Five Hypothetical Clubs for Jozy Altidore
U.S. national team striker Jozy Altidore confirmed this week that his future might not lie with Sunderland, and hinted at a possible January move away from the Stadium of Light. Speaking in advance of his national team’s upcoming match against Ecuador, the 24-year-old was fairly candid, stating, “I thought I’ve done everything I could this season to come in as fit as possible with the injury and try to make an impact when I’ve played. But like I said this four years I want to be part of the national team. Jürgen makes his message very clear, nobody is different, so if it doesn’t turn around then in January I’ll be looking to start elsewhere and make sure that I’m in his plans.” But just where might Altidore look to when contemplating greener pastures? Here are a few hypothetical destinations.
Celtic (Scottish Premier League) – Despite the absence of notable clubs like Rangers, Hearts and Hibs, the Scottish Premier League is wide open this season. Celtic, the reigning champions, are six points off first place and have looked downright poor at times this season. The addition of a physically imposing striker such as Altidore could help bolster an already talented attack. Meanwhile, the less competitive SPL (Celtic won the title last season by 25 points with a +66 goal difference) would provide an attractive destination for Altidore, as he could potentially find himself scoring regularly for a club with a massive international following.
Fiorentina (Serie A) – La Viola represent arguably the biggest (and least likely) club on this list. However, there are a few reasons why this one could happen. Sunderland maintains warm relations with Italian clubs, regularly doing business with the likes of Lazio and Inter. So, there’s already familiarity in terms of getting transfers done. Speaking of familiarity, there’s also Giuseppe Rossi. The New Jersey native is important for two reasons: he would serve as a familiar face for Altidore and, more importantly, is currently injured. Fiorentina has struggled to score this season, and will be desperately searching for an experienced striker come the winter window. Last season, the Florence-based club made a move for Manchester United’s Anderson, so Altidore looks all the better by comparison.