Scouting PSG Transfer Target Vincent Janssen

Due to the failure to qualify for the 2016 UEFA European Championship, Dutch players have had to find something else to occupy themselves this summer. Regularly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the AZ Alkmaar forward Vincent Janssen, via L’Equipe (h/t talkSPORT).

The London club have already made a bid that has been reportedly rejected by the Dutch side, something that has frustrated the striker.

"I've made my choice clear to the club," Janssen told AD (h/t ESPN FC) on Thursday.

"In my view, Tottenham Hotspur have made a big offer. There was an offer of about €18 million. But AZ doesn't even want to sit at the table.

"I would like to start pre-season somewhere else as soon as possible. This is frustrating."

Any further delay on Spurs' side could help PSG put together a bid that may be more appealing to AZ. For a striker that scored 27 goals in 34 games in the Eredivisie, the French giants could go higher, and they have a project that could convince the 22-year-old to ditch his dream of White Hart Lane and choose a move to Paris.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, via Le Parisien (h/t Goal.com), has already said that he has trust in Edinson Cavani to play as the club’s main No. 9 next season.

"He [Ibrahimovic] was a scorer, a great scorer. [But] Cavani is one of the best in the world. Watch his goals throughout his career. Cavani is one of the best in this position, why look elsewhere?”

That will need to be seen to be believed, and while it seems very likely that the Uruguayan will be part of Unai Emery’s strike force, there is definitely space, and a desperate need, for another striker.

As discussed previously in this column, PSG’s treatment of Cavani needs to be delicate. Signing someone like Janssen would do that perfectly, while still challenging for a starting spot. The Dutch forward is still very young, so the expectation to start every game won’t be a problem.

He is also coming from the Eredivisie, with Ligue 1 being a step up. That isn’t the case for a number of leagues around Europe, and the player will feel that he is making a progressive step forward.

Plus, he hasn’t made that step up at European level, so PSG would be the perfect next move. There will be doubts over the move, due to this lack of experience, but rather than spending over €50 million on a forward, this is the type of move the club should be making. In a similar vein to when they signed Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi.

Peter McVitie, writing for The Libero (h/t The Set Pieces) wrote an exceptional profile on the young striker and was glowing in the attributes he would bring to any club.

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Sharp, lethal, full of energy and displaying intelligent movement, the striker’s rapid development over the course of the campaign was integral to AZ’s recovery from being in the bottom half of the table at the turn of the year, to eventually claiming a third-place finish. “He is getting better, more complete and will always score more,” said AZ coach John van den Brom. “He’s become stronger, has gained much more control in the penalty area and is much calmer. He’s become almost invaluable to us.

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Looking at how Unai Emery set his Sevilla side up last season, PSG need strikers that can play in a similar way to Kevin Gameiro. The Frenchman scored 25 goals in all competitions last season, including 16 in 22 starts in La Liga. Feeding off crosses from the wings, Gameiro came alive inside the box.

According to Squawka, Janssen scored all of his 27 goals last season from inside the penalty area. Truly able to finish with both feet, he scored 15 with his left, 10 with his right and two with his head. Overall he had 114 shots on goal. Fifty-one may have finished off target, but he converted 23.7 percent of the shots on target into goals.

Not to label him as just a finisher, he added four assists, the same as Gameiro at Sevilla, but he also contributed 52 key passes over the course of the season.

He may be an unknown to the majority of PSG supporters, but most of that is due to his incredible rise up the ranks of Dutch football.

The Dutchman was released by Feyenoord when he was part of their youth system. However, it’s a decision Janssen understood at the time.

"I saw that coming," he said, per NOS (via ESPN). "I didn't have my best years at the Feyenoord youth academy.

"You should have a big mouth, and I had a problem with that in the beginning. It was a transition -- a different culture, a different environment. I needed two years to adapt."

He then moved the Almere City in the second division and played beside Fred Grim, a goalkeeper who is now part of the Netherlands youth coaching setup and he was full of praise for the young striker.

"Janssen has all the right skills for centre-forward," Grim said. "He keeps the ball well with his back to the goal. He knows how to position himself. He is quick and makes the right movements. He works hard without the ball and puts a lot of pressure on the defenders.”

“Importantly, he is two-footed, which makes his moves in the penalty area difficult to predict -- he can go right, and he can go left. A lot of strikers can only shoot with one foot, and they are much easier to mark.”

Janssen scored 19 goals in 34 games for Almere City in the Eerste Divisie. He wasn’t expected to blossom as quickly as he did for AZ Alkmaar. Brought as Aron Johannsson left to Werder Bremen, his performances and ability won over John van den Brom and the rest is history.

On May 11, 2015, Janssen scored his last goals for Almere, playing at home against De Graafschap. Just 10 months later, the 22-year-old made his international debut for Netherlands against France, then he scored a penalty as his country beat England 2-1 at Wembley.

It's an incredible rise and shows a player that has made the jump up to every level he has played at. Which makes it unrealistic to suggest that he wouldn’t be able to do that again at the Parc des Princes.

“He just keeps adjusting to a higher level. I’m wondering where it ends, if this continues,” stated Netherlands boss Danny Blind, via football-oranje.com, to the press after Janssen's telling contribution.

If the move to Spurs continues to stall, PSG should do everything in their power to lure Janssen to Ligue 1 next season. He could become a wonderful player for the champions and Unai Emery.

If his rise and development continues as it has over the past two years, there is a chance that PSG could pick up a potential superstar for a relatively low fee in the current transfer market.