AZ Alkmaar Extends Contracts of Talents
AZ Alkmaar has extended the contracts of two top talents, Andrea Natali and Bendegúz Kovács. The Italian youth international, Natali, is 18 years old and played for AZ's reserve team in the previous season. He impressed enough to be permanently signed from Bayer Leverkusen. The Alkmaar club team pays two million euros for the central defender, who has a contract until mid-2031.
Natali is happy to return to AZ: 'I think AZ is the best place where I can continue my career, develop as a player and reach the highest level. Day by day, I want to get better and I can do that here, with many people around the team who can help me.'
AZ Alkmaar Extends Contract of Kovács
AZ Alkmaar has also extended Bendegúz Kovács' contract term. The 19-year-old Hungarian forward, who came from Ajax Under-19s in summer 2025, played a flowing game with AZ's youth teams and got the chance to show what he could do. He scored eight times in 14 matches for Jong AZ.
Kovács made his debut for AZ's first team in a UEFA Conference League match against Shakhtar Donetsk (2-2). He also played three Eredivisie matches for the Alkmaar side. The director of football, Niels van Duinen, is pleased with Kovács' development profile: 'I think Bendegúz is one of the biggest talents in his age category and in his position. The fact that we can keep him tied to AZ for longer fits in with our vision, and we are therefore proud of that.'
