Vincent Janssen: Everything you need to know
Spurs have today announced the signing of 22 year old Dutch striker Vincent Janssen from Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar following something of a prolonged saga.
The striker has joined the club on a four year contract, following the completion of his £17 million transfer; the most expensive sale in the Dutch club’s history.
It has been widely speculated that Tottenham would sign a striker to assist Harry Kane over the summer with the club having achieved Champions League status for the forthcoming season.
Janssen comes to the club with a great pedigree, having netted 27 goals in 34 appearances for AZ, all of which came from inside the box; a bona fide poacher.
Janssen has also proven his ability to score a variety of goals over the course of the season. Alongside his five efforts from the spot, the Dutchman has also been the beneficiary of four goals from set pieces, scoring two from his head.
At just 22 years old, many fans are hoping that the new signing could prove the perfect striking option for Mauricio Pochettino to shape into his playing philosophy.
It had been understood that AZ Alkmaar were initially happy to sell for £15m, however, the hiring of ‘moneyball’ expert Billy Beane (the prominent former general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team) saw the club stick firm and demand that the fee rise to £17m.
Whilst the board may be disappointed with the rise in cost, they will certainly be pleased that two key areas, central midfield and up front, have been filled for less than £30m following the signature of Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama earlier in the window.
Most fans will see the Dutchman as a deputy to English phenomenon Harry Kane. However, Janssen has already staked his claim for the leading number nine role, stating in an interview:
“Harry Kane? People can say what they want but I’m not afraid of anybody. He is a great striker but we will see how it goes. We can complement each other, I think I can learn a lot from him.”
He also stated: “For me it was clear from the beginning that I wanted to go to Spurs. The competition appeals to me and the plan of the coach is similar to the plan that AZ boss John van den Brom shared with me a year ago at AZ.
“It is a beautiful club with a fantastic stadium and heaps of potential. Anyone in my shoes would take this step.”
Whilst there is some trepidation amongst Spurs fans with regards to the signing of a striker from the Eredivisie, which have been largely hit and miss (See John Guidetti and Memphis Depay for reference), the response amongst supporters has largely proven to be positive; the Dutchman boasts very similar shooting accuracy and shot conversion rates to Kane which is a cause for hope.
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Written by Joe Thomas
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