Leeds United ‘make contact’ over January deal for “top striker” with 19 goals this season

AZ Alkmaar's Troy Parrott and David Wolfe. (REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw)

Leeds United have shown resilience in their return to the Premier League this season.

Sitting 16th in the table, the Whites are eight points clear of the relegation zone, having lost fewer matches than many of their rivals, though a few too many draws have slightly slowed their progress.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has carried much of the goalscoring burden with nine Premier League strikes, but manager Daniel Farke is keen to ease that responsibility by adding a strike partner to bolster his attacking options this January.

Leeds United have reportedly made initial contact with AZ Alkmaar regarding a potential move for Troy Parrott, the Republic of Ireland international striker, according to Football FanCast.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Eredivisie, scoring 19 goals across all competitions, including a standout hat-trick that kept Ireland’s World Cup hopes alive.

Countryman Paddy Barrett has described him as a “top striker,” praising both his finishing ability and movement off the ball.

Although Parrott is reportedly happy in the Netherlands, he is said to harbour ambitions of playing in the Premier League, making Leeds’ interest this month a timely opportunity. AZ Alkmaar would likely demand a substantial fee — estimated at roughly £20 million, nearly triple what they paid Tottenham to secure his services.

If a deal can be agreed, Parrott would provide Leeds with a much-needed boost in attack, giving Farke a reliable partner for Calvert-Lewin and helping the club strengthen their bid to climb further up the Premier League table.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.