TEAMtalk reported that scouts representing Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham scouted AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit during his team's midweek trip to Sunderland.

Aston Villa had scouts present at Sunderland to watch Kees Smit, and he was the main reason for their visit. According to TEAMtalk, there is genuine and widespread Premier League interest in Kees Smit.

Aston Villa is reportedly interested in acquiring Kees Smit from AZ Alkmaar during the upcoming summer transfer window. The skilled midfielder, who amassed 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances last season, has also caught the attention of several elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Leeds United, and Brighton and Hove Albion. Despite this significant interest, Smit has indicated his preference to continue playing regularly, suggesting he might stay at AZ to further hone his abilities. At 19, he was a key figure in the Netherlands Under-19 team, clinching the UEFA European Under-19 Championship and receiving the Player of the Tournament accolade. Although Smit is conscious of the transfer speculation surrounding him, he humorously remarked that his transfer fee might exceed the €25 million initially estimated.