Lucas Bergvall has signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur.
Friday’s announcement comes after the 20-year-old midfielder’s future was uncertain throughout the summer. The Athletic reported in June that the Sweden international had expressed a preference to leave, with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United submitting bids which were rejected by Spurs.
At the start of Spurs’ pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, head coach Roberto De Zerbi said the pair had not spoken and that anyone “who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave”.
De Zerbi performed a U-turn after a productive conversation with Bergvall during the tour. The Swede was never unhappy in north London but wanted a clear development plan. De Zerbi then said in public he knew what Bergvall’s best position was and he had “needed time to understand the characteristics of the players” in the squad.
“I think we’re building something great here. It’s an exciting time for the club and that’s why I’m happy to extend my contract,” Bergvall said in a club release.
De Zerbi added: “Every day in training you can see Lucas’ desire to learn, improve and push himself to the highest level. I believe his best football is still ahead of him and we want to give Lucas the platform to reach his full potential.”
Bergvall started Spurs’ opening two games of the season, the 3-0 defeat by Brentford in the Premier League and the 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup. He was substituted at half-time against Brentford after making a mistake which led to Vitaly Janelt scoring and has not come off the bench in their last two top-flight fixtures against Newcastle and Forest.
Bergvall joined Spurs from Swedish side Djurgarden in the summer of 2024. He previously signed a contract extension in April 2025, which ran until 2031. This latest deal reflects how Spurs view Bergvall as an important member of the squad right now and for the long term.
Bergvall’s future sorted – now he needs to kick on
A strange sequence of events has led to a positive outcome.
Bergvall became frustrated towards the end of last season at being played out of position in training and due to restricted game time. At the beginning of the summer, he expressed a preference to leave Spurs despite enjoying the majority of his time in north London and having a strong connection with the fans. Spurs’ record-breaking signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali appeared, on paper, to signal the end of his time with the club.
Spurs rejected bids from Forest and Newcastle. Then Bergvall impressed De Zerbi on tour and the pair’s relationship improved following a productive conversation. Bergvall wanted, and was given, a clear development plan. This new deal reflects how all parties think he can be a force for Spurs right now and in the long-term.
Bergvall’s pathway to more consistent game time is still not going to be easy. He has not featured in the Premier League since the opening day of the season when he underwhelmed against Brentford and was taken off at half-time. Along with new signings Fernandes and Tonali, he needs to compete with Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison and Archie Gray for minutes.
However, Bergvall showed during the 2024-25 season that he can be a positive influence when he plays regularly. Bergvall won multiple player of the year awards in his first season in English football after leaving Sweden at only 18.
With his future finally settled after months of uncertainty, hopefully Bergvall can kick on and show people why Spurs had to fight off interest from Barcelona to sign him in 2024.