Troy Parrott potential next club; Irish striker hints at AZ departure

Troy Parrott hinted that he may have played his final season with Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar after going off injured in their final game of the campaign.

Speaking post-match, he said: "In football, anything is possible. At this stage for me, it’s important for me to take the next step in my career and to try and play at the highest level.

“As I said before, this club has shown trust and faith in me to give me the opportunity to push towards that and so I’ll be forever grateful."

Already a familiar name to Eredivisie viewers and those who were aware of his emergence at Tottenham Hotspur, Parrot hit the headlines when scoring a seismic hat-trick in Ireland's 3-2 victory over Hungary to secure qualification for the World Cup play-off qualifiers.

He's enjoyed quite the season in the Dutch top-flight too, scoring an impressive 16 Eredivisie goals as AZ struggled to a seventh-placed finish.

With the summer transfer window just around the corner, we take a look at which clubs could look to sign Parrott in the event he does depart AZ.

Tottenham Hotspur

Despite emerging through the Tottenham Hotspur youth academy and making his debut for the club at just 17-years-old, Parrott was never really given the opportunity to impress in North London and made just four senior appearances for the club before permanently departing for AZ.

You could argue that, based on Spurs' standards in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns, Parrott has outgrown Spurs, proving a regular source of goals in Eredivisie and in European competitions. But, they remain a financial powerhouse in England's top flight and a return to the club would still be considered, by most, a step up.

Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have left much to be desired for Spurs this campaign, while Randal Kolo Muani is unlikely to sign permanently, and so Roberto De Zerbi could be seeking a new front man ahead of the 2026/27 term, irrespective of what division his side will be playing in.

Ipswich Town

While Parrott's affiliation with Ipswich Town might not be strong, he did represent the club on 18 occasions in a six-month loan spell in 2021, and, unlike Spurs, the Tractor Boys have confirmed their status as a Premier League club for the 2026/27 season after earning promotion from the Championship.

Ipswich were the club's third highest scorers in the second tier with 80 goals, but a significant proportion of those came from wide men Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene and striker George Hirst was criticised for a lack of cutting edge in front of goal, despite finding the net on 11 occasions.

You'd suspect that they will seek attacking reinforcement upon their return to the top-flight, with Liam Delap carrying the load in 2024/25, and Parrott could prove a shrewd addition to the front line.

Everton

Everton have had very little luck when it's come to recruiting centre forwards in more recent years, and they may be tempted to return to the market after a relatively underwhelming season from 2025/26 summer arrival Thierno Barry.

The Frenchman has started just one of the Toffees' last 10 top-flight games and, while a return of eight Premier League goals in his debut season is by no means disgraceful, the Merseyside-based outfit have scored fewer goals than 11 sides in the league this term, undoubtedly hindering their push for Europe.

Should Parrott favour a Premier League move, you'd suspect he won't be short of suitors, and Everton may be keen to make a push for the Irishman in a bid to bolster a relatively lacklustre attack.