Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi says he wants midfielder Lucas Bergvall to remain at the club but cannot promise him a regular place in the starting lineup.
The Sweden international has attracted interest from Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest after reports suggested he could leave Spurs this summer.
De Zerbi Backs Bergvall
Despite the transfer speculation, De Zerbi insisted he wants the 20-year-old to stay at Tottenham.
“I’m always being very clear with him. I would like him to stay with us,” De Zerbi said after Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Sydney FC.
“I think he’s potentially a top, top player. But I don’t want to convince anyone to stay.”
The Italian coach added that no player is guaranteed a place in his starting XI.
“I can’t give any player in the world a place in the first XI guaranteed,” he said.
Spurs Beat Sydney FC
Tottenham defeated Sydney FC 4-2 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time.
French forward Mathys Tel gave Spurs the lead with a superb free-kick before new Sydney signing Takahiro Sekine equalized in the second half.
The victory followed Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Auckland FC as the club continued preparations for the new Premier League season.
Injury Updates Ahead of New Season
Meanwhile, new signing Sandro Tonali returned from a minor injury and played the entire second half against Sydney FC.
Andy Robertson also made his Tottenham debut after coming on for the final 25 minutes.
However, club-record signing Matheus Fernandes missed the match because of calf fatigue. De Zerbi said the midfielder is also unlikely to feature against Chelsea in Saturday’s final pre-season game.
Several first-team players, including James Maddison, Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke and Dominic Solanke, also missed the match as the coaching staff continue to manage their fitness before Tottenham’s Premier League opener against Brentford on August 22.
