Chelsea Edges Rivals in Race to Sign Dutch Talent Kis Smit

Race to sign Kis Smit heats up as Chelsea takes the lead

Chelsea are moving ahead in the race to secure Dutch prodigy Kis Smit, the AZ Alkmaar star, ahead of rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Smit has shone with the Netherlands' youth teams and earned the Under-19 European Championship Player of the Tournament after the Netherlands beat Spain.

ESPN, citing I News, report that the 19-year-old, whose contract runs until summer 2028, is attracting serious interest from Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Manchester United.

Chelsea executives are said to have moved quickly to contact the player's representatives to secure a move to Stamford Bridge.

The deal is reportedly around £25 million, though it's unclear whether Chelsea will pay that fee in January or later.

Newcastle United are also weighing a serious bid to sign the Dutch international in the coming month.

AS had previously noted the player attracts interest from Real Madrid, with the youngster reportedly dreaming of joining the Spanish giants.

But negotiations between Real Madrid and AZ Alkmaar have yet to reach a conclusion.

The saga continues as European clubs monitor Smit's development from Alkmaar's youth teams to the top flight.

Bonus Sniper Punchline: When it comes to transfer targets, Chelsea seems to have a license to bullseye—talk about precision shopping. And if the price tag ever climbs, we can blame the thesaurus for calling it a “creative valuation.”