Liverpool target Kees Smit to upgrade Gravenberch while dropping Camara

Liverpool remain short of a specialist defensive midfielder despite splashing £400 million on two summer windows and £123 million this season, leaving Ryan Gravenberch playing out of position. With Lamine Camara now off the radar, the Reds have prepared a £51.5 million January bid for AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit to upgrade the midfield.

Midfield spending has not filled the void

Two summers ago the club brought in Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak for around £400 million, and this summer added Bradley Barcola alongside Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo for £123 million. Yet no defensive‑midfield signing has arrived since the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, leaving a clear gap.

Smit emerges as the top target

AZ Alkmaar’s standout Kees Smit is rated as one of the world’s best young midfield prospects, and his omission from Ronald Koeman’s World Cup squad surprised many observers. Former England defender Rio Ferdinand praised him, saying: “Kees Smit is the truth man, I’m telling you… I’ve seen the clips… the kid has got it.”

Financial commitment and timeline

Teamtalk Liverpool have a £51.5 million offer ready for the January transfer window, and several top clubs are monitoring the Dutch star. The bid reflects the club’s willingness to invest heavily to resolve the midfield deficiency before the upcoming Bournemouth clash.

Manager Andoni Iraola must decide whether to add a destroyer like Lamine Camara or to stick with his possession‑based philosophy, which favours a deep‑lying playmaker such as Smit. While Camara would provide the “dirty work”, Smit’s ability to control the game aligns with Iraola’s preferred style.

After deciding late that he wanted a career in sports journalism, Daniel worked his way up the ladder in an unconventional manner. Having opted against university, Daniel contributed as a freelance translator for during transfer windows, volunteered on several blog pages and built a portfolio of content.

He later joined Barnet FC’s social‑media team before launching his own website focused on football and MMA content. That venture led to work with 90min and Reach PLC, producing pieces for, Daily Record, Daily Express and Manchester Evening News. Daniel then spent two‑and‑a‑half years with Breaking Media covering Everton, Rangers, Leeds and West Ham, before becoming a Premier League editor at GiveMeSport. His career log shows a steady move from grassroots to mainstream media.

With the January window approaching, Liverpool will need to finalise the Smit move quickly if they are to strengthen the midfield before the Bournemouth fixture, while keeping an eye on alternative options should the bid stall.