Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he will allow Lucas Bergvall to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer if he expresses a desire to move on.
Spurs have had a busy summer window so far with six arrivals, including club-record deals for midfield pair Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle. Those moves have sparked question marks over the future of Bergvall, who has reportedly told club chiefs he is keen to embark on a new challenge for more regular first-team football.
Nottingham Forest have seen a £38m bid rejected, while Newcastle had a £46m bid turned down too, as interest picks up in the talented 19-year-old. Brighton have also been linked with interest, with reports suggesting they could be ready to table a bid worth around £60m.
De Zerbi to Hold Talks With Bergvall
Tottenham have travelled to New Zealand for their pre-season tour, and the Italian boss was speaking in his first press conference of the summer when he was asked about the future of the talented midfielder.
De Zerbi didn't shy away from the situation, and admitted that he doesn't want any players at the club who don't want to be there, and that includes Bergvall.
"Listen, I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham," he said.
"I said 'Who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham, who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave'. I want proud players who are happy to stay here and to go on the pitch at Tottenham Stadium with a big motivation. If you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference. The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team."
"I have not spoken with Lucas [Bergvall] yet, I will in the next days. And we will make the best decision for the club, for Lucas, for me, for every one of us. Without problems, Lucas is a big, big talent. There will be a big competition to play because, at the end, I think we will be two players for each position. If he wants to stay, I will be happy.
"Otherwise, we have to find a new solution with Johan Lange, with Vinai (Venkatesham). It's not my business after the decision to leave (if that happens)."
Tottenham Not Done in Transfer Market
While De Zerbi has made it clear that players will be allowed to leave, he has also made it clear that he expects more arrivals before the deadline on September 1st too.
Spurs are in the market to strengthen their forward line, with Man City star Savinho the top target for the wing, while a new striker is also being considered. And the boss admitted that he wants to bring in 'important players', rather than just options to make up the numbers.
“First of all, I think it’s not finished yet, our transfer market window,” he said. “We have to finish; we have to bring another couple, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players.
"I’m very happy, I’m excited to work with the new players, with the old players.
“The target now is to complete the attacking positions. We want the first target, the first level, because we have already important players. But I think to start a new project we need another couple of important players for sure.”