Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola recently praised Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who previously had trials at Manchester United before joining Spurs last year
Manchester United were reminded of what could've been as Pep Guardiola delivered a glowing review of Lucas Bergvall.
The 19-year-old has been a revelation for Tottenham Hotspur since arriving from Swedish side Djurgardens IF in the summer. An £8.5million signing last February, Spurs’ injury troubles have led Bergvall to emerge as a key player for Ange Postecoglou’s side, making 34 appearances across all competitions.
However, Bergvall could have been lining up for United this season, having previously had two trials at the club before heading to Spurs. Manchester City boss Guardiola rubbed more salt into United’s wounds by recently highlighting the midfielder as Tottenham’s standout player.
After his side’s narrow 1-0 win over Spurs on Wednesday, Guardiola said: “Bergvall, every time he has the ball and runs, he’s unstoppable. Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, Kulusevski, Son. It’s an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play really good.”
Bergvall was spotted by United scout Sergio de Souza, who covers Scandinavia, in 2020. The midfielder was playing for IF Brommapojkarna and first headed to Carrington for a trial as a 15-year-old. There were suggestions that United could make a £1.5m bid for the young midfielder, though no move materialised.
Subsequent Brexit regulations meant overseas players couldn't be signed until their 18th birthday. However, the club firmed up their interest by bringing in Bergvall for a second trial in 2022, where he registered an assist for United’s under-16s.
The Sweden international joined Djurgardens that December, and changes to United’s recruitment staff in the same year are blamed for the club ultimately missing out on Bergvall. On February 1, 2024, the day before his 18th birthday, it was announced that the two-time United trialist had signed for Spurs, linking up with his new club at the end of the season.
Bergvall scored his first goal for Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool in January. Spurs boss Postecoglou was delighted by Bergvall’s performance and acknowledged how quickly he had adapted to the first team.
"Lucas was brilliant. Like I said, I haven't lost sight of the fact that we've got two 18-year-olds, one who's playing at centre back (Archie Gray), it's not even his position,” Postecoglou explained. “I just don't think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment.
"Lucas is just growing all the time. He's got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself. He's got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well."