Roberto de Zerbi, Tottenham’s manager, isn’t holding back. He’s made it crystal clear: any player not happy at the club this summer needs to find a new home. This isn’t just a casual comment; it’s a full-on mission statement from the Italian coach who took over in March and saved Spurs from Premier League relegation last season. Man, talk about a shot across the bow for anyone not fully committed.
Lucas Bergvall’s Future and De Zerbi’s Demand for Pride
This blunt message comes amidst swirling doubts around 20-year-old Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall. Nottingham Forest has already thrown a £38 million bid at Tottenham for the young talent, and they’re reportedly ready to bump that offer up to £45 million. Bergvall, who joined Spurs from Djurgarden in 2024, played limited minutes under De Zerbi at the end of last season, making just one start in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland and four substitute appearances after that. De Zerbi’s philosophy is simple, yet powerful. “Who doesn’t want to stay in Tottenham? Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave,” he declared before their pre-season friendly against Auckland FC. He wants players “proud and happy to stay here, to go on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with big motivation.” He’s set to talk with Bergvall soon to make “the best decision for the club, for Lucas, for me, for every one of us, without problems.” The coach even noted the new competition, with Spurs bringing in Sandro Tonali for £100 million from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes for £85 million from West Ham. That’s a serious investment in the midfield!
New Faces, Missing Pieces, and Injury Woes
It’s not just midfielders, either. Tottenham’s been busy in the transfer market, adding defenders Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, and Marcos Senesi. But De Zerbi says the transfer window isn’t done. He’s still targeting “another couple of players” to “complete the attacking positions.” While Bergvall is with the squad in New Zealand, wingers Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski have stayed behind to recover from long-term injuries. Kudus, who’s been out with a thigh injury, is “very close” to returning to work when the team gets back to London. That’s good news, as he’s an “important player.” Kulusevski, battling a knee injury, needs “another couple of weeks” of evaluation after a full season without playing. You gotta be careful with those long-term injuries, right? On top of that, attacking midfielder Xavi Simons recalled his anterior cruciate ligament injury in April, describing the first four days as “the worst days of my life.”
De Zerbi is building something, and he wants only players who are all-in. The next test for the squad, and maybe a few of those unhappy players, is their pre-season friendly against Auckland FC on Sunday. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up and who might be packing their bags before the market closes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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