Levy really wanted to sign star who’s now worth £152M for just £450k but got Janssen instead
Brennan Johnson has had an eventful week, proving his resilience in the face of adversity.
Following Tottenham’s loss in the North London Derby, the winger was forced to delete his Instagram account after receiving a barrage of abuse from disappointed fans.
However, instead of letting the negativity define him, Johnson bounced back in spectacular fashion. His winning goal against Coventry City in the EFL Cup was followed by another crucial strike in Tottenham’s victory over Brentford.
In a short span of time, Johnson went from being a target of criticism to becoming a key player for Spurs, marking the real beginning of his Tottenham career.
Despite Johnson’s success, Tottenham has not always been fortunate when it comes to signing forwards. Over the years, they’ve had their share of high-profile failures.
Fans will undoubtedly remember Roberto Soldado, a striker who arrived with high expectations but failed to live up to the hype.
Soldado’s inability to find the back of the net consistently made him a symbol of Tottenham’s misfortune in the transfer market.
The club also signed Clinton N’Jie, another forward whose time at the club failed to make a significant impact.
These signings highlight Tottenham’s hit-or-miss approach when it comes to recruiting forwards, and Johnson’s recent success is a reminder of how vital it is for the club to get their transfers right.
One of the more infamous examples of Tottenham’s failed striker signings is Vincent Janssen. In the summer of 2016, Tottenham brought the Dutch forward to White Hart Lane for £18.6 million, hoping he would be the perfect partner for Harry Kane.
Mauricio Pochettino seemed thrilled with the signing, believing Janssen had all the attributes the team needed. Unfortunately, Janssen’s time in the Premier League was a disappointment. He managed to score only six goals in 42 appearances, failing to adapt to the English game.
Janssen’s career, however, found new life after his departure from Tottenham. He moved to Monterrey in Mexico before eventually signing for Royal Antwerp in Belgium, where he rediscovered his form.
During the 2023/24 season, Janssen scored 17 goals, proving that sometimes, players just need a change of environment to thrive.
Still, his story at Tottenham remains one of missed opportunities, both for the player and the club.
Tottenham’s recruitment struggles in 2016 become even more frustrating when you consider the talent they missed out on that same year: Kylian Mbappé.
In the winter of the 2015/16 season, Daniel Levy and the Spurs scouting team had their eyes on a young Mbappé, who was making waves for Monaco.
During a Europa League clash, Mbappé came off the bench and immediately made an impact, providing an assist and catching the attention of Tottenham’s management.
Scouts were sent to watch him further, but despite their interest, a move for the French prodigy never materialized.
Mbappé would go on to sign his first professional contract with Monaco, effectively removing Tottenham’s chance of acquiring him for a compensation fee of £450,000.
It’s a decision that, in hindsight, represents a colossal missed opportunity for Spurs. Today, Mbappé is a global superstar, having won the World Cup and dominated both Ligue 1 and the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
His record of 256 goals in 308 appearances for PSG, along with his current tally of six goals in eight games for Real Madrid, underscores his remarkable talent.
Valued at an astonishing £152 million, Mbappé is now considered one of the best players in the world, far outshining many of the forwards Tottenham signed during that period.
In fact, the comparison between Mbappé and the likes of Janssen or Soldado highlights the fine margins of success and failure in football transfers.
Tottenham may have missed out on a once-in-a-generation talent, but at least they had Harry Kane leading their line during that time, which softened the blow.
Still, it’s tantalizing to imagine what could have been if Kane and Mbappé had played together, forming one of the most lethal strike partnerships in world football.
While Tottenham’s recruitment hasn’t always been perfect, the emergence of Brennan Johnson shows that they are still capable of finding gems.
His recent performances suggest that he could be a crucial player for Spurs in the coming years, helping to rewrite the narrative of Tottenham’s mixed fortunes in the transfer market.
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