At the time of writing, rumours are rife that Sunderland have completed the signing of 23-year-old striker Jozy Altidore. The Daily Express recently reported that Sunderland had reached an agreement with Altidore's club, AZ Alkmaar and now, Alkmaar have officially confirmed this on their website. With his transfer to Sunderland, fans will undoubtedly be desperate to know more about the young American striker after only seeing him for a short spell during his loan to Hull City.
Jozy Altidore is a 23-year-old American striker who stands at 6 ft 1, whilst boasting 60 caps for the US Mens National Team. He began at New York Red Bulls in 2006 as a 16-year-old before he moved to Spanish side, Villarreal in 2008. It wasn't a particularly productive transfer for Villarreal as Altidore would go on to endure three loan spells for Xerez, Hull City and Bursaspor. Fans may remember him from his loan spell at Hull where he could only notch 1 goal in 28 appearances. After the succession of loan spells, Altidore moved to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar where he has since settled and found goals and first team football in abundance with 38 goals in 67 games. During this rather turbulent period of Altidore's career, he gradually progressed through the various levels of the National Team until he made his debut for the official squad in 2007. Here's something you probably didn't know about Altidore: He is second cousin to American actor Wayne Brady!
So onto his style of play: Altidore is a powerful forward with a good eye for goal and is someone who links up with his team-mates well. He creates his own chances a lot of the time through combinations with other players and isn't your typical goal poacher, always netting tap-ins. A very composed finisher in front of goal, Altidore is capable of receiving the ball under pressure before calmly slotting home in a confident fashion. Upon watching some footage of Altidore, you'd struggle not to notice that he is very fond of a good old fashioned one-two and this simply underlines his ability to act as an outlet for his team, who can hold the ball up well. This shows he is not just about goals but that he brings a lot more to the team, a valuable asset that many clubs are crying out for as football evolves in the modern day era.To round off, Altidore looks to be a sound signing for Sunderland and with the Daily Mail reporting the fee to be £6m I think this could be a decent bit of business from Paolo Di Canio. Altidore is still only 23 years of age and I think Di Canio will be able to nurture his talents and turn him into a top striker. Whilst his impact might not be felt immediately, I think once he settles, the goals will come.
Of course, things can change at any time so you shouldn't believe the gossip until you see a picture of him with the shirt!
If you liked this scout report then please do leave a comment below, I'd love some feedback! I'd also like to know what Sunderland fans think about their new signing!
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
Jozy Altidore - Scout Report
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