West Ham and Fulham circle as Ireland ace Troy Parrott catches fire at AZ
Troy Parrott is purring. The Ireland striker has gone from loan wanderer to lethal finisher at AZ Alkmaar, and now the Premier League’s ears have pricked up. After a hat-trick in that breathless 3-2 win away in Hungary to book a World Cup play-off and a ruthless brace in a 2-0 victory over Portugal – on a night that also saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent off – Parrott’s stock has surged at precisely the right moment.
AZ value Parrott at roughly €35m and have him locked in until 2029, while Tottenham did not insert a buy-back when they sold him for just €8m in 2024 – they only hold a 20% sell-on. For a 23-year-old who has rattled in 33 goals across 61 appearances in the Netherlands, that’s a tidy piece of business for the Eredivisie side and a complicating factor for any suitors eyeing a January raid.
From Spurs prospect to AZ assassin
Let’s be honest: Parrott’s Spurs story never really got going. Four senior outings between 2019 and 2024 and a carousel of loans left him searching for a home. The signs were there at MK Dons in 2021/22 – ten goals and a bit of swagger – but it’s at AZ where he’s turned promise into production. He’s already up to 18 goals for club and country this season, and the finishing looks cleaner, the movement sharper, the decision-making calmer. Dutch football can be a finishing school for forwards; Parrott’s taking the top marks.
Premier League interest heating up
Don’t be fooled by the quiet phones last summer. AZ insist there was no formal Premier League bid then, but there was noise: Leeds United weighed an offer north of €15m before opting for Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free, and Leicester City liked him too until relegation shut that door. Now, as winter approaches, two London clubs are hovering.
West Ham and Fulham have both put Parrott on their watchlists. No concrete moves yet, but that can change quickly if the window breaks their way. At the London Stadium, Nuno Espirito Santo wants a bona fide target man in January. Joshua Zirkzee is a name in lights, but prying him loose from Manchester United – especially with the World Cup on the horizon and the player hunting minutes – is easier said than done. Parrott’s blend of penalty-box craft and willing graft makes him a natural alternative.
Across the river, Fulham are preparing to back Marco Silva. With Rodrigo Muniz sidelined until the New Year and the Cottagers just a point above the trap door, a fresh No 9 is firmly on the agenda. Owner Shahid Khan has held further talks with Silva about his future; Fulham want him tied down, and the best way to nudge that along is by arming him with goals in January. Parrott would tick a lot of boxes: mobile, confident, and in the form of his young life.
AZ’s stance: calm, confident, and costly
From Alkmaar’s perspective, there’s no panic and no need to sell mid-season. Parrott is settled, not agitating for a move, and under a long contract. If someone fancies jumping the queue, they’ll have to pay the premium. Given his trajectory, AZ’s valuation north of €35m could harden if he keeps scoring and Ireland make the World Cup proper. That sort of global shop window has a habit of adding zeros.
Tottenham’s angle: no buy-back, only the bonus
For Spurs, it’s a case of “what if” and “what next”. There’s no buy-back clause to bring Parrott home even though they’ll be prowling for a striker in 2026, but the 20% sell-on is a welcome sweetener if – or when – the bidding war arrives. It’s rare you see a club so publicly happy with an exit fee structure, yet AZ look like they played this one perfectly.
What happens next?
Short term, don’t expect fireworks. Parrott’s camp aren’t banging the drum for a January switch and AZ will quote the sort of number that makes even ambitious Premier League mid-tablers blink. But longer term, the direction of travel is obvious: this is a striker on the up, and England’s top flight is paying attention.
If Ireland complete the job and reach the World Cup, Parrott becomes one of the tournament’s great wildcards – the sort front offices love to take a swing at. For those tracking the market as closely as the form table, the best betting sites will be all over the odds as the window approaches. Either way, the player has put himself centre stage, and the offers will follow.
Verdict? Parrott looks reborn: a confident finisher with a point to prove, the work-rate to match, and a price tag that screams “serious”. West Ham and Fulham are right to sniff around – but prising him out of AZ in January could be like trying to nick the crown jewels in broad daylight. Come the summer, though, all bets are off.
