Lucas Bergvall has revealed the bizarre circumstances behind his decision to reject Barcelona in favour of joining Tottenham instead. The 19-year-old sealed his switch to north London from Djurgarden for £8.5million last year. However, the transfer was anything but simple, as Spanish heavyweights Barcelona had also been chasing his signature.
A fresh BBC documentary sheds light on Bergvall's reasoning for spurning the Catalan club, with The Athletic's Spurs correspondent Jay Harris detailing the 'hectic' situation surrounding the midfielder's decision. "They fly over, they meet their sporting director Deco in the mountains," he said. "This is when things get a little bit hectic, they were in a restaurant, they are around 150 fans, paparazzi, trying to get in the restaurant, trying to get a glimpse of him."
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Bergvall added: "Yeah, it was strange and I never seen that ever before. Many paparazzi and such a stressful day." Ultimately, the player and his representatives concluded that Tottenham represented the ideal destination for his development.
Former Brommapojkarna sporting director Peter Kisfaludy disclosed that ex-manager Ange Postecoglou proved crucial in securing the deal.
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"I think Postecoglou was really important, when he met him," he said. "If you come here, trust me, you're going to play."
The youngster required several months to settle into Premier League life but, after finding his feet, he established himself as a vital cog in the Tottenham machine. One teammate, in particular, proved instrumental in easing his transition to England's elite division.
"It was a really big moment for me, for my family, for everybody around me," the youngster said about the move to Spurs. "I still remember the day completely.
"In the beginning it was a bit strange, new culture, a lot of traffic. Everybody was so kind to me and helpful and especially [Dejan] Kulusevski. He helped me to come into the group and to learn - and I'm really grateful for that.
"He's been great since the beginning to help me with everything. Not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. He's the example you want in the team. He's top."