Transfers from the Dutch Eredivisie to the English Premier League have been very common during the past few decades. The list of top quality players who have made the move and been successful is a long one. Luis Suarez, Van Persie, Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Overmars, Stam, Kuyt, Eriksen and Vertonghen have all moved from an Eredivisie club and has taken the Premier League by storm.
The philosophies of some of the leading clubs in Dutch football have produced some of the world’s greatest players. They value skill and technical ability. The financial power of the Dutch clubs is also quite small, so whilst they produce some amazingly talented players, they fail to keep hold of the best ones and they are usually sold.
But buying a Dutch talisman does represent a gamble. For every Van Nistelrooy, there is a Kezman and for every Robben, there is a Memphis Depay.
Depay joined Manchester United last season when fellow Dutchman Luis Van Gaal took over the Red Devils. And they had to fight hard for the signature for the winger who scored 28 goals in 40 appearances – a fantastic return for a winger. Such was the praise heaped on him, that former PSV youth coach Mart van Duren said: “I find it understandable that people can be reminded of Cristiano Ronaldo by Memphis. Well, I believe he is going to get close.”
And things haven’t quite worked out that way for the Dutch winger. He has lost his place in the Manchester United team and Jose Mourinho is surely not impressed by his show and without a slightest of a doubt, he has been deemed a flop.
The latest big money buy from the Eredivisie is Tottenham new boy Vincent Janssen. And so far, it has been suggested that he is following in the footsteps of Memphis Depay as another big money purchase from the Eredivisie that is struggling with life in the Premier League.
So far his performances for Tottenham have been average, if unspectacular. He has performed well so far and has worked hard to support his teammates well. But unfortunately that just isn’t enough for a goalscorer signed for 20million pounds and if he doesn’t start hitting the net with regularity then people begin to ask questions.
In all fairness, he did score his first Premier League goal at the weekend against Leicester City, but it was from the penalty spot. That seemed to give him some confidence and he went close with two other chances. So far, the former AZ man has scored three goals for the Lilly-Whites and all of them has come from the spot.
The Dutch International number 9, has largely failed to take his chance in the absence of their star man Harry Kane. It is reported that Kane is just a few weeks away from returning from an ankle injury and Janssen is likely to find himself limited to the bench.
The one hope for Tottenham fans is that it wasn’t until after Christmas last year that Janssen hit form, with him scoring 20 goals after the winter break in the Eredivisie.
It’s hard to see that happening again with first team chances limited, but unless he improves in front of goal massively, he will be classed as another one of the pretenders.