Real Madrid are ready to splash a record-breaking fee on a talented midfielder Arne Slot dreams of bringing to Liverpool, while they are looking to sign a new right-back who could compete with Trent Alexander-Arnold.<\/p>\n
The LaLiga giants have entered the post-Xabi Alonso era under interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa and there remains uncertainty over who will take charge next season.<\/p>\n
But Madrid continue to plan for the summer transfer window behind the scenes, and one of Europe\u2019s most exciting youngsters figures highly on their shortlist.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid line up swoop for Dutch sensation<\/p>\n
The player in question is AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, the 20-year-old who has set the Eredivisie alight with his performances.<\/p>\n
We revealed\u00a0on December 30 that\u00a0Liverpool are among the clubs keen on a 2026 deal for Smit<\/a>, with manager Slot a long-term admirer of the star and having followed his career from a young age.<\/p>\n But Madrid<\/a> could be planning a move of their own for Smit, with respected journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming their interest.<\/p>\n They not deterred by the fact that AZ will demand a club-record fee for his services. Indeed, any deal is expected to far surpass the AZ record; that being the \u20ac25m (\u00a321.8m, $30m) fee received for Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan in 2023.<\/p>\n Romano also confirms that Smit\u2019s future is in the hands of super-agent Jorge Mendes.<\/p>\n \u201cJorge Mendes is in control of the situation. There is Real Madrid interested and several Premier League top clubs so there is going to be a big battle in the Premier League and Spanish clubs,\u201d Romano said on his\u00a0YouTube channel.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s see what happens because Kes Smit and AZ Alkmaar, it is going to be a huge summer, a huge battle. It\u2019s not going to be easy to sign him because 40-45 million euros is not going to be enough, it\u2019s going to be big money.<\/p>\n \u201cFor sure, it\u2019s going to be a big battle, so get for Kees Smit because he\u2019s going to be a big part of conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0TEAMtalk insider\u00a0Graeme Bailey revealed back in December that while\u00a0AZ refuse to comment on Smit, it is believed that they are already asking for more than \u20ac60million (\u00a352.2m, $70.6m) for his services.<\/p>\n In fact, some in the Netherlands feel the fee for Smit could get close to the \u20ac75million (\u00a365.3m, $88.3m) mark that Barcelona paid for De Jong in 2019.<\/p>\n Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google <\/a>to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Roma star targeted by Los Blancos<\/p>\n Meanwhile, reports suggest that Madrid are lining up a move for Roma right-back Wesley Franca.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old Dani Carvajal is not expected to sign a contract extension, with his deal expiring at the season\u2019s end, so a replacement must be signed for him.<\/p>\n Fellow right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn\u2019t had the expected impact since his arrival from Liverpool, either, so Los Blancos want someone who can compete for a starting spot.<\/p>\n Reports from Spain suggest\u00a0Madrid \u2018would be prepared to offer around \u20ac35million\u2019 (\u00a330.5m, $41.5m) for Wesley<\/a>, though this would be in the event that Carvajal leaves.<\/p>\n Wesley signed for Roma last summer and can contribute in attack and defence, notching three Serie A goals so far.<\/p>\n Battle for Dortmund star ignites<\/p>\n