Sunderland have seen a bid for United States striker Jozy Altidore rejected by Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
A club statement said:
“The first offer was not sufficient. We have let them know. Now it’s wait and see.”
It took Altidore four or so years to find his place in European football after his big dollar move from the New York Red Bulls in 2008. But fortunately he ended up at Alkmaar playing in the Eredivisie league, where he has began to become the player many of us hoped he would.
Last season he scored 31 goals on 41 games for Alkmaar, and he carried that form into the U.S.’s recent World Cup qualifiers where he scored in four consecutive national team matches.
That kind of form catches the eye of a lot of clubs, and Jozy has been linked with clubs recently in England, Germany and Italy, including Lazio.
When he was younger Altidore really struggled to make an impact at Hull City when they were in the Premier League. But he wants another shot in England telling the NASN radio network:
“It is a fantastic league – anyone will tell you that. If you look at everything, the Premier League is probably the biggest league in the world. Everybody knows that, and it would be a pleasure to play in a league like that again.
“I think I was 19 or just turned 20 [when he last played in the Premier League] and I had not played in Europe before that. I have come a long way since then.
“I am almost a different player, and I have learned a lot. So I don’t think there is any resemblance to that time if I went back to the league any time soon.”
I have really mixed feelings on this one. As an American soccer fan, heading into a World Cup year, I would prefer he stays in Holland one more year ans scores a lot of goals so he enters the World Cup next summer full of confidence.
On the other side, a move to Premier League is a step up in competition, (in money too), and if Jozy can go to the Black Cats and play every week, he will develop into an even better player.
So I understand his desire to move. Just not sure Sunderland and Paolo Di Canio is the right place for him.
