Troy Parrott's Rising Profile in Summer Transfer Window

Troy Parrott was supposed to be AZ’s project for the long haul. Instead, he has become one of this window’s most quietly contested centre-forwards.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, “at least” five clubs are now circling the Irish striker, whose form in Alkmaar has clearly travelled beyond the Eredivisie. The list is not made up of opportunists either. It includes Fulham, Como, Real Betis, Ajax and PSV – a spread of interest that underlines how highly Parrott is now rated.

Fulham hover, but look elsewhere first

Fulham are the most concrete name so far. They tracked Parrott towards the end of last season, weighing him up as a potential solution up front, but never pushed the talks to a decisive stage.

This week, Álvaro Arbeloa’s side went in a different direction, completing the signing of Gonzalo García from Real Madrid. That deal does not necessarily close the door on Parrott, yet it does change the dynamic. Fulham now have another attacking option through the door, and any renewed move for the AZ forward would come from a position of choice, not desperation.

For Parrott, that matters. He is no longer the teenager waiting for a chance; he is a striker with a market.

Betis, Como and the Dutch giants join the queue

Como and Real Betis are also keeping tabs, both monitoring the situation rather than forcing it. For clubs looking for a mobile, technically clean No. 9 with room to grow, Parrott fits the profile.

The most eye-catching names, though, come from closer to home. Jacobs reports that Ajax and PSV have both recently made enquiries with AZ about the 22-year-old. On the face of it, Ajax’s interest borders on excessive.

They have already brought in two strikers this window. Marcos Leonardo has arrived from Al-Hilal in a deal worth around twenty million euros, while Tolu Arokodare has joined on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Add Kasper Dolberg and Don-Angelo Konadu to that mix and Ajax are suddenly staring at a depth chart stacked with four centre-forwards.

Why, then, look at a fifth?

The answer lies partly in how modern big clubs operate. They stockpile potential solutions, they hedge against form, injuries and resale value. Parrott, with years ahead of him and a contract locked down, represents exactly that kind of asset. Even so, the idea of him walking into a dressing room already loaded with strikers would raise eyebrows across the league.

PSV’s interest, by contrast, feels far more straightforward. Alassane Pléa is still some distance from the level he hit before his injury, and PSV cannot be sure when – or if – he will fully rediscover it. Ricardo Pepi, meanwhile, could still leave this summer, leaving a clear gap in Peter Bosz’s attacking options.

For a club with Champions League ambitions and a demanding schedule, Parrott is less a luxury and more a logical target.

AZ hold the cards – and the replacement

AZ, for now, sit in the strongest position. Parrott is under contract in Alkmaar until mid-2029, a long-term deal that gives the club serious leverage in any negotiations.

The asking price this summer has not yet surfaced, but there is a reference point. Last winter, AZ valued him at around thirty million euros. With more time on his contract and a broader market around him, they have little reason to soften that stance unless the right offer lands on the table.

Crucially, AZ have already mapped out life after Parrott. His successor is not an unknown arrival but a player already embedded in the club. Mexx Meerdink is set to lead the line as first-choice striker under new head coach Leeroy Echteld, a clear signal that AZ are prepared for a future without their current No. 9.

Behind Meerdink, Jizz Hornkamp offers solid back-up, giving Echteld a defined structure up front even if a major sale materialises.

So the picture is clear. AZ can sell without scrambling, Parrott can move without rushing, and a cluster of clubs – from London to Seville to Eindhoven – are weighing up how hard to push.

The only real question now is who blinks first: the club that names its price, or the one willing to meet it.