Football
Exclusive: Tottenham and Aston Villa Target Belgium Defender Matte Smets
Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs interested in Belgian defender Matte Smets. The 21-year-old has also caught the eye of Chelsea and Inter Milan. Smets is a rising star in the Belgian national team, and a transfer fee of £10-15 million is being discussed with Genk. At 6ft tall, Smets is known for his ball-carrying capabilities on the pitch.
KRC Genk v Club Brugge KV - Jupiler Pro League Championship Play-Offs by BSR Agency | Getty Images
Hot prospect Matte Smets is wanted by Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, SportsBoom understands.
And the highly rated 21-year-old defender is also being watched by a number of other Premier League clubs who see real potential in the Belgium international.
Chelsea and Inter Milan have also been linked with the player, although the Blues have refused to comment on any potential interest.
Centre-back Smets made his senior international debut for his country last season and is tipped to be a real star of the future having worked his way up the international age-group levels.
He currently plays for Genk in the Jupiler Pro League but could welcome a move to the English top-flight.
The youngster started his career as a midfielder but soon found he was better equipped to be a commanding centre-back.
And SportsBoom understands both Villa and Spurs have expressed an interested to try and sign the player this summer.
Smets is contacted to Genk until June 2028, but a transfer fee in the region of £10-15million is believed to be a price all parties are working around with a potential move to the Premier League planned.
STRONG DEBUT SEASON
Smets has featured 38 times for Genk this season but suffered two mishaps having been sent off twice in an otherwise unblemished season.
He joined Genk on a £2million deal last summer and quickly established himself as a mainstay of the side that finished sixth in the league this season.
And already the youngster has been compared to Paris St Germain star and skipper Marquinhos.
Smets started his fledgling career with Bilzerse VV and then moved to Sint-Truiden, where he first start attracting attention from leading European clubs.
He has represented Belgium twice at Under-21 and U20 level and is keen to now take the next step.
At 6ft tall the right-footed Smets is a ball-carrying defender, a quality which would suit him well in the Premier League if he does make the move this summer.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.