Nottingham Forest are expected to test the resolve of Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur once again with a second offer for Lucas Bergvall.
The Reds are set to make free agent midfielder Xaver Schlager their first signing of the summer transfer window. The Austrian will help to fill the void left by Elliot Anderson, following the England international’s £116 million switch to Manchester City, but further reinforcements in the middle of the pitch remain a possibility.
Bergvall has been on Forest’s radar for some time and a bid worth in the region of £38m was rejected last week. According to The Telegraph, the club are ready to try their luck again with a £45m offer.
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Bergvall, who represented Sweden at the World Cup, is said to have informed Spurs of his wish to move on this summer amid concerns over a lack of game time. He made just one start and played a total of 112 minutes following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as manager in March.
It has been reported Tottenham have made it clear the 20-year-old is not for sale. Nevertheless, a £45-50m price tag is said to have been placed on the youngster’s head.
Bergvall was asked about his future in the capital after his country lost to France in the World Cup’s round of 32. The midfielder had been in the starting XI for the 3-0 defeat.
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He said: "I want continuous matches in my position. That is the only goal. We’ll see what happens in the future. I’ve only been focused on the World Cup until now."
Throughout his involvement in the tournament, Bergvall gave little away when quizzed on whether he wants to move on this summer. He said: "As I said, my focus has been on the World Cup. We’ll deal with whatever comes next. I don’t know – we’ll see.”
Schlager is on course to become Forest’s first arrival of the Oliver Glasner era. Glasner was appointed as head coach last week and is preparing his charges for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign.