Watford and Reims join race to sign Belgian talent Matte Smets | OneFootball

Looking to improve their defensive unit, Stade de Reims have set their sights on one of Jupiler Pro League’s revelations this season, Matte Smets (20). However, the Sint-Truiden centre back has a lot of suitors queuing up.

After seven seasons with Reims, captain Yunis Abdelhamid (36) will leave the club this summer upon the expiration of his contract, leaving the Champagne club on the quest for a new centre-back. According to a report from Belgian outlet HbvL, Reims are circling the waters for Smets, who is coming off an outstanding season with St-Truiden. The young centre-back played every single minute of the Jupiler Pro League and Belgian National Cup this season, earning him his first cap with the Belgian national team at U21 level. An opportunity that he embraced fully, scoring in his first game, a friendly against Morocco.

While Smets is one of the biggest revelations in Belgium this season, his departure from St-Truiden seems unavoidable. Despite a contract running until 2026, he is attracting interest from a range of clubs, and Reims could face fierce competition to attract the young gem. According to HbvL, Watford and Belgian giant Genk, renowned for their academy and training facilities, all have eyes on Smets. It remains to be seen if Reims, still looking for their new head coach, will manage to convince St-Truiden, who have placed a €2.5M valuation on their player, and Smets, who could favour another year in the Belgian championship with Genk, his boyhood club.

GFFN l Grégoire Devaux