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Tottenham need more than Vincent Janssen

By Rucker Haringey

(L-R) Vincent Janssen of AZ Alkmaar, Rico Strieder of FC Utrecht during the Dutch Eredivisie match between FC Utrecht and AZ Alkmaar at the Galgenwaard Stadium on May 08, 2016 in Utrecht, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
(L-R) Vincent Janssen of AZ Alkmaar, Rico Strieder of FC Utrecht during the Dutch Eredivisie match between FC Utrecht and AZ Alkmaar at the Galgenwaard Stadium on May 08, 2016 in Utrecht, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /
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Vincent Janssen might succeed at Tottenham, but Spurs can’t rely on him to be Harry Kane’s only backup next season

Everyone knows that Tottenham’s biggest need heading into the summer transfer window was finding cover for Harry Kane. The impending acquisition of Vincent Janssen would be a step in the right direction to fix this roster deficiency, but he’s too much of a risk to rely on completely.

ESPN is claiming that Tottenham and AZ Alkmaar are heading towards an agreement for the Dutch centre forward, and should complete the deal this week. I believe Janssen certainly has a chance to grow into a good Premier League player, but patience is certainly going to be required as he transitions from Eredivisie.

The challenge of scoring goals consistently in the Premier League is a huge step up from the Dutch top flight. Janssen’s return of 27 goals in 34 League matches certainly show he has some goal scoring chops. The question is whether or not he can continue to score against higher quality competition.

Just ask Memphis Depay how difficult that transition can be. It’s not out of the question that Janssen could wind up a flop. After all, Memphis’ last season in Eredivisie saw him earn a Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.92. In comparison, Janssen only achieved a mark of 7.52 this past year.

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Memphis certainly had other issues that might have contributed to his flop season at United, but he’s just one example of Eredivisie stars who’ve failed to meet the necessary standard of the Premier League. I’m not saying that Janssen has no chance to succeed, just that we have to acknowledge the possibility that he could turn out to be a flop.

Tottenham can’t afford to only sign Janssen and bear the very real possibility of him failing to adjust to Premier League life. Next season is just too important for Spurs to leave anything to chance. That’s why the club must continue to pursue other attacking targets even if they sign Janssen.

Adding another striker, even if they also have a chance of being a flop, is an absolute necessity for Daniel Levy and company. Purchasing someone like Antonio Sanabria or even Ayoze Perez would greatly increase the chances of attacking success next season. It’s purely a mathematical solution. If Janssen has a 50 percent chance of success, purchasing another player who has the same odds puts the club in a much better position.

Related Story: Tottenham plan to sign two strikers

Signing Vincent Janssen would be a reasonable gamble for Tottenham this summer. He isn’t enough though. Spurs must continue to purchase other attacking talent just in case the Dutchman doesn’t pan out.

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