AZ have tied Andrea Natali (18) and Bendegúz Kovács (19) down for longer, the club have announced through their official channels. Both players featured for the Alkmaar side’s reserve team last season, but will join the first-team squad next season.
The Italy youth international spent last season on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The 18-year-old made appearances for AZ in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie.
He impressed enough during that spell for AZ to sign him permanently from Leverkusen. The Alkmaar side are paying two million euros for the central defender, who has signed a contract until mid-2031.
Natali is delighted to be back at AZ. “I think AZ are the best place for me to continue my career, keep developing as a player and reach the highest level. Day by day, I want to get better and I can do that here, with a lot of people around the team who can help me.”
Kovács contract extension
AZ will also keep Kovács for longer. His contract has been extended until mid-2029. He joined from Ajax Under-19s in the summer of 2025. He then enjoyed a prolific spell with AZ’s players of the same age group, which earned him the chance to show what he could do with Jong AZ. There, he scored eight times in 14 matches.
The 19-year-old forward made his debut for AZ’s first team in the UEFA Conference League match against Shakhtar Donetsk (2-2). He also played three Eredivisie matches for the Alkmaar side.
Director of football Niels van Duinen is pleased with the development of the Hungarian talent. “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.”