The international break is over – the return of Premier League football has come. It was a period of good fortune for one player in particular, who has become a target for a slew of Premier League teams.
The Republic of Ireland’s Troy Parrott grabbed the headlines when he scored twice against Portugal, then did so again when he netted a dramatic hattrick against Hungary to send the Boys in Green into the World Cup playoffs.
In the process, the AZ Alkmaar man put himself in the shop window. Could a big-money Premier League move be on the horizon in the January transfer window? Let’s take a look at the clubs he has been linked with first.
Who has been linked with a move for Troy Parrott?
According to a report from GiveMeSport, Parrott is in the crosshairs of a pair of London clubs – namely, West Ham United and Fulham. Both of the two clubs have had troubles up top this season – as such, it makes sense for them to be interested in this case. You can’t discount his old club Tottenham either given their inability to score goals as shown in their poor showing in the North Londdon 4-1 defeat.
Previously, he had also been a target for Leeds United, but they opted to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer instead. Likewise, Leicester City were also credited with an interest, before being forced to look elsewhere following their relegation to the Championship.
If Chelsea continue to have injury problems with Liam Delap or Arsenal with Viktor Gyokeres you could imagine a loan move for Parrott and maybe even Man United could throw their hat in the ring given the losses they will face due to AFCON and also the injury to Sesko. Maybe even Aston Villa could be interested given their inconsistent form so far this season.
Interesting times for Parrott who put 5 goals away in a week in high pressure matches for Ireland.
Who would benefit the most from his arrival?
Fulham’s issues in the striker position are temporary. They have been brought on by an injury to Rodrigo Muniz – without him, they lack a backup centre-forward in their squad.
The Cottagers signed Jonah Kusi-Asare on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer, but he has yet to prove that he has what it takes to compete in the Premier League.
West Ham’s striker problems run far deeper than Fulham’s. They have been relying on 33 year old Callum Wilson so far this season, as Niclas Fullkrug continues to underwhelm.
Fulham have a top centre-forward they can call upon in Raul Jimenez – West Ham do not have such a luxury. As such, they need a player of Parrott’s ilk more than the Cottagers do at this point in time.
How has Troy Parrott been performing at club level this season?
Not only has Parrott been putting in some strong displays on the international stage, he has also been very impressive at club level for AZ Alkmaar. So far this season, the 23 year old has scored six goals and has notched up a single assist over the course of seven Eredivisie games.
The current quality of the Eredivisie is certainly up for debate, but it cannot be denied that these are admirable numbers. During his previous stints at English clubs, he has never been a big goalscorer – his best period in England was during a loan move to MK Dons during the 2021/22 season, where he scored eight goals in 41 League One games.
However, he seems to have found his scoring boots now. He may not come cheap – he is currently under contract at AZ until the summer of 2029. Given his current form, they are unlikely to want to part way with the Irish icon.