Why PSV’s Steven Bergwijn could be an ideal replacement for Erik Lamela

Tottenham Hotspur is fighting with Arsenal and Liverpool over a possible move for PSV’s young starlet Steven Bergwijn. The 20-year-old broke through into the first-team in the Netherlands two seasons ago and has performed exceptionally well to attract interests in England.

Bergwijn is a flexible player who can fit into any system or frontline according to the need of the team. For that reason, Spurs are looking at him to possibly replace Erik Lamela. The Dutchman can set the Premier League stage alight if given an opportunity and be a perfect replacement for an injury-prone Lamela.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will probably need a forward player to cover for the possible loss of Heung-Min Son as well. In Bergwijn, he will get a diminutive pocket rocket capable of tremendous things on a football pitch.

Below, we analyse his attributes and stats to conclude why he can perform well at Tottenham:

Player Analysis – Steven Bergwijn

The first and basic thing an attacking midfielder should do after losing possession is ball recovery and Bergwijn has that in abundance. This makes him a much better player than what he already is.

He can stay higher up the pitch behind a striker to press the opposition and become an outlet for midfield ball-movers. The 20-year-old dribbles past people in tight situations to open up space for a through ball or a shot on goal. He has a take-on rate of 2.3 per game and supplies key passes at a higher average of 1.8 per appearance.

Furthermore, he is lethal in front of goal when needed, netting 8 goals and fabricating 52 chances (7 assists), which depicts his quality of being a perfect forward player to support the striker.

Verdict

Pochettino loves to take young talents and groom them into world-beaters, so acquiring an already talented player like Bergwijn and installing him in his squad won’t be a big problem. The likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli will love a pacy player around them, who can make runs behind and also be a good ball carrier.

It will also be a golden opportunity for the Dutchman to come to an international league like the English top-flight and perform well. It will enhance his footballing reputation and he can seek to become a key part of the Spurs’ future.

Stats Courtesy – Squawka.com