Jozy Altidore has been playing some of the best soccer of his career since joining AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2011, and at least one club has taken notice.
According to former U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder and current AZ Director of Football Earnie Stewart, the Dutch team received a late bid for Altidore during this past summer’s transfer window. Stewart did not reveal which club made the bid, but he said it was a team based in a wealthy country in Eastern Europe. Stewart added that the timing of the bid combined with Altidore’s desire to stay at AZ after spending years bouncing around European clubs were factors as to why the bid was not accepted.
In Stewart’s comments about Altidore, he mentioned that big clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Tottenham scout AZ regularly, though he did not suggest that those clubs have gone to AZ specifically to scout Altidore (the point was more that Altidore’s success at AZ has been noticed because top scouts watch AZ regularly).
The 23-year-old Altidore has improved dramatically in many facets of his game since joining AZ from Spanish outfit Villarreal in July 2011, and he scored 19 goals across all competitions last season.
The U.S. Men’s National Team striker is on pace to surpass that this campaign, as he already has 12 goals in all competitions, a total which surely has clubs keeping their eyes on him.
What do you think of a club making a big for Altidore? How much longer do you see Altidore staying with AZ? What league would you like to see him play in next?
Share your thoughts below.