Oussama Idrissi has reiterated his desire to leave AZ Alkmaar this summer, with the reported Everton and West Ham United target claiming that he would be ‘crazy’ if he felt otherwise, while speaking to De Telegraaf.
Just when AZ felt they were on the verge of something very special, their hopes of a first Eredivisie title since the Louis van Gaal era a decade ago went up in smoke.
The Dutch football season was brought to a premature conclusion in April thanks to the global health crisis, just after John Van den Brom’s side had announced themselves as challengers for Ajax’s crown with a brilliant win over the reigning champions.
And by the time the 2020/21 campaign kicks off, AZ might have already said farewell to some of the most exciting footballers in the division.
Star striker Myron Boadu, play-maker Calvin Stengs and captain Teun Koopmeiners all have admirers.
And Idrissi, the 17-goal winger, appears to have played his final game in that red and white shirt with Calciomercato reporting in February that he is a target for both West Ham and Everton.
“I have analyzed my season and that gives me even more ambition to take the next step. It was clear when AZ came in that AZ wouldn’t be my final destination,” said the Morocco international, who contributed another ten assists in 2019/20.
“It would be crazy if I didn’t have that ambition. In the end, good footballers always want to act on the highest possible stage. In the Netherlands, that stage is missing.
“The Eredivisie does not have the intensity and the clubs to participate at top level. As a result, hardly any top players come to the Netherlands, the top players who do stay here usually do not stay very long,”
Idrissi, having added a ruthless streak to his speed and skill, is certainly one of the top players in Holland these days, cutting inside with devastating effect like a right-footed Arjen Robben.
And you would imagine that director of football Marcel Brands, who won multiple Eredivisie titles with PSV, is behind Everton’s interest.
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