In their national teams, young players in particular want to take the opportunity to present themselves on the international stage and draw attention to themselves away from the club scene. An Irish attacking star is now said to have played his way into the focus of FC Bayern.
While the German national team booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup with a 6-0 win over Slovakia thanks in part to a strong Bayern axis, other nations will have to go through the play-offs.
In addition to big names like Italy, for whom the elimination round could prove to be a stumbling block, Ireland also made it into the play-offs on the final matchday of qualifying.
The Irish have their striker Troy Parrott to thank for this partial success. The 23-year-old scored both goals in the surprise 2-0 win over Nations League winners Portugal and was named player of the match on the final day of group play: the AZ Alkmaar attacker scored all three of Ireland’s goals in Hungary, virtually single-handedly knocking the home side out of second place and keeping the players from the Emerald Isle in with a last-minute 3-2 win.
Five goals in two crucial international matches is impressive, but not a flash in the pan – the goalscorer had already made a name for himself at club level: a youth player from Tottenham Hotspur, Parrott has 13 goals and two assists after 14 games in his second season at AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
FC Bayern’s search for a striker: Ireland hero or Bundesliga pro?
Such a performance does not go unnoticed by top European clubs and according to a report by fichajes.net, Parrott has also attracted the interest of FC Bayern.
According to the report, the Munich club like the young attacker’s dynamic style of play. Apparently, they could imagine using him as a sole centre-forward or in a double attack with star striker Harry Kane. The Irishman has the „ideal profile“ for this.
In view of his recent performances and his long-term contract at Alkmaar, which does not expire until the summer of 2029, Parrott’s market value is already set at €16 million according to Tranfermarkt.de and could rise further if he confirms his potential on a permanent basis.
Not least due to the transfer fee, however, the topic is probably not too hot at the German record champions – even if current striker Nicolas Jackson is having a difficult time. Bayern, on the other hand, are much more interested in Fisnik Asllani, a Bundesliga professional who is being closely monitored by club officials, according to Sky.