Steven Bergwijn has revealed Ajax started the process of sealing a transfer for the Dutchman from Tottenham around 18 months ago.
The 25-year-old’s short and tricky spell at Spurs came to an end last week when the Eredivisie side confirmed his permanent signing on a five-year deal (The Athletic).
Ajax attempted to sign their former youth player during the January transfer window (Fabrizio Romano) but were unable to complete a deal which kept Bergwijn in the Premier League for the rest of last term.
And now returning to his homeland for a fresh start, Bergwijn has now revealed he almost secured a switch to Ajax around 18 months ago when they first started knocking at his door.
He told the official Ajax website: “It took a while, it was a lot of back and forth but here we are.
“It started about a year and a half ago. At a certain point, I started to playing a bit less at Tottenham, then Ajax came knocking a few times. It almost happened then but, one way or another, it didn’t work out then. Now, it has finally happened.”
Bergwijn’s exit from Tottenham sees him leave after a difficult campaign where he failed to land a consistent starting role in Antonio Conte’s side.
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Signed from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020, the Netherlands international tallied just eight goals and 10 assists in 83 appearances in North London (Transfermarkt).
Spurs Web Opinion
Ajax’s interest in Bergwijn has been pretty clear over the last year and it comes as no surprise that it stems back as far as 18 months.
It was a tough spell for him at Spurs despite him showing some really promising moments, but the move back to the Netherlands is really the best for both parties.
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