Roberto de Zerbi has drawn a firm line through his Tottenham Hotspur squad, telling any player who is not “proud and happy to stay” at the club to leave this summer. The Italian manager’s blunt declaration came amid mounting uncertainty over Lucas Bergvall’s future, with Nottingham Forest preparing an increased £45m bid after Spurs rejected an initial £38m offer for the Sweden midfielder. “I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said, who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham? Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave,” De Zerbi said before his side’s pre-season friendly against Auckland FC in New Zealand on Sunday. “I want the players to be proud and happy to stay here, to go on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with big motivation. Because now in football, if you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference.”
De Zerbi, who signed a five-year contract in March and steered Spurs away from relegation last season, has yet to speak directly with Bergvall about his intentions. “I have not spoken with Lucas 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,” he said. “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 [sporting director] Johan Lange, with [chief executive] Vinai [Venkatesham]. It's not my business after the decision to leave.”
“De Zerbi warns unhappy Tottenham players must leave as Bergvall faces £45m Forest bid.”
Bergvall, who joined from Djurgarden in 2024, played limited minutes under De Zerbi last season – starting the Italian’s first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, and making four further substitute appearances. The 20-year-old is part of Tottenham’s squad in New Zealand, but wingers Mohammed Kudus (thigh) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee) did not travel as they recover from long-term injuries. “Kudus is very close. I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us,” De Zerbi added.
Spurs have already been busy in the transfer market, signing midfielders Sandro Tonali for £100m from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham, as well as defenders Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. De Zerbi confirmed the club is not finished: “We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players. The target is to complete the attacking positions.”
On the pitch, Tottenham made it back-to-back summer wins with a victory at Eden Park in Auckland, despite missing a host of key players. Three unnamed members of the squad caught De Zerbi’s eye during the friendly, though the manager’s focus remains on trimming a squad where only the fully committed will be allowed to stay. For Bergvall, the clock is ticking: a massive bid is coming, and a decision on his future – happy at Spurs or not – will soon be made.
