Tottenham Complete Signing of Vincent Janssen

It was announced on Tuesday that Tottenham had secured the signature of Holland international Vincent Janssen.

The saga to bring Janssen to north London occupied most of the last few weeks, with former club AK Alkmaar initially balking over Tottenham’s opening offer thanks in part to Major League Baseball general manager/football consultant Billy Beane.

Though it appeared as if the negotiations stalled just days ago, Daniel Levy and the powers that be at Tottenham evidently pushed through a deal late last week. Janssen was secured for a reported amount of £17 million.

The 22-year-old’s price might seem at first blush exorbitant, particularly considering the fact that the player was virtually unknown at the beginning of last season. Freshly arrived from Dutch second division side Almere City, Janssen wasn’t expected to make a tremendous impression.

Though he failed to find the back of the net until he scored twice against FC Twente in early October, Janssen quickly went about making a name for himself thereafter. He would go on to score 27 goals in 34 appearances for AK, including a hat-trick against Feyenoord and four goals against PEC Zwolle.

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Those 27 goals were the most in the Netherlands, and immediately put the striker on the radar of several big European clubs. Mauricio Pochettino signaled his interest early, attending a Netherlands friendly to watch the player in action. Tottenham successfully fought off interest from rival clubs — including London rivals West Ham and heavyweights like Paris Saint Germain.

It helped that Janssen was angling for a move specifically to Tottenham. He was vocal about his admiration for Pochettino’s club and the players there even before Tottenham and AK had reached an agreement.

With the transfer, Tottenham have finally found a missing piece to the puzzle that has eluded them since last summer. Harry Kane ably and happily served as the club’s only recognized striker all season, winning the Golden Boot for his efforts. It was clear, however, that Tottenham couldn’t take on the rigors of the Champions League next season without proper support for Kane. Another striker was inevitable, and with Janssen the club found a promising and eager goalscorer.

This was Tottenham’s second move of the summer transfer window after Victor Wanyama was signed in June. The pace at which Levy and Pochettino are working to re-equip Tottenham ahead of the new season suggests once again that a new leaf had been turned at the club. No longer will Levy angle for the best deals, waiting until the final week — or final day — of the transfer window to sign players.

With television revenue flowing through the Premier League, there has never been more incentive for clubs in England to act early. Beyond that, there’s obviously a hint of Pochettino’s influence here. His new contract signed toward the end of last season reportedly came with a broader authority over Tottenham’s recruitment, meaning that Pochettino could plan for the next term without having to rely on the usual wheeling and dealing the club has become known for.

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Such expediency means that Pochettino will come into pre-season preparations with plenty of time to settle newer players into his methods while also integrating them into the rest of the team.