Kees Smit has ruled out a potential transfer to AFC Ajax. The 20-year-old AZ Alkmaar midfielder sees no need for himself to move to one of the traditional Dutch giants anymore.
Smit, whose contract with AZ runs until 2028 Feyenoord, or PSV. "That has to do with it, but also with the fact that AZ is currently on par with PSV, Ajax, or Feyenoord," said the Netherlands international. He added that the step from AZ to such a club is not necessarily needed for his development anymore, although he has thought about it sometimes.
The player, who trained with Ajax as a youth but ultimately chose AZ, stressed that he is still at AZ and is fine with staying. He wants to show what he can do first, with a nice step potentially coming next year. Smit has recently recovered from a groin injury and feels he is back on the right path.
Smit's comments come as Ajax, under manager Michel Sánchez, has significantly strengthened its midfield in recent months. Following the departure of loanee James McConnell, the club brought in players like Yves Bissouma and Sofyan Amrabat on free transfers. Julian Brandt, another free signing, is the team's current top scorer with four goals in seven appearances.
AFC Ajax currently sits fifth in the Eredivisie with 14 points from seven matches. The team is preparing for its next home fixture against NEC Nijmegen on October 10th. The full squad list and fixtures schedule are available on the club site. The coming weeks will show if the current midfield options are sufficient to close the five-point gap to league leaders AZ.
The report in full is at sports.yahoo.com
