De Zerbi insists any unhappy Tottenham player should leave the club
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has urged unhappy players to leave the club, as Lucas Bergvall's future hangs in the balance.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Roberto De Zerbi states that players who are unhappy should leave Tottenham Hotspur
- Nottingham Forest preparing a £45m bid for Lucas Bergvall
- Spurs heavily reinforce squad with the signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that any player who is unhappy playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer should move on to another club. The Italian coach took charge in late March and successfully guided the team away from Premier League relegation last season.
These comments come amid growing uncertainty over the future of Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, with Spurs having already rejected an initial £38 million bid from Nottingham Forest, who are now expected to return with an improved offer of £45 million.
Bergvall, who joined from Swedish club Djurgarden in 2024, saw relatively limited playing time towards the end of the season under De Zerbi. The 20-year-old started De Zerbi's first game in charge—a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland—before making just four more appearances as a substitute.
"I want the players to feel proud and happy to be here, to step out onto the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with great motivation. Because in modern football, motivation makes the difference, and motivation is about being happy to be with a specific team."
Roberto De Zerbi
Stock photo, not from the actual event
During this transfer window, Spurs have heavily reinforced their midfield by signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for £100 million and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85 million. In addition, Tottenham have brought in defensive reinforcements Jan Paul van Hecke, Andrew Robertson, and Marcos Senesi, with De Zerbi noting that the next priority is to strengthen the attacking positions.
Tottenham Hotspur's massive financial investment in signing both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes reflects a major squad overhaul to ease pressure in midfield and foster internal competition, aligning with De Zerbi's vision of having two players for every position. Offloading players not part of the plans is a management strategy to maintain both tactical and financial balance.
Bergvall has traveled with the Spurs squad for a training camp in New Zealand, though Mohammed Kudus (thigh injury) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee injury) did not make the trip as they continue to recover from long-term injuries. Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Xavi Simons opened up about tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in April, describing the first four days after surgery as the worst period of his life, which sadly rules him out of the 2026 World Cup.
Source: BBC Sport
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