Kees Smit spotted in fancy dress at the darts amid Newcastle United transfer talk

Newcastle United target Kees Smit was spotted soaking up the Ally Pally atmosphere amid intense transfer speculation.

It is understood that the Magpies are one of several European clubs chasing the Dutch sensation. Smit has enjoyed a breakout 2025, with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United reportedly keeping tabs on the situation.

NewcastleWorld reported last month that Toon chiefs were considering a January move. However, it is feared he may have bigger fish to fry and AZ Alkmaar’s price tag has significantly increased.

Kees Smit at the Ally Pally

Comical scenes at Alexandra Palace - where the World Darts Championship is being held - saw Smit enjoying some downtime dressed as Shaun the Sheep. If he moves to the Premier League, the 19-year-old would not be cooling off during a mid-season winter break, with the Eredivisie season set to resume on January 8.

Smit was in attendance to watch reigning champion and teenage sensation Luke Littler book his spot in the quarter-finals with a 4-2 win over Rob Cross. What are the chances of seeing the youngster at the Utilita Arena in February with the rest of the Newcastle squad…

‘I think so’ - Kees Smit

Smit was recently grilled on his future - and hinted at a possible transfer being around the corner. When asked if he will leave Alkmaar, the midfielder told De Telegraaf: “Yes, I think so. I think six months, or a year and a half. After that, I hope to have made a good move. I don’t find it (the speculation) difficult to deal with. I actually think it’s quite nice, and I’ve started thinking about it. Like: imagine if it actually happens?”

Ross Wilson on January transfer window

Speaking to supporters earlier this month, new Toon sporting director Ross Wilson confirmed there is money in the kitty if needed. He said: “The scouting work is always ongoing,” Wilson explained. “So, the guys are doing loads of work with that all the time. Can we spend in January? Yes. If we want to, we can.

“It’s obvious to everybody given the level of club spend in the summer that we’re not going to do that again in the winter window as well, for a variety of reasons. But if we want to spend, we can.

“Of course, we’ll be creative, of course we’ll be opportunistic as well. But probably the most important thing is that it would have to align with what the summer plan looks like, which is the bigger squad plan. All of those conversations are ongoing.

“We’ll have the ones about where Eddie sees the need in the squad, if at all. But for now, the conversations have been, ‘What have we got, what do we think about what we’ve got, where do we see this’, then let’s see how that fits into January and the next part of the conversation.”

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