The Telegraph have claimed that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on Dutch forward Vincent Janssen this season.
According to the broadsheet, the Gunners have been regularly scouting the striker—who features for AZ Alkmaar—during his Eredivisie season, the attacker’s maiden foray in the Dutch top flight.
Indeed, they are likely to be impressed with what they’ve seen, with the youngster bagging 26 goals, earning a spot in the Netherlands national side, and impressing with his power and poise during a truly astounding campaign.
It hasn’t been enough to take AZ to the title—they currently sit behind Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord in the standings—but it’s taken Janssen to the pinnacle of the division’s scoring charts, where he sits with two more strikes than second-placed Luuk de Jong of PSV.
News of Arsenal’s interest in Janssen was originally reported by CaughtOffside.com last month.
While forwards have occasionally struggled to impress in the EPL after leaving Holland—think Mateja Kezman or Alfonso Alves—Janssen has demonstrated enough to suggest that he’s worth a gamble by Arsene Wenger.
At 21, Janssen looks well worth the gamble. He has also demonstrated an ability to score a series of diverse efforts this term, including a headed winner against Roda, a delicious curling effort against Feyenoord and a breathtaking lobbed effort against Vitesse Arnhem.