Troy Parrott: Summer's Coveted Striker

Troy Parrott was supposed to be AZ’s project for the long term. Instead, he’s turning into one of this window’s most quietly coveted forwards.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, “at least” five clubs have registered serious interest in the Irish striker, whose form in Alkmaar has clearly travelled far beyond the Eredivisie. For a player tied down until 2029, that matters. Anyone wanting him will have to pay.

Fulham circle again

Fulham are the first concrete name on the list. They tracked Parrott towards the end of last season but never pushed the button. Since then, Álvaro Arbeloa’s side have moved to bring in Gonzalo García from Real Madrid, which complicates the picture but doesn’t close the door.

If Fulham return, they’ll be doing so in a much more crowded field.

Como, Betis… and a Dutch tug-of-war

Como and Real Betis are also watching the situation closely, sensing an opportunity if AZ soften their stance. Both clubs are monitoring rather than moving, but Parrott’s profile – mobile, technically sharp, and still young – fits the kind of calculated gamble they like to take.

Then come the two headline names: Ajax and PSV.

Ajax stockpile strikers – and still ask about Parrott

Ajax’s interest is the eyebrow-raiser. They have already signed Marcos Leonardo from Al-Hilal for around twenty million euros and brought in Tolu Arokodare on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Add Kasper Dolberg and Don-Angelo Konadu, and the Amsterdam club now boast four recognised strikers.

On numbers alone, Parrott to Ajax makes little sense. Yet they’ve still picked up the phone. That hints at how highly he is rated – and perhaps at how little faith there is in the current mix to carry Ajax through an entire season.

If they decide Parrott is the long-term answer, someone else in that group will eventually have to make way.

PSV’s need is clearer

Across the country, the logic is far more straightforward.

PSV’s interest slots neatly into their current reality. Alassane Pléa remains well short of the level he hit before his injury, and there is still a real chance Ricardo Pepi moves on before the window shuts. That leaves gaps, not just in numbers but in reliability.

Parrott, with his contract security and upward curve, offers both a present solution and future value. For a club that plans aggressively around resale and European ambition, that is exactly the sort of profile that triggers internal debate.

AZ hold the cards – and the replacement

What AZ want for Parrott this summer is not yet clear. Last winter, the figure hovered around thirty million euros, a price that signalled intent: they were not in a rush to sell.

Nothing has changed on paper. Parrott remains under contract in Alkmaar until the middle of 2029, and AZ have already prepared for life after him without putting him in the shop window.

Mexx Meerdink is set to step in as first-choice striker under new head coach Leeroy Echteld. The club see him as ready. Behind him, Jizz Hornkamp offers reliable depth, giving AZ the kind of internal cover that makes a big sale easier to stomach if the right bid lands.

The structure is in place. The only unknown now is who tests it first – and how high they are willing to climb to prise Parrott out of Alkmaar.