Rio Ferdinand urges Manchester United to sign Kees Smit
Rio Ferdinand has seen enough. In his mind, Kees Smit should already be on a plane to Manchester.
The former Manchester United defender is adamant the 20-year-old AZ Alkmaar midfielder is a player the club simply cannot afford to miss, as Europe’s elite begin to circle around one of the Eredivisie’s brightest young talents.
A rising star ready to move
Smit only made his debut for the Dutch national team last month, but his trajectory has been steep. He has become the heartbeat of AZ’s midfield and, increasingly, the subject of serious transfer talk.
After AZ’s 4-0 win over Sparta Prague in the Conference League, Smit did little to cool the speculation. Speaking to Ziggo Sport, he made it clear that staying in Alkmaar is no longer the most likely outcome.
“Basically, I want to play a lot; that’s important to me. I could stay at AZ, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he admitted.
For a player of 20 to speak that openly about the next step says plenty about where he feels he is in his development – and where he wants to go.
The market is listening. The expectation is that Smit’s next move will be to a top European club. Ferdinand believes that club has to be Manchester United.
Ferdinand’s verdict: “Sign him right now”
On his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the United legend did not bother with restraint.
“Kees Smit is the real deal, I’m telling you,” he began, before pushing the point with the conviction of a man who has made his mind up. “He’s the kind of player where you think: I’d sign him right now, even if he might not be quite ready for the first team just yet.”
This is not just a casual endorsement. Ferdinand spoke like a man issuing a warning to his former club.
“I hope he breaks through and takes the world by storm. And if we have to wait six months or a year for him, I don’t mind at all, because we absolutely cannot let him go to another club.”
That line says everything about how Ferdinand views Smit: not as a luxury, but as a strategic necessity. A player to secure early, even if the payoff comes a little later.
“I’ve seen enough”
Ferdinand has watched Smit closely and has also done his homework in the Netherlands.
“Kees Smit is a top player, believe me. That lad… I’ve seen him play a few times now and that was enough for me. I’ve seen the footage and… wow!” he said.
“I’ve also spoken to a few people in the Netherlands, friends of mine… He’s got the real deal.”
The message is clear: this is not hype built on a single highlight reel. It’s an emerging consensus among those who follow Dutch football closely, now amplified by one of United’s most respected former players.
AZ’s price and Smit’s reality check
AZ are not pretending this is a normal situation. Reports suggest the club are asking for around 60 million euros for Smit – a figure that would place him among the most expensive exports in Eredivisie history.
That valuation has reached the player’s ears, and he is as surprised as anyone.
“I understand that everyone is talking about it. The figures I’m hearing are absurd,” Smit admitted. “I get that people disagree with it or think it’s a huge amount of money. I feel the same way myself.”
There is a hint of disbelief there, but also a recognition of the market he is now operating in. A 20-year-old Dutch international, starring in Europe, tied to a club that know exactly what they have on their hands.
Big nights, bigger decisions
For now, Smit’s focus remains on AZ’s campaign. He will be on the pitch again this Thursday in the Conference League quarter-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, another stage on which he can show why the numbers around his name have become so inflated.
Domestically, AZ sit sixth in the Eredivisie, three points behind Ajax. It is not the most dominant season in Alkmaar, yet Smit’s performances have cut through the noise of league position and placed him in a different conversation entirely.
The question now is not whether he moves, but where.
Ferdinand has nailed his colours to the mast. The next move belongs to Manchester United.
