Winger says he earned ‘excellent’ money at Spurs but it’s nothing compared to his new wage
Steven Bergwijn reveals that he is happy to move to join Saudi side Al-Ittihad, confessing that no one from Europe could afford Ajax’s asking price.
Bergwijn never quite made it at Spurs
Just a few years ago, it seemed like Bergwijn was on his way to stardom as he was playing regularly for Tottenham and had also become one of the mainstays in the Netherlands national side.
However, things have gone downhill for the winger quite quickly over the last couple of years after he first fell out of favour at Spurs under Antonio Conte.
The Dutchman attempted to revive his career by sealing a €31.25m (£27m) move to Ajax back in 2020 but he has flattered to deceive since his return to the Eredivisie and has now found himself moving to Saudi Arabia.
How much does Steven Bergwijn earn now?
According to reports, Al-Ittihad paid €21m (£17.7m) to sign the 26-year-old and the move has not gone down back in the Netherlands.
Ronald Koeman insisted that the transfer had nothing to do with sporting ambition and declared that Bergwijn would not be considered for selection for the Oranje (Daily Mail).
Spotrac claim that Bergwijn earned around £2.9 million per year at Tottenham, but his new wage in Saudi Arabia is a whopping £7.6 million per year (Telegraaf).
However, the former Tottenham man has now refuted suggestions that his only motivation behind the move was financial.
The winger told De Telegraaf: “The salary at Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax was also excellent. I have played in the Eredivisie, the Premier League, the Champions League, the Europa League and at European Championships and the World Cup. I am now looking forward to this adventure.
“I have seized this opportunity with both hands and I am simply very happy. Let us not forget that Ajax also wanted to receive another €21m for me.
“Then everyone can say that I should have gone to Spain, Germany or Italy, but who says that such a bid would even come from such a country? And it remained quiet from England as well. Nobody knows what happened behind the scenes. But don’t get me wrong. I fully support this choice.”
Bergwijn added (Fabrizio Romano): “Of course, I’ll improve gigantic financial wise, I won’t lie. But sportive wise, it’s also interesting. I will play with Benzema, Kanté, Fabinho, Diaby, Pereira… I am excited to become their teammate!”
Spurs Web Opinion
Footballers have a short career and one can understand the temptations of big money in Saudi Arabia. While it is not fair to criticise any footballer for making such a move, it is also ridiculous to pretend as if one’s motivation for the transfer was anything other than financial.
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