PSV Eindhoven have had plenty of practice when it comes to replacing star players. When star man Memphis Depay was lured by the glitz and glamour of Manchester United in 2015, in came Gaston Pereiro. Out went Gini Wijnaldum, in came Davy Propper and Marco van Ginkel.
Out went Santiago Arias, in came Denzel Dumfries. Goodbye Angelino, hello Philipp Max.
So when Tottenham Hotspur came calling for Steven Bergwijn in January 2020, paying £27 million for one of the most exciting players in the Eredivisie, PSV supporters were disappointed but hardly despondent.
After all, they had another young winger ready and waiting to take Bergwijn’s place.
One who, in the eyes of some observers, has the potential to go even further than Tottenham’s number 23, arguably the most exciting forward to wear PSV colours since a still hirsute Arjen Robben.
Some think Tottenham target Cody Gakpo is better than Bergwijn
“I have been a big fan of Cody Gakpo for some time,” former Ajax ace Kenneth Perez said last year.
“He was always a bit in the shadow of Bergwijn at PSV but, actually, I have always found Gakpo better.
“He scores a lot more goals. From his last eight shots (on target), he has scored seven goals. He has power, speed and vision – and is technically skilled. I think he is a super interesting player.”
Bergwijn will celebrate his two-year anniversary as a Spurs player in early 2022. Well, ‘celebrate’ may not be the right word.
That memorable volley on his Premier League debut against Manchester City feels a long time ago, with the Dutchman scoring just once in his past 44 games, confidence draining away alongside his first-team opportunities.
So, with The Mirror (14 November, page 67) reporting Tottenham plan to raid PSV again with Gakpo in their sights, comparisons with his former Philips Stadium teammate are understandable.
Gakpo may have produced seven goals and eight assists in just 19 club games this season – his penchant for cutting in from the wing and firing laser-guided shots into the top corner reminiscent of Robben in his pomp – but it’s worth remembering Bergwijn was finding the net at a similar rate before he swapped Rotterdam for north London.
Tottenham fans will hope, then, that Kenneth Perez is a good judge of potential.
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