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Tottenham enter frame for highly-rated ‘new Pedri’ as tug-of-war for AZ talent develops

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Dec 14, 2025 6:15 PM ET

Chelsea are leading the race for highly-rated Eredivisie talent, also on the radar of Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur boasts of some prodigious teenage talent in their squad in the form of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore and Luka Vuskovic. They have built a pool of highly-regarded prospects with the help of a fantastic scouting network and timely investment.

And it appears the north London club are looking to add to its brimming young talent by raiding the Dutch market in 2026. According to a report from i Paper, Tottenham are among several clubs interested in signing AZ Alkmaar wonderkid Kees Smit. Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle United are also in the mix for the teenager.

Kees Smit is the latest promising prodigy to rise in prominence in the Netherlands. Dubbed the ‘new Pedri‘ began his youth career at De Foresters before graduating from the youth division at AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch Under-19 international has already made over 50 appearances for AZ Alkmaar thus far, registering four goals and seven assists.

Chelsea emerging as frontrunners for Kees Smit’s signature

However, the report adds Chelsea are emerging as the frontrunners in the race for Smit. They are ready to rival Tottenham, Newcastle United and Man United for the highly-rated midfielder, who is rated at around £25m. The Blues have recently held talks with the player’s camp, although it is not quite known whether they’d make a move for him in the winter transfer window.

Like Tottenham, Chelsea have also emphasised on building their squad with young, prodigious talents in recent years. Under the influence of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the Club World champions has doubled down on its youth-first philosophy, targeting highly-rated, supremely gifted players from across Europe and South American who can develop into world-class players with coaching and guidance.

So, Spurs face an uphill task to sign Smit from AZ Alkmaar. Yves Bissouma is likely to be moved on in the January transfer window after landing in hot water due to another off-field issue . And someone like Smit has the talent and potential to replace Bissouma in Thomas Frank’s roster, whilst trimming the overall age of the squad. If he arrives at N17, the midfielder would join a host of gifted youngsters looking to prove themselves.

That said, it will be interesting to see if AZ Alkmaar allow the 19-year-old to leave in January. If Tottenham are concretely interested in Smit, they must not shy away from testing AZ’s resolve with a cheeky bid.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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