Real Madrid are looking to add quality to their midfield and have reportedly been keeping tabs on Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Kees Smit.
There has already been plenty of speculation about the Spanish giants being interested in several Liverpool players ahead of 2026.
Dominik Szoboszlai has also been linked with a potential move, and it is understood that the Hungarian international is open to the idea, having long admired Los Blancos.
Interest in Alexis Mac Allister has also been shown by Real Madrid, prompting a response to the links from his father.
Florian Wirtz and Kees Smit come under Real Madrid’s radar
It seems Real Madrid have also added Florian Wirtz to their list of targets. The German only joined Liverpool in the summer of 2025 from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee reported to be around £116 million.
According to a report from Defensa Central, a Spanish outlet, the club’s scouting team has identified Enzo Fernandez, Pablo Barrios and Wirtz as players of interest.
Pursuing the Liverpool star could be challenging though, given that he has only just made the move to England.
Another name being considered is Dutch midfielder Kees Smit, who carries a £52m price tag.
Liverpool have been linked with Smit for some time now. Given comparisons to Pedri and the ongoing need for midfield reinforcements, it would make sense for Arne Slot to look at strengthening this area further in the summer.
Florian Wirtz has been open about his love for Barcelona
Even if Real Madrid were to go after Wirtz, prising him away from Liverpool would not be easy.
The German might not be too keen on a move to the Spanish capital anyway, considering he has openly admired their fierce rivals, FC Barcelona.
In an interview from back in 2021, the 22-year-old actually named Barca as his dream club.
Asked by BILD if he had a specific career goal at the time, he replied: “As a young boy, I always wanted to play for Barcelona.
“Nothing has changed about that, but until then, I still have some time.”
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