Tottenham Hotspur center midfielder Lucas Bergvall has all the physical and technical tools to become a world class player, but he does not want to take the next step of his devleopment with Spurs. He made that clear during this World Cup by submitting a transfer request in the background to the club following Roberto De Zerbi's marked interest in Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, and though neither play the same role as the young Swede, it is true that they would curtail his minutes further.
Bergvall barely played under Thomas Frank and often played out of position, struggling to build momentum from his promising 2024/25 season as a Europa League winner. And then De Zerbi did not play him either, as he was struggling for form and the incoming Italian manager needed to survive the Premier League with more experienced players.
De Zerbi did not seem too thrilled about Bergvall. While he did not say anything against the 20 year old midfielder, he did not go out of his way to praise him like he did for fellow young gun Archie Gray, whom he also had to bench for more experienced players.
Lucas Bergvall is too raw
And maybe we are seeing why De Zerbi made that choice and why he is not fighting hard to keep Lucas Bergvall after the transfer request. Because at the 2026 World Cup, Sweden have not started the Tottenham Hotspur backup in any games either. He has made two appearances out of three off the bench, providing a bit of a creative spark but no real verve to get forward, drive the team, or make things happen defensively.
Bergvall looks pretty raw, shaken in confidence, and pedestrian. Maybe Thomas Frank did a number on him, but a player for a big club like Tottenham has to be able to find it in himself to perform. And even for a Sweden team that is pretty talent deficient in midfield, Bergvall is not finding ways to stand out enough to coach Graham Potter to merit playing time - and it is telling that Swedish fans are not complaining about hte lack of minutes for Bergvall.
This World Cup has been a bit of a humbling for Bergvall at the same time he is demanding playing time, and Sweden are quickly realizing that Bergvall just is not ready yet for the big time. He needs more seasoning and to fight more in the squad, which is what Roberto De Zerbi knew when he did not play him and what Spurs know with their targeting of other players. Everyone believes in Bergvall, but patience is the key.
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