With Dutch international Vincent Janssen, sporting director Marc Overmars has achieved his first major transfer at Antwerp. The former Tottenham striker hopes to revive his career in Belgium. Who is the former top talent that Mexico is exchanging for Belgium? A portrait.
Sky stormer in the Netherlands
The Dutch enclave at The Great Old is expanding: Marc Overmars and Mark van Bommel have their new striker with Vincent Janssen. After three years in the Mexican forgotten pit of Monterrey, the striker – with the once great prospects – returns to Europe.
Janssen broke through in 2013 at Almere City in the Dutch second division and after two productive seasons he moved to John van den Brom’s AZ to prove himself in the Eredivisie. Successfully.
“He had a fantastic debut season,” analyst Youri Mulder recalls. “He scored almost 30 goals that year and really shot them in from all angles.”
“Janssen is an excellent finisher with a dry, flat staircase”, explains Mulder. “He has a really good shot and keeps track of the ball, but above all he is a hard worker: he is constantly “busy” and always makes himself available. He lacks the speed to be played in depth, but he positions himself pretty smart.”
At AZ, Janssen really shot the balls in from all angles.
From Tottenham flop to Mexican exotic
In that farmer’s year at AZ, Janssen crowned himself top scorer in the Eredivisie at the age of 21, the way to a bigger competition was open. In the end, it was Tottenham that plucked the Dutchman from Alkmaar for about 20 million euros, but things quickly went wrong.
“I remember how in one of his first games for Spurs he had a great chance in front of goal. He did little wrong, but kicked the goalkeeper. When a ball like that goes in, you start such an adventure with confidence, but he missed that luck in Tottenham.”
Janssen had to compete against one Harry Kane in London, an unequal battle. His passage in England was a flop. In two and a half seasons, he scored two goals in 31 league games. A loan to Turkish Fenerbahçe also did not help.
At the age of 25 he left Europe to try his football luck in Mexico, completely out of the limelight. With Monterrey he became Mexican national champion in 2020, a year later he won the South American Champions League.
Janssen’s time in London was not particularly successful.
As an Antwerp striker with the Orange to Qatar?
So now the return to Europe follows at Antwerp. “Antwerp wants to play in the opponent’s half, that suits him,” says Mulder. “The role of Overmars and Van Bommel has undoubtedly been great. For Janssen it is an excellent opportunity to relaunch his career in Europe.”
“Because make no mistake: he was also good in Mexico. That is all a bit out of sight for us, but big money is earned there as a football player in a fun competition. But it’s simple: he will just have to deliver , so scoring goals. He already has the quality.”
Janssen was also recently raised again with the national team. Louis van Gaal dropped the striker in the base against Wales, Janssen did not disappoint. “It is good for his World Cup selection that he now plays a little more in plain sight, because we don’t have that many strikers at Orange,” Mulder says.
“Although Van Gaal will normally prefer Ajax striker Brobbey over Janssen. But you never know. If he starts well at Antwerp, it could just be that he will go to the World Cup.”
