Former Ajax coach John van 't Schip feels the jury is still out on whether Vincent Janssen moved to Tottenham Hotspur too soon, but he is sure the Spurs scouts and coaching staff must have seen the striker's qualities.
The Premier League side splashed out €20m to sign Janssen from AZ Alkmaar last summer, despite the striker having only just completed his first season of Eredivisie football after stepping up from Dutch football's second tier.
He was signed as a backup option to Harry Kane, but has struggled to make an impact when given the chance by boss Mauricio Pochettino and questions are increasingly being raised about whether he is ready for Premier League football.
It has also been suggested in some quarters than Janssen left the Netherlands for England too soon, but ex-Ajax coach Van 't Schip feels it is simply too soon to make that assessment.
"Perhaps the move was premature, you don't know", Van 't Schip said on De Tafel van Kees.
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"Vincent has in recent years always moved up and it is logical that a club like Tottenham came knocking.
"The people there [at Tottenham] have knowledge of football and saw his qualities – and he believed in himself.
"Now he struggles along with the expectations and pressure", the 53-year-old added.
So far this season Janssen has made 23 appearances for Spurs across all competitions, finding the back of the net on three occasions, with two of those strikes coming in the EFL Cup.
The striker has not been in Spurs' squads for their last two Premier League games, though he did clock up 60 minutes in the FA Cup against Aston Villa earlier this month.
