Smit has been linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona over the past 12 months.
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Just days after Holland coach Ronald Koeman tipped Smit for a move to Barcelona, Van der Vaart has weighed into the debate.
He told AS: "He's simply an incredibly good player.
"We often rush to call someone good, but in this case, he's truly exceptional.
"If he continues to progress like this, he'll undoubtedly end up at Real Madrid or one of the biggest clubs in the world, which for me is Real Madrid."