It was reported that Matte Smets, a 22-year-old Belgian centre-back from Genk, was a focus for scouts during the club's Europa League play-off match at the Cegeka Arena. Manchester United had scouts present, and they were joined by representatives from other major clubs such as PSG, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund. Smets was one of the Genk players being specifically monitored. His contract with Genk is valid until June 2028 and his current Transfermarkt market value is €11.00m. In the 2025/2026 Jupiler Pro League season, he has made 26 appearances, providing one assist. It was reported that in February 2026, VfL Wolfsburg had bids, including one of €19 million, rejected for the player. Smets joined Genk from Sint-Truiden in July 2024 for a fee of €2.3 million.