Mohamed Ihattaren always enjoys watching Kees Smit. However, the Fortuna Sittard attacking midfielder is quick to point out that the young AZ player still has to prove himself at the very top.
“I really like him as a player,” Ihattaren begins on Goedemorgen Eredivisie, before immediately adding: “In the Netherlands, the hype builds quickly when you’re a young talent.”
“At Ajax, you’ve had a few who went abroad. Donny van de Beek, and you could name a few more. And that step was just too big. I hope for Smit that he takes a good next step,” says the midfielder, who hears Hans Kraay Jr. suggest that the AZ player would be better off staying in the Eredivisie for a while longer.
“What has he achieved?” Ihattaren wonders aloud. “They’re not Saibari-level statistics. I think he’s a truly wonderful player, but they’re not Saibari-level statistics. He didn’t win the league with AZ, nor did he prove himself at Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord. From AZ to Real Madrid, well…”
Fellow panellist Mario Been comes to Smit’s defence. The analyst notes that it is mainly the outside world that is fixated on Smit, and that the AZ midfielder, who recently made his debut for the Dutch national team, is keeping a low profile.
“AZ are aiming for a massive fee for Smit. And Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord aren’t going to pay that,” says Ihattaren to conclude the discussion. Smit is currently valued at €25 million by Transfermarkt.