Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are going to have a decision to make in the coming weeks over what exactly they do following Steven Bergwijn's Tottenham exit. Following a lack of playing time over the past 18 months, the Dutchman bid farewell to north London on Friday after completing a £27.8million move to Ajax.
Tipped to return to the club he represented at youth level back in January, the 25-year-old instead remained at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but his game time didn't improve as he continued to play a bit-part role. Now that he has sealed his return to the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Bergwijn has admitted that the transfer process first started 18 months ago as the Dutch giants looked to get their man.
"It took a while, it was a lot of back and forth but here we are," he said in an interview with Ajax's official website. "It started about a year and a half ago. At a certain point, I started 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."
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On their first move to sign him, he added: "I was a bit shocked. I didn't see it coming, actually. But yeah I was getting left out of the team there and of course, you just want to play. So if you can go back to Ajax it's quite tempting. They always do well in the league and the Champions League. So, it's a step up for me."
It has been a case of one in, one out in Tottenham's attack this summer with Richarlison signing from Everton in a deal worth £60m including add-ons. Tending to operate from the left flank just like Bergwijn, the Brazilian also gives Spurs cover through the middle as he led the line for the Toffees numerous times.
Conte has previously admitted that he does like to have two players for every position, thus raising questions over whether he will look to bring in another option in attack to compete alongside Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Moura and Richarlison. Tottenham's hectic schedule means the head coach will have to rotate his team with Champions League football on the agenda but game time could still be limited for some.
Bryan Gil is back with his Tottenham teammates after his Valencia loan spell and he will be looking to make his case to Conte over pre-season. The Spaniard may well be Tottenham's sixth attacking option going into the next campaign, although another loan move could be on the cards if the head coach doesn't believe he is ready to be part of his grand Spurs plans.
Tottenham do have another forward option to choose from in Ivan Perisic, with the new signing having experience of playing in an attacking role on either flank as well as his current left wing-back berth. Seen as the man to come in and solve Spurs' struggles at wing-back due to the excellent numbers he posted at Inter Milan, Conte may consider him as another attacking option and that could possibly impact their plans in the final third.
If indeed he sees him as an extra player to operate in his front three then that would give him options in Son, Richarlison and Perisic on the left, with the incoming duo also capable of playing in Kulusevski and Lucas' position on the right.
Speaking about the arrival of Richarlison, Conte may have hinted at his preferred position for the Brazilian as he did label him as a "striker" when discussing his transfer and what exactly he can bring to Spurs.
"We know very well his talent. We're talking about a striker that can play in every three positions in front. I like him," he admitted in an interview with SpursTV.
"He's strong mentally. It's not easy to play against him because in every...during the game, he's always very strong. We need this type of player with great character. Strong physically but at the same time with good quality."
Conte does have choice when it comes to his attack next season but both he and Paratici must decide if they require another forward following Bergwijn's exit. Quite what he has in mind for Perisic and Richarlison could determine if it is another left-winger or an out-and-out striker who they move for if there is a belief that they require one final attacking outlet to boost an already fearsome frontline.
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