Patience needed with Bergwijn as Tottenham continue to plan ahead

There's a reason why Premier League clubs are cautious when dipping their toes into the Eredivisie market. Many players have posted remarkable figures in the Dutch top-flight only to underwhelm, sometimes spectacularly, in England.

For every Luis Suarez there are multiple Afonso Alves' whose true quality is often masked by a league where goals, and in turn assists, are easier to come by. It's a platform and indeed a playground in which countless youngsters have flourished, so assessing value can be difficult.

Tottenham are the latest club to take the plunge, reaching an agreement believed to be in the region of 30m euros for the services of Netherlands international Steven Bergwijn. However, Spurs fans should know as well as any that expectations need to be tempered a little for any player making the move from Holland to England.

Their last recruit from the Eredivisie was Vincent Janssen after all, who after three desperately disappointing years at White Hart Lane made the move to Mexico, where he currently represents Monterrey.

Bergwijn is a very different player of course; a versatile winger who has even excelled in central midfield at times this season, but establishing his best position in Tottenham's current system will be important to any immediate impact.

His pace and power is generated from a stocky frame, meaning he isn't easy to outmuscle and can beat a man with relative ease but the youngster's touch is often a little loose. An average of 3.8 unsuccessful touches per game is enough to rank fourth in the Eredivisie.

However, his possession game in terms of passing is strong. He keeps the ball well, even in advanced areas, boasting an 87.7 per cent pass accuracy, and certainly has an eye for a decisive pass too.

In fact, only Dusan Tadic has created more chances for open play since the start of last season in the Eredivisie than Steven Bergwijn (104). However, the Serbian is another important case study to consider when assessing the Dutch top-flight as a whole.

There is no question that Tadic is a quality player, proving as much in the Champions League last season in particular, but the disparity between his end product in England and the Netherlands is huge. He posted some respectable numbers in the Premier League, not least in the 2015/16 campaign - scoring seven and assisting 12 goals - but since he returned to the Eredivisie with Ajax, Tadic has scored 36 goals and registered 27 assists in 54 league appearances.

By comparison Bergwijn has scored 19 goals and registered 22 assists from 49 league appearances in that time, which are still very impressive returns but require the context of the quality of opposition and defending that he will now face.

How those figures translate to the Premier League remains to be seen but in the meantime Tottenham's transfer of Bergwijn should be treated as an investment in the future more than a quick fix. His record in European club competitions, and indeed in international football, should serve as a reminder that the 22-year-old is yet to prove himself at the highest level.

The winger is yet to score and has just two assists in over 1000 minutes of action across the Champions and Europa League. He is still young and needs time and, pertinently, patience in order to justify his worth to this Tottenham team.

Bergwijn is certainly a player who can make an impression this season but, much like the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, it's unlikely to be plain sailing for the Dutchman. All three can play a prominent role in Tottenham's future but can't be expected to transform the team into one that will start to immediately bridge what is a rapidly increasing gap to the top of the league.

The fans should, however, be encouraged that the new faces coming into the squad are evidence that the club are still attempting to be forward thinking in the market. Competing with Liverpool or Manchester City is impossible in the short term so a long term approach is the correct one to take. Bergwijn is just the latest example that Tottenham are planning ahead.