Newcastle United’s pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall may have received an unexpected boost despite the Spurs’ rejection of the Magpies’ first offer for the midfielder.
It’s obvious the Magpies remain in the market for another central midfielder following Sandro Tonali’s departure, and Bergvall seems to be positioned as Newcastle’s new No. 1 target to strengthen the midfield.
According to the Mirror’s Fasika Zelealem, Tottenham is waiting for a bidding war to emerge before rushing the sanctioning of Bergvall’s sale.
“Tottenham would welcome a bidding war with Nottingham Forest for the midfielder, with Newcastle determined to hold firm on their valuation of the player,” Zelealem wrote.
While Spurs rejected the first approaches for their player, the latest comments from manager Roberto De Zerbi have cast further doubt over the Sweden international’s future in London and handed Newcastle a boost in their pursuit of Bergvall.
“Who doesn’t want to stay in Tottenham, who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave,” De Zerbi said. “I want proud players who are happy to stay here and to go on the pitch at Tottenham (Hotspur) Stadium with a big motivation.”
The Athletic’s Elias Burke also reported that Bergvall has informed Tottenham of his preference to leave this summer, with De Zerbi confirming talks with the midfielder are imminent.
“I have not spoken with Lucas yet, I will in the next days,” De Zerbi said. “Without problems, Lucas is a big, big talent. If he wants to stay, I will be happy. Otherwise, we have to find a new solution with Johan Lange, with Vinai. It’s not my business after the decision to leave.”
Those remarks could easily strengthen Newcastle’s hopes and give the Magpies some leverage in the negotiations with Tottenham, although the Magpies are expected to face competition from Nottingham Forest and would still need to bridge at least some of the gap between Tottenham’s valuation and their own if they decide to revive their interest.