There is movement today in the most-watched transfer happenings involving a U.S. national team man.
MLSSoccer.com reports confirmation that Sunderland has made an official offer for Jozy Altidore, who seems certain to leave Dutch side AZ this summer, bound for a bigger club in a more prestigious league.
According to the report, AZ technical director Earnie Stewart (the former U.S. international and D.C. United attacker) had confirmed the Black Cats’ offer for an undisclosed fee but denied reports that the bid had already been rejected.
Altidore at Sunderland? Not the ideal spot for him, perhaps … but probably not the worst, either. As Sunderland finished 17th last year and lines up perennially among the relegation threatened, this looks in some ways a little too much like like Altidore’s previous run in Premier League soccer, an unhappy stay at Hull City.
On the other hand, that was clearly a very different time in his career; Altidore, now 23, was just 19 when he joined Hull on loan.
Altidore, who had 31 goals last year for AZ, kept his transfer value heading north with goals in four consecutive U.S. national team matches. And he would surely get playing time at Sunderland. Good minutes in a high-level league is what the U.S. striker needs to maintain the learning curve. If Altidore were to sign up with a stronger team, he could find himself fighting the roster numbers, scrapping for minutes at a time when he needs to be playing ahead of Brazil 2014.