According to The Sun (23 January, page 49), Tottenham Hotspur are willing to sell flop Vincent Janssen for a £12 million fee. According to the report, the forward wants a way out of the north London club and is hoping for an approach from West Ham United and Crystal Palace to sign him this January. The Hammers are in a conundrum over the uncertain future of their talismanic striker Marko Arnautovic, who has been closely linked with a move to the cash-rich Chinese Super League and might be interested in adding a new striker to their lineup.
West Ham United have had a very poor start to their Premier League campaign but have recovered well and are currently in the 10th position in the league table. Manuel Pellegrini would not want to throw this advantage away, but the potential departure of his Austrian forward might ring a few warning bells for him and the Hammers. They should be eager to add a quality player to fill in for Arnautovic in case he leaves London Stadium in January.
Vincent Janssen has been one of the most forgotten players in the Spurs lineup and has been kept on the sidelines for a long time. With the inclusion of Fernando Llorente, he had lost his place in the squad to play second fiddle to Harry Kane and was sent on loan to Fenerbahce in the last term.
However, he has now returned from the loan stint, which was also not a good one for the Dutchman as he could only notch up five goals for the Turkish Super Lig outfit.
With the likes of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez failing to fire for their side this term so far, Pellegrini should add a seasoned goalscorer to his team. However, he should not bet his money on Janssen, who has been one of the biggest failures in the Premier League.
The player has appeared in 39 matches so far for the north London club and has scored only six goals for them. Despite the injury to Harry Kane, which is set to keep him out for at least a month, the forward has not been considered in the squad not even as a backup. West Ham should also not waste their money on him and should look elsewhere to beef up their attack.
Pellegrini, being the wily customer he is, has taken big strides with the club and has used his resources very well despite having an injury-struck squad this season. It would not be right for him to throw away the hard-earned advantage for the lack of a quality finisher. However, given Janssen’s disappointing track record, it would be a disaster for the former Premier League winning manager to pursue his signature. Our Verdict: Pellegrini should refrain from bringing the Spurs flop to London Stadium.
