While it is still early days in Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur tenure, it looks as if the 58-year-old could well be the man to bring some stability to the north Londoners, following years of turbulence after the departure of Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019.
Prior to the appointment of Postecoglou back in June, the Lilywhites had chopped and changed frequently after hiring the likes of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, having also handed the reins to both Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason for brief periods last term.
That inability to settle on a permanent presence in the dugout was likely a factor in the club's on-field woes, with those at N17 still waiting to see an end to their lengthy barren run without silverware – 15 years on from their Carling Cup success back in 2008.
Such an unsettled period was also potentially a factor in the Premier League outfit struggling to get the best out of a number of their marquee signings, with club-record capture Tanguy Ndombele only recently sealing what is now a third successive loan move away from the club, for instance.
That was also seemingly the case with regard to the acquisition of Dutch forward, Steven Bergwijn, with Tottenham having potentially suffered a blunder with regard to their failure to give the winger a true chance to impress, amid his impressive rise since departing last year.
How much did Tottenham pay for Steven Bergwijn?
The Amsterdam native was snapped up by Daniel Levy and co in order to help supplement the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in the attacking ranks, with the 5 foot 10 gem having previously sparkled during his time at former club PSV Eindhoven.
Lauded as a "legend" for the Eredivisie side by football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, Bergwijn had contributed 31 goals and 41 assists in 149 games in all competitions during his time in Holland, ensuring that he was making his "big move at the right moment" – in the words of Kulig.
In what was Mourinho's first window at the helm, the wideman was snapped up in January 2020 for a reported fee of around £27m, ultimately proving one of ten additions that the former Chelsea boss would make during his time at the club:
Giovani Lo Celso (£28m)
Steven Bergwijn (£27m)
Sergio Reguilon (£26.4m)
Matt Doherty (£12m)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£12m)
Gedson Fernandes (loan)
Carlos Vinicius (loan)
Joe Hart (free transfer)
Gareth Bale (loan)
Joe Rodon (£10m)
All transfer fees via football.london
As Mourinho himself subsequently admitted later that year, the move for the player had actually been a decision of the club rather than his own choice, albeit with the Portuguese tactician seemingly delighted by the signing of the emerging talent:
"Good player, good professional, good boy. Congratulations to my club, the way they did it.
"Initially – and I’m always very honest on this – he wasn’t my first option when we decided to make a movement in the winter. But in the end, a great decision. A player with a great future, can play on the right and the left."
In truth, Bergwijn's start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium couldn't have gone much better as he netted a stunning strike on debut to help clinch a memorable 2-0 victory over Manchester City, although that was a notable high in an otherwise frustrating spell in English football.
How much did Tottenham sell Bergwijn for?
The versatile attacker – who could play through the middle or on the flanks – ultimately ended that 2019/20 campaign with three goals to his name from just 14 Premier League appearances, with that marking a solid, albeit unspectacular return from the January arrival.
The hope at the time was likely that he would be able to kick on with a full pre-season under his belt, although the subsequent season was not one to remember, with Bergwijn scoring just once and registering only four assists in 21 top-flight games – amid an injury-disrupted campaign.
Life under both Santo and Conte was not much better for the 29-cap Netherlands international in 2021/22 as he was regularly utilised as an impact player off the bench, with only four of his 25 league appearances coming from the start.
To have still scored three goals despite that lack of starting berths is a solid record, however, with the fleet-footed speedster memorably netting twice in stoppage-time in the remarkable 3-2 win over Leicester City in January 2022.
That led to an inclusion from the off for the subsequent defeat to Chelsea, although that 2-0 loss proved to be his final start of the season in the top-flight, with Conte favouring new man Dejan Kulusevski as part of the attacking triumvirate.
With then-national team boss Louis van Gaal publicly stating his desire for Bergwijn to depart last summer, the Tottenham outcast was able to seal a return to his homeland after joining Ajax on a £26m deal – ending a period in which he was arguably "unlucky at Spurs", according to pundit Paul Robinson.
What is Bergwijn worth now?
Hailed as a "top player" by Robinson amid his impending exit to the Johan Cruyff Arena, the 25-year-old has since gone on to prove the doubters wrong over the past 12 months or so, having scored 18 goals and registered seven assists in just 49 games for his current side.
That record is far more impressive than what Tottenham's £60m addition, Richarlison, has achieved since signing from Everton last year, with the Brazilian scoring just four times and contributing only four assists in 40 outings to date.
Equally, the difference in quality between the pair is showcased by the fact that Bergwijn averages an impressive 5.22 progressive passes and 5.13 progressive passes per 90 as a marker of his direct and creative threat, with the current Tottenham man, by contrast, averaging just 2.40 for those same two metrics, respectively, as per FBref.
Those woes have ensured that the former Toffees talisman is now believed to be worth just €40m (£34m), according to CIES Football Observatory, with that representing a notable decline on what the club paid for him back in the summer of 2022.
In the case of Bergwijn, by contrast, the resurgent gem is now valued at €50m (£43m) following his improved displays at Ajax, with that a sign that he could potentially have been a player who would've thrived under Postecoglou's tutelage.
There may be those who would argue that the Dutchman had more than enough chances to impress, although with just 25 of his 60 Premier League outings having come from the start, was he truly given a fair crack of the whip?
