Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are reportedly leading the race to sign Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall as the 20-year-old considers his future in north London, according to reports.
Bergvall has grown concerned about his place in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans after struggling for regular minutes towards the end of last season.
His route into the Tottenham midfield has only become more difficult this summer, with Spurs signing Mateus Fernandes for £85million and closing in on a deal for Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali.
That has raised further questions over Bergvall, who made just one start in De Zerbi’s seven games in charge last season and played only ten minutes across their final four matches.
Tottenham have maintained that the Sweden international is not for sale, but a new report claims two Premier League clubs are now at the front of the queue should that stance soften.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest lead Bergvall race
Football Insider claims Forest and Villa are the leading contenders to sign Bergvall this summer, with both clubs monitoring his situation at Tottenham.
Forest are looking to strengthen their midfield after Elliot Anderson completed a £116m move to Manchester City, while Villa are described as long-term admirers of the Spurs youngster.
Speaking to Football Insider, transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke said: “I’m sure Tottenham don’t want to keep a player who is unhappy and has indicated that he is interested in a move away.
“Nottingham Forest have shown a bit of interest in him as a potential replacement for Elliot Anderson, and Aston Villa are long-term admirers of Bergvall as well.”
Bergvall made 33 appearances for Tottenham last season and registered five goal contributions, but his involvement dropped significantly following De Zerbi’s arrival in March.
Spurs are still in a strong negotiating position, with the midfielder under contract until 2031, and would be under no pressure to accept a cut-price offer.
However, Bergvall’s own comments following Sweden’s World Cup exit have done little to quieten the speculation around his future.
Lucas Bergvall makes regular football demand
Bergvall started Sweden’s 3-0 defeat to France in the World Cup round of 32 and was asked about his Tottenham future after the game.
He told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet: “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.”
The midfielder was also asked whether he wanted to remain in the Premier League, but refused to give a firm answer.
“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,” he said.
De Zerbi is reportedly an admirer of Bergvall, but the arrivals of Fernandes and Tonali have increased the competition for places before the new Premier League season.
Previous reports have suggested Tottenham could consider offers of around £45million, despite the club making it clear to Bergvall that they do not want him to leave.
Forest and Villa now appear best placed to test that position, with Bergvall making it clear that regular football will be central to his next decision.
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