Kees Smit close to agreeing improved AZ contract

AZ and Kees Smit are nearing an agreement over an improved and extended contract, according to Voetbal International. The 20-year-old midfielder is expected to put pen to paper soon if the final issues in the negotiations are settled.

A departure had appeared possible during the latest transfer window. AZ brought in leading agent Jorge Mendes at the start of the year to assist with a potential sale abroad, but concrete interest from major foreign clubs did not meet expectations. In mid-August, the club’s hierarchy also told Smit that he should put the prospect of an immediate transfer aside.

Contract discussions subsequently moved into a new phase. Smit has developed into a regular member of AZ’s first team and has also made his debut for the Netherlands senior side, strengthening his status as one of the club’s prominent young players.

The midfielder has been with AZ since he was nine, when he became the youngest player ever admitted to the Alkmaar club’s academy. A new agreement would follow recent contract extensions for fellow AZ players Peer Koopmeiners and Wouter Goes, who both signed fresh terms earlier in the summer.