Tottenham manager, Roberto de Zerbi, has told players who are unhappy at the club to leave, amid uncertainty over midfielder Lucas Bergvall’s future.
The Italian made the comments as Nottingham Forest prepare to increase their offer for Bergvall after Tottenham rejected an initial £38m bid for the Sweden international. Forest are expected to raise their offer to £45m.
“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 Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Auckland FC in New Zealand.
“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.
“The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team.”
Bergvall’s future uncertain
Bergvall, 20, joined Tottenham from Swedish club Djurgarden in 2024 and played limited minutes towards the end of last season under De Zerbi.
He started De Zerbi’s first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland, before making four further appearances as a substitute.
The midfielder is part of Tottenham’s 35-man squad for their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia. The club confirmed that the squad will face Auckland FC on Sunday before matches against Sydney FC and Chelsea.
De Zerbi said he had not yet spoken to Bergvall about his future but described the midfielder as a major talent.
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“I have not spoken with Lucas yet,” he said. “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.”
The manager acknowledged that competition for midfield places would be intense following Tottenham’s recruitment of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
“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.”
Fernandes joined Tottenham from West Ham United earlier this month, with the Portugal international saying De Zerbi was a key factor in his decision to move to Spurs.
Tonali also joined from Newcastle United, with the Italy international saying his conversations with De Zerbi helped convince him to sign for Tottenham.
Squad rebuild
Tottenham have also added defenders Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, while De Zerbi said the club’s transfer business was not yet complete.
“First of all, I think it’s not finished yet, our transfer market window,” he added. “We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players.”
Tottenham’s official update on their summer recruitment said the club had made six additions at that stage, including Tonali, Fernandes, Robertson, Senesi, van Hecke and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
The club’s travelling squad also includes Bergvall, Tonali and Fernandes, underlining the competition for midfield places ahead of the new season.
Kudus, Kulusevski remain sidelined
Bergvall travelled with the squad, but Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski remained in London as they continued their rehabilitation from injuries.
“Kudus is very close. I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us,” De Zerbi said.
“It’s a great thing for us. Kudus is another important player.”
On Kulusevski, he added: “We have to see in the next couple of weeks. He’s another important player. After one season, one complete season, without a game, we have to analyse better and better, don’t take risks, first of all for him and then for us.”
Simons opens up on ACL injury
Meanwhile, Tottenham attacking midfielder Xavi Simons has described the difficult period following the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ended his first season at the club and ruled him out of the 2026 World Cup.
The Netherlands international suffered the injury during Tottenham’s 1-0 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in April. The club later confirmed that he had ruptured the ACL in his right knee and underwent surgery in May.
“The first four days were the worst days of my life,” Simons said in a Tottenham feature published on Friday.
“I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t eat for one week,” he told Tottenham’s website. “I was in a lot of pain. I was vomiting and felt dizzy, it was everything. That pain, I don’t wish no-one to go through that pain.
“I don’t know what it’s like for other players but, for me, it was like my whole body was saying like ‘what happened?’”
Simons said he has since made progress in his recovery.
“This is what it is. I’m happy and in a good place now.”
Tottenham have confirmed that Simons remains among the players continuing rehabilitation and did not travel with the squad for the club’s pre-season tour.
