If West Ham United plan to add another striker to their ranks during the summer transfer window – Callum Wilson is out of contract after all – then Troy Parrott is certainly doing his chances of a Premier League return no harm at all.
West Ham ‘called for Troy Parrott’ ahead of the January transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Republic of Ireland international one of many number nines on a lengthy list of targets.
Of course, once Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe arrived within the first few days of 2026, AZ Alkmaar could breathe a sigh of relief.
Ally gets it 😎 Where should Pablo Felipe play for West Ham – as a No.9 or a No.10?
But as Parrott crosses the 30-goal threshold for club and country – and with West Ham United yet to make a decision on Callum Wilson’s contract extension – one suspects AZ’s phone will be ringing off the hook come the season’s end.
Troy Parrott breaks 30-goal barrier amid West Ham United interest
A Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, Parrott took his club tally to 26 goals in 33 starts with a brace in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night. The Dublin-born 22-year-old netted both as AZ crept past Andy Irving’s Sparta Prague on home soil.
Add in his international heroics – Parrott’s infamous hat-trick in the qualification stage set up a play-off against Tomas Soucek’s Czech Republic – and he has broken the 30-goal barrier for the first time in his career.
According to reporter Ben Jacobs, per Give Me Sport, West Ham ‘discussed’ the idea of signing Parrott, alongside the likes of Leeds and Fulham. One suspects they will do so again in the summer, although AZ’s reported £25 million price-tag may not spark the bidding war they are hoping for.
There is a very long list of Eredivisie goal machines who have seen the production dry up after moving to a more competitive league.
“That first year in the Netherlands, I learned to pace myself better,” the prolific Parrott told Voetbal International, scoring for fun now after difficult loans at Preston, Ipswich, MK Dons and Oxford.
“Erling Haaland is the perfect example of how, as a striker, you can wait for the right moment. Sometimes he barely touches the ball for entire matches but, by the final whistle, he has two goals in the net. Harry Kane does it differently; he has touches all over the pitch and he scores goals.
“In my eyes, that makes Kane the best striker in the world. For me, it was mainly a matter of staying further up front and not having to be involved in every action.”
An end to our Haaland hoodoo?
How do we stop the out-of-form Man City striker?
Callum Wilson v Erling Haaland as Hammers host Man City
Speaking of a certain Norwegian goal-getter, did you know Erling Haaland has only two open play goals in his last 17 games?
The Man City talisman boasts a phenomenal record against West Ham – his brace in December’s 3-0 win took his tally to 11 in seven – but an end to that Haaland hoodoo may be in sight if Axel Disasi and Konstantinos Mavropanos can keep up their fine recent form.
As for West Ham’s own number nine, The Telegraph reported recently that Callum Wilson will sign a one-year extension.
Thus, potentially removing the need for another expensive striker signing, be it Parrott or someone else.
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