Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn could still leave the Premier League giants for Eredivisie champions Ajax on deadline day, Voetbal International reporter Valentijn Driessen believes.
When Bergwijn stepped off the bench to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead inside 80 scarcely believable stoppage time seconds at the King Power Stadium on January 19th, it felt like a turning point in the Dutchman’s Spurs career.
Whether it is indeed a sliding-doors moment – or merely another false dawn – remains to be seen.
One things for sure; We will have a clearer idea of what the future holds for Bergwijn in North London by the time the clock strikes midnight.
Antonio Conte, after that most dramatic of comeback victories in Leicester, suggested that the £27 million Dutchman was still part of his plans.
Not everyone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seems to on the same page however.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs would still be tempted to cash in so long as Ajax are willing to stump up £20 million for a player who rose through the ranks in Amsterdam before making his name at arch rivals PSV Eindhoven.
“There is no final line through it yet. I think (Ajax director) Marc Overmars and Daniel Levy will figure it out somehow,” says Driessen.
“(Tottenham) want 25 million euros and it is a one-time expenditure.”
Will Steven Bergwijn be a Tottenham player after deadline day?
Driessen does point out, however, that Bergwijn’s £70,000-a-week wages could still prove to be a major sticking point.
There is also the issue of whether the 24-year-old would be willing to move back to the Netherlands. Bergwijn appeared to outgrow a relatively small pond during his time at PSV after all.
“The problem may be more the personal requirements of Bergwijn,” Driessen adds.
“If he doesn’t want to go backwards, it will be a very difficult story for Ajax. And I don’t think they pay those salaries at Ajax.”
It is also worth pointing out that, in the last week alone, Tottenham missed out on Adama Traore to Barcelona and Luis Diaz to Liverpool.
Two players who, in theory, might have pushed Bergwijn down the pecking order and out the door.
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