Scouts from Real Madrid have highlighted both Florian Wirtz and Liverpool target Kees Smit

Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid’s recruitment department has placed two high-profile midfielders on their shortlist for the 2026 window: Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz and long-time Anfield transfer target Kees Smit, according to club-focused outlet Defensa Central.

Wirtz, 22, arrived at Liverpool only last summer in a £116 million move from Bayer Leverkusen and has quickly become the creative hub of Arne Slot’s midfield. Despite his recent arrival, Madrid scouts have included the German international in a wider pool that also features Enzo Fernandez and Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios. Any approach for Wirtz is expected to be complicated; the player has previously described Barcelona as his “dream club” in a 2021 interview with BILD, stating, “As a young boy, I always wanted to play for Barcelona. Nothing has changed about that.”

Parallel to the Wirtz monitoring, Real Madrid have registered interest in Dutch prodigy Kees Smit. The 20-year-old carries a £52 million valuation and has been on Liverpool’s radar for months, with domestic reports drawing stylistic comparisons to Barcelona’s Pedri. Sources close to Anfield indicate Slot still views midfield reinforcements as a priority, making Smit a plausible summer objective even after the club’s heavy 2025 spending.

The Spanish champions have also been linked with Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. Szoboszlai is understood to be open to a future switch to the Bernabeu, while Mac Allister’s father has already publicly addressed the speculation.

With the 2026 horizon in mind, Madrid’s expanding brief suggests a willingness to target Premier League talent, but prising either Wirtz or Smit away from England may require not only record bids but persuasive personal terms in a market where Liverpool are increasingly reluctant sellers.