The Ireland star could move for a Championship record transfer fee, but the Hammers face plenty of competition for Troy Parrott.
Troy Parrott has been hailed as “the centre-forward we have been craving” by a West Ham goalscoring legend.
Tony Cottee is fifth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts with 146 goals across two spells with the Hammers, while he also lined out for Everton and Leicester City in the Premier League.
He reckons Parrott would be the perfect fit as his former side bids to return to the top-flight at the first attempt, after last season’s relegation to the Championship.
West Ham have reportedly submitted their first bid for the Ireland star – a €17.5 million offer that falls well short of the €25m his club AZ Alkmaar are after.
Cottee hopes the two clubs can come to an agreement.
“I think he could be the perfect fit (for West Ham),” said the Hammers legend, speaking to BelfastLive via NetBet Casino Ireland.
“A six-foot-one centre-forward, scores goals, he’s exactly what the club needs. He’s an Irish lad who has been at Spurs, knows the English league, so I think potentially it could be a fantastic signing for the club.
“I think his profile is exactly what West Ham need – a young centre-forward who can hopefully lead the line and above all else he scores goals.”
Cottee reckons Parrott has the ability to do for the Hammers what Harry Kane did for years at London rivals Tottenham.
He said: “We’ve been crying out for a centre-forward for many years; someone that can consistently score the goals.
“I’m not talking about having a glory spell and then you don’t do anything for two or three seasons. I’m talking about someone who does it season in, season out, like what Harry Kane has done.
“The best thing about Harry is, it’s every season. It isn’t 50 goals in one season and then five in the next.
“Consistency is the thing that all players are striving for.
“If Troy can arrive at West Ham and take that number nine shirt and say to everyone, I’m the main man here and I’m the one that’s going to score the goals, then great.
“You can play Taty (Castellanos) with him or just behind him because he’s a good player, and he can link up with him. Then you’ve got two players that can score goals.
“You’ve got Bowen on the right and whoever is going to play on the left, so you are looking at a West Ham team with a real attacking threat and you need that to get out of the Championship, you need to score goals.”
The time that Parrott spent in London while trying to break into a Spurs side that was spearheaded by Kane would stand to him if a move to West Ham was to materialise, according to Cottee.
He said: “It’s not like he’s a Geordie or a Scouser or from the Midlands, I know he’s an Irish boy but he has lived in the area.
“Tottenham and West Ham aren’t that far away from each other, so he knows what it’s all about. In terms of settling down, it shouldn’t be a problem at all for him.
“Everything is pointing to it being a great move for the club, I just hope they can get it over the line now.
“If you pay £20 million or whatever it is they are talking about for a young lad who goes on and becomes a goalscoring legend at the club, it’s going to be money well invested.
“For me, as an ex-striker, I’m excited about it because I think there’s a real chance we might at last be signing the centre-forward we have been craving.”
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