With the transfer window approaching, Tottenham are going to have to wave goodbye to some players, just as they welcome new arrivals. Spurs' business has already begun, with Ivan Perisic making the move to N17 on a two-year deal.
Many other players have been linked with a move to north London, with Antonio Conte needing upgrades in various positions. The Italian will hope this will help his side succeed in all competitions next season and help them cope with the new five substitution rule.
The incomings will hopefully help strengthen the 52-year-old's side, but this will require some outgoings too. Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil and Tanguy Ndombele will all return from their loans spells this summer, but all three could again make an exit.
READ MORE: Steven Bergwijn admits he wants to leave Tottenham this summer amid Ajax interest
One player who has already made his feelings clear on his Tottenham future is Steven Bergwijn. The Dutch international has struggled for regular game time this season, which hasn't been helped by Dejan Kulusevski's arrival in January.
Not only that, but Conte seems to opt for Lucas Moura as his first substitution, over Bergwijn. This meant the 24-year-old made 25 Premier League appearances last season, but started in just four of those games and he seems to have decided that enough is enough.
"Have I talked to [Ajax coach] Alfred Schreuder about my future? I'm at Oranje now and then we'll have a look. It would be nice if there was clarity soon. I just have to go play, but I want to leave Spurs now, that's for sure," he has admitted.
"I wasn't allowed to leave Spurs in the winter and then I didn't have any problems. The last few months I was hardly looked after there. Now I want to play somewhere weekly."
Bergwijn was linked with a move to Ajax during the January window and those links have been sparked again, ahead of the summer window. After his solid performance and goal for the Netherlands, against Belgium on Friday, manager Louis van Gaal questioned why he wasn't getting regular game time, in N17.
"You don't develop form at the Dutch national team, but at the club. Only not Bergwijn," the 70-year-old said. It wasn't long ago that Conte's comments suggested he felt sorry for the 24-year-old, as he wasn't able to give him the game time he feels he should be getting.
"For me, it's a bit difficult to keep him on the bench because Steven is maybe the player he should deserve more, but we have to try always a good balance. He is a striker, a fantastic striker, but in this position, there is Harry and then Sonny," the Italian admitted last month.
Bergwijn made the move to Tottenham when Jose Mourinho was in charge who admitted that, while the Dutchman has quality, he was not the manager's first choice. "Good player, good professional, good boy," the Portuguese manager explained.
"Initially – and I’m always very honest on this – he wasn’t my first option when we decided to make a movement in the winter. But in the end, a great decision. A player with a great future, can play on the right and the left.
"We’re more than happy, not just his age, but also his professional attitude. The way he trains, the way he lives. He’s the kind of kid that can only be better," Mourinho added.
The 59-year-old's initial instinct now seems to be ringing true, as Bergwijn's Tottenham chapter looks to be coming to an end. The winger has shown his quality for Spurs, even this season, despite his lack of game time.
The 24-year-old played a key part in the Lilywhites' 2-1 victory over West Ham in the Carabao Cup in December last year, scoring and registering an assist. Bergwijn's most notable moment of the season was his injury-time brace at the King Power Stadium earlier this year, securing his side three points against Leicester.
This indicated the impact the winger can have on a team. However, this is potentially even more of a reason for Bergwijn to close his Tottenham chapter.
Mourinho said he believed Bergwijn had a "great future" ahead of him, which he has shown glimpses of, but it doesn't seem as if he will reach his full potential at Spurs. The quality of Conte's regular front three make it difficult for the 24-year-old to get regular match minutes.
This not only is frustrating for any footballer, but even more so for a player who performs consistently well for his country with the World Cup approaching. Therefore the former Spurs head coach's admission may ring true and it only adds to the comments from Van Gaal, Conte and Bergwijn himself, as to why the Dutchman needs to move on, for the sake of his own career.
