Several clubs sent scouts to watch the AZ Alkmaar midfielder in action at Sunderland as the Black Cats opened their UEFA Europa League campaign with a 1-0 win.
The 20-year-old produced another impressive display at heart of AZ's engine room and he could be the next star sold by the club following Troy Parrott's summer move to Real Betis.
As per reports from TEAMtalk, Liverpool have a slight edge over their rivals in the race to sign Smit, due to a longer standing interest in him.
Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton also sent scouts to Sunderland and Andoni Iraola could speed up the situation with a January bid.
AZ are expected to demand around £51M for Smit, and that falls within Liverpool's budget, as Iraola chases reinforcements in his midfield at the start of 2027.