player I look at [as a possible option for the 2026 World Cup]," Koeman said.