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After watching Clásico rivals Barcelona secure a deal for Manchester City midfielder Rodri, Real Madrid must now devise an alternative plan.
The Bernabéu had appeared to be the most probable destination for Rodri for more than a year before a shocking turn of events sent him to Camp Nou instead in a transfer valued at $87.8 million (€76.5 million).
This leaves Real Madrid compelled to press on with their seemingly endless search for a replacement for midfield legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić. According to AS, renewed interest in AZ Alkmaar's rising talent, Kees Smit, has now surfaced.
The 20-year-old Dutch player has spent the last year building a reputation as one of the most thrilling young prospects in the sport. A move to Barcelona appeared most probable earlier this year but, much like the Rodri situation, the tables may have now turned.
Could Smit Help Fill Real Madrid's Rodri Void?
In the immediate wake of Rodri's choice to reject Madrid in favor of Barcelona, reports emerged that Los Blancos would not return to the market for a replacement. In Smit's case, that still holds true.
Anyone fortunate enough to have witnessed Smit's rise in senior football will understand that direct comparisons to Rodri are difficult to justify. He is an exceptionally well-rounded player whose abilities have seen him deployed everywhere from defensive midfield to attacking winger.
Indeed, it is that adaptability which is thought to have caught the eye of manager José Mourinho who, rather than seeking a direct Rodri replacement, is instead looking for a player in the mold of another former Man City midfielder heading to La Liga this summer, Bernardo Silva.
Silva began his career further up the pitch as an attacking midfielder but concluded his City spell playing alongside Rodri at the base of midfield, effectively slotting in wherever manager Pep Guardiola required his extensive range of qualities. Whatever role needed filling, Silva was the man called upon.
With Rodri out of the picture, Silva is expected to take on a similar all-purpose role at Madrid but, at 32 years of age, may need a younger partner alongside him. That is precisely where Smit enters the equation.
Smit is at ease in defensive midfield, where his passing range and tendency to drive forward have been crucial to AZ's performances in the Eredivisie, yet he is equally comfortable in attacking midfield and contributing directly through goals and assists.
With that in mind, Smit may be more aptly compared to the likes of Modrić or Kroos—players who simply want to push the ball forward—possessing the physicality and energy that remind many of those Madrid icons during their formative years.
He is clearly more of a risk than Rodri or any of the other high-profile alternatives that have been proposed, having yet to test himself outside the Dutch top flight, but scouts from numerous clubs have long agreed that he displays all the hallmarks of a player capable of adapting to a more demanding league.
Smit's potential move to the Bernabéu would not necessarily make up for missing out on Rodri, but it would undoubtedly breathe new energy into Madrid's midfield and lay the groundwork for a decade of achievement.