Tottenham have agreed to sell out-of-favour Dutchman

Tottenham have rejected Ajax’s first offer, reportedly for about £18 million, for Steven Bergwijn, though there’s mounting evidence the Dutch side are adamant of getting the deal done. 

There is now more concrete evidence that Tottenham’s Steven Bergwijn will be sold in January, with frontrunners Ajax already submitting an offer.

Transfer guru Fabizio Romano tweeted late yesterday about the breaking news. The writing has been on the wall for some time now. Bergwijn has failed to earn a spot in Antonio Conte’s future plans in north London.

It will be an amicable split, as Bergwjin is also keen on a move away from north London. Ajax is intent on acquiring the 24 year old’s services, but Spurs have yet to respond to their initial offer. The financials of Ajax’s offer have not been disclosed, but Transfermarkt has Bergwijn’s worth at about £15 million.

I’m sure you recall the hype when Spurs bought Bergwijn in early 2020 for £25 million. Spurs will be lucky to receive the full £15 million market value for the out-of-sorts Dutchman. His value decreased like a new car, and Spurs will invariably lose at least £10 million in the two years since purchasing the then-up-and-coming youngster.

He was touted highly as a proven finisher, someone who would buoy immediately Tottenham’s offensive clout. And he enjoyed a dream debut against Manchester City, scoring a wonder goal in front of a raucous home support.

There was feverish anticipation for what was to come, but Bergwijn never again reached the heights of that fairytale opening night. Since scoring in his debut against City, Bergwijn has scored just four goals in 63 appearances. In 43 Premier League appearances, Bergwijn bagged a measly four goals, a tragic return for somebody who was expected to offer a consistent, tangible offensive return.

He is one of at least six players on Conte’s hit list, and could be the first in January to depart Hotspur Way. Tottenham are open to offers, so it will be interesting to see if any other club betters Ajax’s initial offer. Bergwijn’s preference is to return to his homeland, but Tottenham will let the money do the talking and won’t be too swayed by the player’s personal preference.

Another failure to launch, Spurs will be entirely unfulfilled, even miffed, by Bergwijn’s rocky time in the capital. Talk about a sunk cost, an absolutely horrendous return on investment Daniel Levy won’t want to address during his meeting with Joe Lewis in the Bahamas.