Tottenham Hotspur may have put the first nail into the coffin of Rodrigo Bentancur's career at the club, after handing Lucas Bergvall a new long-term contract.
Spurs had a huge summer rebuild which saw 10 new players arrive at the club, including central midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for club-record fees. Conor Gallagher also arrived in January to overhaul the heart of the team, while the north London side allowed Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and Joao Palhinha to depart from their squad of last season.
There had been huge speculation during the summer window that Bergvall himself could be on the move, with reports that the Sweden international had asked to leave for more regular football.
Nottingham Forest had a bid worth £38m rejected, while Newcastle United also tabled a bid worth £46m for the youngster, but Spurs were adamant that they wanted him to stay, or they would receive at least £60m to let him leave.
Ultimately, a move never materialised, with Roberto De Zerbi holding talks with the player to convince him to stay put and fight for his place. Those talks have obviously had a huge effect on Bergvall, after Tottenham confirmed on Friday that the player has now put pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal.
Despite falling down the pecking order this season, having been relegated to a substitute role since being taken off at half-time in the opening game of the campaign, Bergvall has committed to his future to Spurs.
With £185m spent on Fernandes and Tonali, plus Gallagher being on mega £200,000-a-week wages and Archie Gray being part of the leadership group this season, it seems as though the Tottenham midfield has now been cemented for the next few seasons.
That leaves question marks over a player like Bentancur, who may now find himself on the outskirts too.
'Outstanding' Bentancur Facing Spurs Exit
Bentancur signed a new long-term deal at Spurs a year ago, with reports suggesting his deal now runs until 2029. But it seems like the club have now made the decision to move on without him going forward.
The Uruguay international has been described as 'very important' by De Zerbi, with journalist Alasdair Gold calling him 'outstanding' in the recent 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. But it's clear that Spurs are planning for life without him, and Bergvall's new deal means that could now be accelerated.
The 29-year-old will be phased out of the squad in the coming months, and with just one game per week for the majority of this season, don't be surprised to see a January move away emerge as a genuine option.