‘Such an asset’ – Alan Hutton urges Conte to hang on to linked-away Spurs star 

Alan Hutton has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur might be making a mistake by letting Steven Bergwijn leave the club in January.

Bergwijn did not start a single match in the first month and a half of Antonio Conte’s reign at Spurs and it was reported at the time that the Spurs head coach’s relationship with the Dutchman was strained and that the wide man was expected to leave in January.

However, the 24-year-old was handed a start in Tottenham’s League Cup quarter-final against West Ham last week and the winger certain took his opportunity, getting a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win.

Conte praised Bergiwjn’s display against the Hammers but that performance has not put an end to the speculation linking the wide-man with a move away from the North London club.

Fabrizio Romano told Skrill this week that the former PSV Eindhoven man could be one of the players to exit Spurs during the January window.

Hutton believes that Bergwijn still has a lot to offer Spurs and that he could be an asset to the squad.

The former Tottenham right-back told Football Insider regarding the winger: “I would like to see him stay.

“I watched the West Ham game and I thought he played really well. Conte said he is back up to Harry Kane. I don’t see him as a striker.

“I see him as one of those two other forward-thinking possessions. He could play on either side.

“If he can get a run of games, keep his fitness levels high, work hard in training, I don’t see why they would want to let such an asset go.

“That is unless Antonio Conte just really doesn’t see him fitting in for whatever reason. We’re not privy to what goes on daily.

“I know he likes his players working 110 per cent every single day. Whether he’s doing that or not, we don’t know.

“But I think on his day, he’s an excellent player who can give you a lot going forward. So that’s why I would want to keep him in the squad.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Even if Tottenham sign another forward/winger this month, I do not expect the club to cash in on Bergwijn. Conte will probably want to keep the Dutchman around as a squad option, given the club’s congested fixture list over the next couple of months.

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