Tottenham Hotspur have endured countless transfer gaffes in their never-ending search for silverware.
Daniel Levy is renowned across the football community as a shrewd operator, however, when he has loosened the purse strings, it has often come at the club's detriment.
Very few of their record signings can be viewed as a roaring success, and more often than not these acquisitions have bled the club dry before leaving for almost nothing.
They were expected to come in and increase the level of those around them, whilst hopefully instigating a mentality shift in this part of north London too.
However, arguably having regressed in recent years since Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, this has proven to be a failure.
One such deal that came after the Argentine had departed was to lure Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for £27m. His statistics were impressive upon joining, but he fell flat as so many coming from that league often do.
How much did Steven Bergwijn cost Tottenham Hotspur?
Boasting 26 goal contributions in his final league season in his homeland, the 25-year-old was welcomed alongside his wicked reputation as an exciting wide man to add goals and assists.
His debut would show a mere glimpse of that, as he helped the Lilywhites topple Manchester City with a fearsome volley. Unfortunately, it would not mark a sign of things to come.
In the subsequent 83 appearances the Dutchman earned at the club, he would score just eight times and assist a further ten.
Journalist Phil Casey, although somewhat sceptical of the title himself, had made public the fact that the £75k-per-week speedster was being “portrayed as a useless makeweight” during the commencement of his first full season.
When combining his earnings from this aforementioned wage with the initial sum paid, it paints a true picture of how much the disappointing flop cost Levy.
When considering his three-year wages, Bergwijn’s price ultimately rose to £38.7m before eventually signing for Ajax, tail between his legs after a failed spell in England.
With 13 goals and six assists this season for last season’s Dutch champions, it is clear that the problem was twofold: the £21m-rated maestro both could not keep up with the physical demands of the Premier League, but also was at a club struggling to recapture its identity under the polarising regime of Mourinho.
Whilst they recouped a significant fee of £26.4m in selling the trickster, it still marked a miserable piece of business in which Spurs were essentially bailed out. Bergwijn rinsed the club during his stint, that much will always remain true.