Liverpool desperate to agree deal before Real Madrid can pounce

Liverpool have already begun to rebuild the squad that won the Premier League last season.

The forward line was the main focus last summer, with two new fullbacks also being added, and a deal has already been agreed for Jeremy Jacquet to move to Anfield and bolster the defence in the summer.

The Reds’ next logical step is to address the midfield, especially as there have been times this season that all of the club’s available midfielders have been on the pitch at once.

A whole host of midfielders have been linked with a Merseyside move ahead of the summer, but one of the most intriguing names is Kees Smit, and a fresh report has offered more insight into Liverpool’s pursuit of the Dutchman.

Arne Slot’s side are not the only ones interested in signing Smit this summer with several of Europe’s top sides, including Real Madrid, also monitoring the 20-year-old.

According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Reds have accelerated their interest and even contacted Smit’s entourage to get a deal agreed before any other team can.

A fee of around €50 million (~£43.5m) could be enough to persuade AZ Alkmaar to sell, but with multiple teams interested a bidding war is always a possibility.

The report states that Liverpool are keen to avoid finding themselves missing out on another midfield target to Real Madrid, with Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni both opting to join Los Blancos over the Reds in years gone by.

Smit has established himself as a key player for AZ Alkmaar and has demonstrated a versatility in midfield that would be extremely useful in the Premier League.

With some doubt over the futures of a number of Liverpool’s current midfield options, the Reds desire to get a deal done as soon as possible is understandable, but things are rarely that simple in football.