Newcastle enter talks to sign £52m midfielder

Lessons learned for Newcastle United. Last summer’s dismal transfer window ended up ruining the Magpies’ 2024/25 campaign before it had even begun, and Eddie Howe came perilously close to losing his job.

He survived, though, and is now working with technical director Ross Wilson to put things right. That Newcastle have already missed out on Victor Munoz to dratted Liverpool is frustrating, but there is plenty of time to pivot toward an alternative, with the likes of Said El Mala and Matias Fernandez-Pardo both on the Toon’s radar.

The St. James’ Park side finished 12th in the Premier League last season, and they need to do much better, but once again, Howe needs to combat a wave of high-profile departures.

Newcastle want to strengthen, but they also have to sell. After all, a mid-table Premier League finish after several spectacular years was always going to knock Howe’s project out of kilter.

Anthony Gordon has already been sold to Barcelona for £69m, and now, Sandro Tonali is edging toward the exit, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur seemingly in a shootout for the Italian maestro’s signature.

Newcastle haven’t enjoyed a flawless start to the transfer window, but they do have their sights set on a midfield replacement, with the player in question emerging as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe.

As per TEAMtalk, Newcastle have been approached by representatives looking to oversee the transfer of AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit this summer, with it reported that the Magpies are stepping up their long-standing admiration in the Dutch midfielder.

Sources close to the player insist that he is not agitating to leave, but even so, Newcastle’s scouting network has reported on Smit for some time now, and that groundwork could hold sway as negotiations progress.

Smit is valued at £52m. He might only be 20 years old, but he is already established in AZ’s senior team, and rival interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur emphasises the calibre of talent that the Toon could land ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Why Smit can replace Tonali at Newcastle

Smit has already been praised as a midfielder who “has superstar potential” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Dutchman cut from fine cloth.

A natural playmaker, Smit is elegant and technical, but also combative when he needs to be. Mattinson has also described him as a “duel monster“, and it’s that key fact that could ensure he hits the ground running on Tyneside, stepping into the Premier League.

Newcastle will have braced themselves for interest in Tonali, but the window is young, and the suitors are intense. Tottenham have already seen a bid rejected, and Howe and company are determined to show they have learned from last year’s mistakes, letting a wantaway player leave for the right price, and in good time too.

Smit might be young, but he has all the attributes to succeed in the Italian’s place, especially with an all-enforcing general such as Bruno Guimaraes beside him, pulling the strings.

This might be a good time to issue a reminder about Smit’s age, and his so-called inexperience. But perhaps, in some cases, you can say, ‘So what?’ Smit is the real deal, and even after just two seasons as a regular presence in a senior squad (he only started nine times across the 2024/25 Eredivisie season), he is already cementing himself as one of the division’s most well-rounded players.

Curiously, he matches up pretty nicely with Tonali. Both midfielders are strong and cultured on the ball, progressive and combative when they need to be too.

Smit was unlucky to have been overlooked by Ronald Koeman ahead of the World Cup across Mexico, Canada and the United States. But his time will come, and as he prepares to take his path and choose wisely, perhaps Newcastle could offer the perfect platform to advance his career and develop his skills, reviving a squad who have already shown that they can challenge for silverware.