Troy Parrott impressed after leaving Tottenham Hotspur in July 2024
Troy Parrott has started the 2026/27 season in sensational form, but according to Chris Waddle, there is no point in returning to Tottenham in the future.
The former Spurs prodigy has made just four appearances for the club since arriving from Irish side Belvedere as a 16-year-old. He was often on loan from North London and really came into his own during a spell with Excelsior Rotterdam, scoring 17 goals in 32 games.
The Dutch side bought Parrott for £6.7m plus a 20 per cent sell-on clause and the striker has scored 51 goals and provided 17 assists in 97 appearances for AZ.
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Parrott, who scored 15 goals in 41 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, moved to Real Betis this summer for £17.1m, a move that has earned Spurs around £3.4m. He already has two goals and an assist for the La Liga side, including the winner against Real Madrid.
This form, coupled with Tottenham’s poor start to the season and struggling to put the ball in the net, has led to some speculation linking Parrott with a dramatic return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Former Spurs star Waddle does not believe the £67.5m transfer made sense.
Speaking to talkSPORT Bet, which offers the latest sports betting, Waddle said: “Tottenham have produced three or four good young players. Will Lankshear has gone on loan to Boro and Mikey Moore to Rangers. But speaking at the highest level at Tottenham, with the expectation of playing in the Champions League, he is young and knows it is difficult to watch Harry’s next game.
“It’s very difficult and Tottenham have decided to buy established centre-forwards rather than stick with these youngsters. It’s one thing for them to think they’re not ready for Spurs, but they’ve brought them on.
“I wouldn’t see the point in getting Troy Parrott back for €80m (£67.5m) if you let him buy peanuts. Bear in mind that players often leave big clubs and have success in their careers.
“At the end of the day, the club has to decide whether to offer a long-term contract and whether the player will move to the first team. If they don’t see him losing out for three or four years, they decide to sell if there are decent offers, ideally fulfilling a buy-back clause.
“They decided to experiment with Solanke and others, they let young players progress. When those players develop elsewhere and command big transfer fees, you have to say good on them, even if Tottenham make the wrong decision.”