Netherlands drop former Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn over Saudi Arabia move

Dutchman frozen out of international scene by Ronald Koeman after lucrative transfer from Ajax to Al-Ittihad

Steven Bergwijn has been dropped from the Netherlands national team and will no longer be considered for selection because of his transfer to Saudi Arabia.
Ronald Koeman, the Dutch head coach, said “the book is basically closed” for Bergwijn after he moved from Ajax to Al-Ittihad for around £18 million on Monday.
The 26-year-old, a former Tottenham Hotspur player, has been a regular for his country in recent years and has earned 35 caps, but now seemingly has no future on the international stage.
“The book is basically closed to him,” said Koeman, the former Ajax, PSV and Barcelona player. “He knows what I think about this.
“When you are 26, your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are choices that players make.
“I have never been in that situation, because I could go to Barcelona. He could have stayed at Ajax. That’s not bad, is it? You have to respect that choice, but personally I wouldn’t [have moved to Saudi Arabia].”
Koeman added that it was unlikely that former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who now plays for Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, will be selected again.
Wijnaldum was part of the Euro 2024 squad, however, despite moving to Saudi Arabia in September last year.
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has committed his international future until the 2026 World Cup at least, after having face-to-face talks with Koeman.
“I thought it was so important to go to him to see and feel with him: are you going to give it your all for another two years at the highest level and do you still see a future for yourself? And he does. And I do the same with him. All doubt is gone, he just goes on,” said Koeman.
“He admitted he did not reach the level you would expect from him as a player at the European Championship. As captain, I think he did a great job. But perhaps as a result, he put too much energy into others rather than into himself.”