Leeds are in talks to sign Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar amid the Irishman’s rise to fame.
The Tottenham academy graduate scored five goals in two games to fire Ireland to crucial wins over Portugal and Hungary, putting his nation into the play-offs and keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
Leeds are now in talks with AZ Alkmaar over a deal – according to De Telegraaf – ahead of the January transfer window.
Troy Parrott was a target for Leeds during the summer transfer window, and unsurprisingly remains on the radar, but the 49ers must be wary of getting sucked in by his heroics on the international scene.
El Hadji Diouf has already shown Leeds United why they must do their homework on Troy Parrott
Football has often seen clubs purchase a player off the back of them shining on the international front.
Leeds did it with Tomas Brolin in 1995 after he impressed at EURO 1992 and the 1994 World Cup with Sweden – prompting a £4.5m move to Elland Road. However, he scored just four goals in 25 games.
More recently, Liverpool signed El Hadji Diouf from Lens in 2002 after he starred for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup, even scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over France as he eventually steered his country to the quarter-finals.
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Liverpool paid £10m for the Senegalese star, largely due to his performances at that tournament, but he proceeded to have a nightmarish stay at Anfield.
Diouf only scored six goals in 80 appearances for the Reds, before he was eventually loaned to Bolton in August 2004 and then sold to the Trotters in June 2005 for a £6m loss.
Jamie Carragher even called the man born in Dakar “one of the worst” strikers Liverpool have ever employed, saying: “He has one of the worst strike rates of any forward in Liverpool history. He’s the only number nine ever to go through a whole season without scoring, in fact he’s probably the only number nine of any club to do that. He was always the last one to get picked in training.”
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Parrott seems to have more substance to him than the eccentric Diouf – who later made 52 appearances for Leeds between 2012 and 2014 – having netted 13 goals in 14 games for AZ Alkmaar this season alongside his efforts for Ireland.
However, Leeds need to ensure the man from Dublin is thoroughly checked out before a bid is submitted, and the deal is not rushed off the back of his Ireland heroics – especially with a rumoured price tag of around £25m.
Quality of the Eredivisie is another reason for Leeds United to examine Troy Parrott closely
Nobody can deny Parrott is shining in the Netherlands this term, but history suggests that success in the Netherlands does not always translate into the Premier League.
For example, Tottenham paid £17m to sign Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar in July 2016 after the Dutchman just scored 27 goals in 34 Eredivisie appearances in the 2015/16 campaign.
However, he proceeded to be a failure in the Premier League, scoring just six goals in 42 games for Spurs, so Leeds have a lot to consider when it comes to Parrott.