Pontus Jansson may be 32 years of age. He may have missed much of Brentford’s Premier League campaign with injury. But, when an opportunity as good as this arose, Malmo were never going to miss it.
The Brentford skipper confirmed on Friday lunchtime that he will be returning to the Swedish Allsvenskan after nine years ago. Jansson’s career is coming full circle. A man who started his footballing life at Malmo over a decade ago potentially ending it at the Eleda Stadium too.
“I will not come home for anything other than to win. I can guarantee that,” an emotional Jansson tells the Malmo website.
“During my years abroad, I always thought that this day would come, when I would once again be ready for Malmo FF. Now that it’s here, there’s no one happier than me.”
This, as far as one of Scandinavia’s biggest clubs are concerned, is quite the coup. Jansson, capped nearly 30 times by Sweden, is still a centre-half capable of holding his own in the English Premier League when fully fit, after all.
Malmo finished a distant seventh place in 2022. But, in Jansson, they are signing a player who’s experience, leadership and enduring quality could spark a title charge again.
“Pontus Jansson is a very special, elite soccer player. Not only at club level but also internationally,” sporting director Daniel Andersson adds.
“Bringing home a player who just a few weeks ago scored a goal in the Premier League and who has carried an intense passion for Malmö FF for most of his life, is of course extremely special.”
This is a transfer which will send a ripples throughout Swedish football. A statement signing from a club desperate to bounce back from a disastrous campaign. But with one 30-something, injury-prone centre-half arriving in the shape of Jansson, it’s difficult to see Malmo bringing in another.
Filip Helander’s future uncertain
Filip Helander is set to leave Rangers when his contract expires in July.
Andersson indicated back in May that Malmo may consider a reunion with another of their prodigal sons. But, while Jansson is only one part of their rebuild, a club with Malmo’s limited resources seem highly unlikely to bring in two high-earning central defenders with no real prospect of re-sale value.
“We have had little contact during these years. We’ll see how the situation is. He is still quite young,” Andersson tells Fotbolskanalen of Helander, who hasn’t kicked a ball this season due to his own fitness issues.
“We’ll see. We keep in touch with all the old Malmo players.”
Unfortunately for Helander, it seems Andersson was more interested in renewing acquaintances with Jansson instead.
