De Zerbi Wants Lucas Bergvall to Stay at Tottenham Despite Transfer Speculation

Posted : 30 July 2026

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has reaffirmed his desire to keep Lucas Bergvall at the club, despite growing speculation linking the Swedish midfielder with moves to Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. However, the Italian coach made it clear that he cannot promise the 20-year-old a place in the starting lineup.

Bergvall's future has come under increasing scrutiny following Tottenham's major midfield additions this summer, including club-record signing Matheus Fernandes and the arrival of Sandro Tonali. Reports have suggested the Sweden international is considering a move in search of more regular first-team football.

Speaking after Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Sydney FC, De Zerbi insisted Bergvall had not personally informed him of any desire to leave. The midfielder started the match as Spurs drew 1-1 before defeating the Australian side 4-2 in a penalty shootout.

The Tottenham boss described Bergvall as a player with outstanding potential and said he would be delighted if the youngster remained in north London. At the same time, De Zerbi stressed that no footballer can expect guaranteed minutes, regardless of reputation or ability, adding that competition for places is essential at a club of Tottenham's stature.

French forward Mathys Tel gave Spurs the lead with an impressive free-kick before Sydney FC equalised through new signing Takahiro Sekine. The result followed Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Auckland FC as preparations continue for their Premier League opener against Brentford on August 22.

De Zerbi expressed satisfaction with his team's overall display, particularly during the first half, and praised the contributions of several younger players despite making numerous substitutions after the break.

New signing Sandro Tonali made his first appearance of the pre-season tour after recovering from a minor injury, while Andy Robertson featured for the first time with a brief cameo. Fernandes, however, was rested because of calf fatigue, with De Zerbi revealing the club opted against taking unnecessary risks. The Italian suggested the midfielder could also miss Tottenham's final tour fixture against Chelsea.

Several other senior players, including James Maddison, Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke and Dominic Solanke, were unavailable. De Zerbi explained that the medical staff are carefully managing workloads to ensure players return only when fully fit, with some expected to feature against Chelsea if they continue progressing in training.

De Zerbi Wants Lucas Bergvall to Stay at Tottenham Despite Transfer Speculation

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