Tottenham Hotspur sign Holland striker Vincent Janssen

Tottenham Hotspur sign Holland striker Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar

• Janssen signs until 2020 for price of around £17m
• 22-year-old scored 27 times for AZ Alkmaar last season


The 22-year-old Holland international has arrived from AZ Alkmaar for a fee believed to be in a region of £17m. A statement on Spurs’s website read: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar, subject to international clearance. The striker has signed a contract with the club until 2020.”

Janssen was the top scorer in the Eredivisie last season with 27 goals, earning him the 2016 Johan Cruyff Trophy, which is awarded to the division’s young player of the year. It has previously been won by past and present Spurs players Rafael van der Vaart and Christian Eriksen.

The striker becomes Mauricio Pochettino’s second summer signing, following the £11m arrival of Victor Wanyama.

Janssen told Spurs TV: “One of the reasons I chose Tottenham [is] the way [Pochettino] thinks and how he plays. I really like that. It’s always a dream for me to play Champions League and now it’s coming very close.

“When I was a little child I watched every game in the Champions League and now I can play it for myself. It’s a beautiful club, a traditional club in England.”

Janssen was first given permission to speak to Tottenham in the first week of June, when the forward visited the club’s training ground and agreed personal terms.

AZ initially indicated they would accept around £12m for the player but interest from Wolfsburg, PSG and West Ham persuaded the club to up their asking price.

Janssen has been capped five times by his country, scoring three times, including one in Holland’s 2-1 defeat of England in March.

Guardian