£21M wasted: Levy must now regret signing Spurs flop who was poor man’s Soldado

Tottenham Hotspur, one of the biggest clubs in England, has had its share of incredible players. Legendary figures like Jimmy Greaves, Gary Lineker, Ledley King, and Harry Kane have cemented their places in the club’s storied history.

However, for every icon, there have been players who failed to live up to expectations, and some even became infamous for their disappointing performances.

One such case is Roberto Soldado, the Spanish striker who arrived at Tottenham in the summer of 2013 as part of the much-hyped “magnificent seven” signings. Unfortunately, his time in North London was far from magnificent, and he quickly became one of the most significant transfer disappointments in recent memory.

Yet, just a few years later, Tottenham would sign another promising forward, Vincent Janssen, whose stint proved to be even more costly and underwhelming than Soldado’s.

Roberto Soldado joined Spurs after Gareth Bale’s record-breaking £85 million transfer to Real Madrid, as part of the club’s attempt to replace the Welshman’s world-class output.

Soldado’s transfer from Valencia was the standout move, with Tottenham paying a then-club record fee of £26 million for the Spanish striker. At the time, it seemed like a shrewd acquisition.

Soldado had an impressive track record in La Liga, scoring 57 goals and providing 11 assists in 97 appearances for Valencia over the previous two seasons. His form suggested he would be a reliable goal scorer in the Premier League.

However, Soldado struggled to adapt to English football, and his once-prolific goalscoring touch deserted him. Over 76 appearances for Tottenham, he managed only 16 goals and 11 assists.

While those numbers aren’t dreadful, they were far below expectations, and the club had paid a high price for his services. Ultimately, Soldado became a symbol of Tottenham’s failed transfer strategy in the post-Bale era, and his move remains one of the more disappointing transfers in the club’s modern history.

Just a few years later, Tottenham repeated a similar mistake with the signing of Vincent Janssen in the summer of 2016. The Dutch striker arrived from AZ Alkmaar for a fee of £18.6 million, and like Soldado, he came with a strong reputation.

Janssen had just scored 32 goals and provided seven assists in 49 games for AZ Alkmaar during the previous season, making him one of Europe’s most sought-after young strikers at the time. It seemed like another potentially great deal for Spurs.

But like Soldado, Janssen’s time at Tottenham was marked by failure. In his first season in North London, he looked completely out of place in the Premier League, managing just six goals and four assists in 38 appearances.

His inability to settle into English football meant he quickly fell out of favor with the coaching staff, and after an unimpressive first season, Janssen was loaned to Fenerbahçe in the following campaign. His time at Tottenham came to an end when he was sold to Mexican club Monterrey for just £6 million in 2019.

The cost of Janssen’s time at Spurs was staggering, especially considering the return on investment. Not only did the club spend £18.6 million on his transfer, but they also paid him £2.75 million in wages during his time at the club.

When factoring in his transfer fee and wages, Janssen cost Tottenham a total of £21.3 million. For a player who only made 42 appearances and contributed just six goals and four assists, this was a significant financial loss.

The financial breakdown of Janssen’s Tottenham career makes it clear just how costly this transfer was:

Janssen’s Spurs stint, much like Soldado’s, proved to be a cautionary tale about the risks of big-money signings that fail to live up to their billing. The Dutch forward never found his footing in the Premier League, and his lack of impact on the team combined with his high cost left a lasting mark on Tottenham’s financial records.

In conclusion, while Janssen may not be the absolute worst player to have worn a Tottenham shirt, his time at the club was certainly underwhelming. Given the money spent on his transfer and wages, combined with his minimal contributions on the pitch, Janssen’s time at Spurs can only be seen as a major disappointment.

The financial losses incurred due to his transfer further highlight the impact of poor recruitment decisions, as Janssen’s case stands as one of Tottenham’s most notable transfer flops.