De Zerbi wants Lucas Bergvall to stay at Tottenham despite no starting guarantees

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear he wants Lucas Bergvall to remain at the club, but insists he cannot promise the highly-rated midfielder a regular place in the starting XI.

The 20-year-old Sweden international, who featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been heavily linked with a move away from North London amid reported interest from Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

Speculation over Bergvall’s future has intensified following Tottenham’s summer recruitment, with club-record signing Matheus Fernandes arriving from West Ham United, while Sandro Tonali also joined from Newcastle United, adding further competition in midfield.

Despite the transfer rumours, De Zerbi dismissed suggestions that Bergvall had informed him of any desire to leave after handing the youngster a start in Wednesday’s pre-season friendly against Sydney FC.

Tottenham went on to win the contest on penalties after the match finished 1-1 in normal time.

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi reaffirmed his admiration for Bergvall but stressed that no player is guaranteed a starting role.

“I’m always very clear with him and with you. I would like him to stay with us,” De Zerbi said.

“I think he’s potentially a top, top player. But I don’t want to convince anyone to stay.

“Tottenham is already a top club, and we don’t have to convince anyone to remain here.

“I can’t guarantee a place in the first XI to any player in the world.”

Mathys Tel gave Spurs the lead before half-time with a superb free-kick, but Sydney FC responded after the break through new Japanese signing Takahiro Sekine, forcing the match into a penalty shootout, where Tottenham emerged victorious.

The result followed Sunday’s 2-0 win over Auckland FC as Spurs continued their preparations for the new Premier League season, which begins against Brentford on August 22.

De Zerbi was pleased with his side’s overall performance, particularly during the opening 45 minutes.

“I think we played well, especially in the first half,” he said.

“In the second half we changed many players, but the quality remained good. We are working very well, especially with the younger players.”

New signing Sandro Tonali, who missed Tottenham’s opening tour match with a minor injury concern, completed the entire second half, while fellow summer arrival Andy Robertson made his unofficial debut with a 25-minute appearance.

However, Matheus Fernandes was unavailable, with De Zerbi revealing the midfielder was rested as a precaution due to calf fatigue.

“It’s just fatigue in the calf. We decided not to take any risks,” the Italian explained, adding that Fernandes is also unlikely to feature in Saturday’s tour clash against Chelsea.

Several senior players also remained sidelined, including James Maddison, Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Dominic Solanke.

De Zerbi suggested some of the injured players could return against Chelsea but insisted the club would continue to prioritise their fitness.

“Danso, Van de Ven, Solanke and Jan Paul van Hecke weren’t ready to play without risk,” he said.

“Maybe some of them can feature on Saturday, perhaps not from the beginning. We have to manage the players carefully because I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”