Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that striker Vincent Janssen wanted to leave over the summer.
Janssen had a torrid time at Spurs in his first season and with first-team opportunities looking slim, he pushed for a move and landed a season-long loan at Fenerbache.
He scored his first goal for his new club in a 4-1 win over Alanyaspor on Sunday.
Pochettino said that he was glad Janssen had scored and hinted that there might be a future for him at Tottenham.
Talking in the Evening Standard, he said: “I think it’s important for him [to score] because always all the players struggle in their first season in England.
“It was his decision, with the club’s decision, to send him on loan but we hope he starts to build his confidence and trust and scores goals.”
OPINION
Vincent Janssen is a striker who came to Tottenham on the back of a great goal-scoring record but found he just couldn’t produce in the Premier League. That’s a bit unfair, as with Harry Kane up top he didn’t get a sustained run in the first team. However, you know when you go to a club with an established striker that you will need to take whatever chances you get, and Janssen couldn’t produce under the pressure. On a season-long loan, Pochettino now has a year to weigh up whether he can come back and deliver the goods, or whether he needs to be shipped off in a permanent move.