There is not yet a vacancy to be filled in the heart of Nottingham Forest’s midfield but Lucas Bergvall is the latest candidate to emerge as a potential Elliot Anderson replacement.
With Manchester City not giving up in their pursuit of Anderson’s signature, the Reds must plan for what comes next. If, as expected, the England international leaves for the Etihad Stadium this summer he would leave a significant void at the City Ground.
Forest looked at a number of midfielders in January, trying their luck for Celtic’s Arne Engels and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi to no avail. Both players have continued to be linked with moves Trentside but new targets have also emerged.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Bergvall is the latest name said to be on the Reds’ list. And there could be the perfect opportunity to snap him up…
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Bergvall’s stance
The 20-year-old is currently on duty with Sweden at the World Cup but has reportedly told Spurs of his wish to leave this summer. Having played a total of just 112 minutes since Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival as manager, he is said to have concerns over how much game time he is likely to get next season.
Tottenham are looking to strengthen in midfield amid suggestions De Zerbi wants more experience in there. It has led to reports Bergvall, who is under contract until 2031, is keen for a fresh start.
Bergvall joined Spurs from Swedish side Djurgarden in 2024 and has made 78 appearances since then. He was crowned the club’s player of the year after his first season, when he played a key role under then manager Ange Postecoglou.
Forest’s interest
Bergvall’s camp are said to have held talks with the Reds, although discussions are said to be at an early stage. TEAMtalk suggest Forest view the youngster as an “excellent option” for the here and now, as well as a player for the future.
They are not the only ones keeping tabs on the Swede, however. Aston Villa and Chelsea had their eye on him in January but Tottenham were not willing to consider a sale at that time.
Villa reportedly remain admirers although would need to sell one of their midfielders before considering strengthening in that department. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli have also been linked with Bergvall amid talk of a price tag in the region of £45-50 million being placed on his head.
If Forest’s interest progresses, it will be interesting to see how negotiations with Spurs go after last summer’s Morgan Gibbs-White transfer saga. Twelve months ago it looked as though the Reds playmaker was heading south only for him to end up signing a new deal Trentside.
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Anderson comparison
Finding someone capable of filling the boots of Anderson is a daunting prospect. The 23-year-old won the most duels (297), won possession the most times overall (306) and had the most touches of the ball (3,300) throughout the Premier League in 2025/26.
Last term, Anderson notched four goals and four assists in the 3,334 minutes he played in the league. Bergvall scored once and registered three assists from 966 minutes played.
Going forward, Anderson had eight goal involvements to Bergvall’s four and put in 74 crosses to the Spurs man’s 20. The Reds ace had twice as many touches in the opposition box (62) as his younger counterpart (30).
Anderson registered nine shots from inside the box to Bergvall’s four and 15 efforts from outside the box to the Swede’s one. The Forest midfielder played more minutes, of course, and the numbers illustrate just how difficult he is to replace.
Anderson made 2,383 passes and played nine through-balls to Bergvall’s 305 and three. In terms of duels won, the Reds ace came out on top by 297 to 49 while he also made more tackles (104 to 22), more interceptions (41 to two) and more blocks (16 to two).
Even if he didn’t play as much as he might have liked last season, Bergvall nevertheless has a degree of Premier League experience under his belt. He wouldn’t require a significant adjustment period in that sense.
Fitting in at Forest
Naturally, running the stats doesn’t tell the whole story. Anderson played more minutes than Bergvall last season and is three years older than the Spurs youngster.
Few midfielders will be able to top the England star’s numbers from last term because he was that good. But it should be noted how he has benefitted from the regular football on offer Trentside; Forest have played a key role in his development - something to bear in mind when considering Bergvall.
The Tottenham man still has plenty of room to grow. He is not the finished article but he is considered a bright prospect.
Much like a number of the Reds’ younger players, Bergvall had to contend with a merry-go-round of managers last term. FootballLondon’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold describes him as someone “still so young and precocious” and “someone who needs to feel loved”.
Forest head coach Vitor Pereira’s man-management skills could come into play there. He was able to put an arm around the likes of Dilane Bakwa, whose confidence had looked shot before the Portuguese’s arrival in February.
TEAMtalk have reported De Zerbi has “concerns” over Bergvall’s “defensive positioning and physicality” so there are areas for the youngster to work on. The Reds would know that, though.
Gold says Bergvall’s best position is “clearly a number eight”. At Forest, he would have the experience of Ibrahim Sangare alongside him in midfield - with the Ivory Coast international able to do plenty of the defensive work.
If the Reds could get the youngster at a decent price, he could be a player with the potential to increase in value. Anderson is the perfect template for what can be achieved Trentside - a player signed for £35 million and now worth more than £120m.