Troy Parrott’s goal-scoring surge: Did Tottenham make a costly mistake?
Troy Parrott, has been scoring for fun in the Eredivisie this season following his move from Tottenham Hotspur, but do Spurs have a chance to sign the forward back? Or is this a Cole Palmer-type mistake?
A disappointing time at Tottenham for Troy Parrott
As football fans, nothing hurts more than seeing a player who has come through the ranks of your club leave and then begin to flourish elsewhere.
Manchester City fans know this feeling all too well, having watched academy graduate Cole Palmer depart and thrive at Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Tottenham Hotspur now find themselves in a similar situation, as former striker Troy Parrott appears to be flourishing at his new home, AZ Alkmaar.
The Spurs academy graduate’s talent was evident when he tore it up the U18 setup, scoring 17 goals and providing three assists in just 15 appearances.
| Team/Level | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Goal Contributions (Goals + Assists) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tottenham Hotspur U18 | 15 | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Tottenham Hotspur UEFA U19 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| Tottenham Hotspur (First Team) | 4 (96 mins) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
However, he struggled to replicate those performances at senior level for Spurs, and after a series of underwhelming loan spells, he was permanently transferred to the Eredivisie, where he now looks much more at home.
Troy Parrott’s numbers this season vs Tottenham attackers
Since arriving at the Dutch League, the young striker has adapted to his new club AZ Alkmaar, who are currently fifth in the league and are fighting for a place in the round of 16 of the Europa League
So far this season, the 23-year-old centre-forward has been directly involved in 20 goals, scoring 17 and providing three assists in 34 appearances so far. In fact, he is in the race for the Eredivisie Golden Boot, currently chasing Sem Steijn of FC Twente.
Parrott’s impressive form isn’t limited to the league alone. The former Tottenham player has also scored four goals in the Europa League, just three behind top scorer Ayoub El Kaabi, who has seven.
| Player | Goals | Assists | Appearances | Goal Contributions (Goals + Assists) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Parrott | 17 | 3 | 34 | 20 |
| James Maddison | 9 | 6 | 33 | 15 |
| Dejan Kulusevski | 9 | 10 | 39 | 19 |
| Brennan Johnson | 12 | 3 | 32 | 15 |
| Dominic Solanke | 11 | 6 | 29 | 17 |
| Heung-min Son | 10 | 8 | 33 | 18 |
Troy Parrot’s goal involvement vs Spurs attackers this seasonIn comparison, Parrott has more goal contributions (20) than any of Tottenham’s attacking players this season, which highlights his impressive form and leads many to wonder if Spurs made a mistake selling him.
Did Spurs make a mistake selling Parrott?
As the forward continues to thrive in the Netherlands, Spurs are struggling, and their players cannot stay fit.
Should he have remained at Tottenham, you would expect that he would have had his chances, given the injury crisis that has now sidelined the Lilywhites’ main striker Solanke and backup option Richarlison.
Parrott is a fit, agile, fox-in-the-box striker who can hold up play and finish chances, he is capable of being a solid backup option.
However, is he better than the players Spurs currently have? In my opinion, No. Richarlison, Solanke, and Mathys Tel are superior, Premier League-proven players. The AZ Alkmaar striker is thriving, but he is doing so in the Eredivisie, which is not among Europe’s strongest leagues.
That said, there is good news for Spurs. If the Irishman ever wanted to return, the Lilywhites could sign him at a reduced price, and should the young forward continue to improve and be sold elsewhere, football.london reports that a 20% sell-on clause was included in the £6.7 million deal that took him to AZ Alkmaar.
Nevertheless, one thing is certain: with his rapid development, his market value is rising – if he were to be sold, you’d expect him to be worth around £12-15 million and Spurs could greatly benefit from his sale.
