Eredivisie 2024/25 Preview: AZ Alkmaar | OneFootball

AZ Alkmaar had yet another reasonable season in 2023-24. They finished fourth, and despite coach Pascal Jansen being dismissed in January after narrowly avoiding a KNVB Cup upset against amateur club Quick Boys, under Maarten Martens, AZ were able to finish strongly.

Of course, reliant on league top-scorer, 29-goal Vangelis Pavlidis in attack, his transfer to Benfica could be detrimental to the squad. So too, could the exit of assisting right-back Yukinari Sugawara to Southampton. It’s up to new signing Troy Parrott, ever-present Ruben van Bommel, and a dynamic squad to keep up the offensive threat in their absences.

Last seasons position: 4th

Transfers in: Troy Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur), Seiya Maikuma (Cerezo Osaka), Jeroen Zoet (Spezia)

Transfers out: Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica), Yukinari Sugawara (Southampton), Jens Odgaard (Bologna), Peter Vindahl (Sparta Prague), Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County), Dani de Wit (Vfl Bochum), Mathew Ryan (AS Roma)

Overview: Parrott’s move will be the main point of focus this term, as he arrives as Pavlidis’ successor. He has huge boots to fill, with the Greek achieving a quite ridiculous scoring tally of 80 goals in 137 all-competition games at AZ. Parrott scored ten goals and four assists in 25 Eredivisie matches for Excelsior last season. In the play-offs he scored seven goals and registered one assist, but he could not prevent Excelsior from being relegated.

The further of additions of Jeroen Zoet and Seiya Maikuma add further intrigue. Zoet will contend with Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduro for the regular starting spot, while the Japanese Maikuma arrives as countryman Sugawara departs. Can he have the same effect from defence? Last season at Cerezo Osaka, Maikuma played 17 league games and registered one assist. The term before that, he was more effective, with three goals and two assists in 36 all-competition outings.

The exits of De Wit, Goudmijn, Odgaard, Vindahl and Ryan all see talents move on, yet it could indicate that Maartens is happy to cut away excess before regrouping and adding more names to the team-sheet before the transfer window ends. On player he will be happy to keep around though, is Ruben van Bommel. With six goals and one assist in 29 Eredivisie outings last term, the 19-year-old could be a real player of interest in 2024-25.

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield