Tottenham Hotspur essentially “won” the January transfer window in the Premier League, but it’s worth noting that most of the big English clubs didn’t really bother participating. Spurs had a huge January deadline day too, as they beat FC Barcelona to the signature of Swedish teenage prodigy Lucas Bergvall.
He moves over on a €10m deal that will keep him at Djugården until the end of the season, with the midfielder’s permanent move to Tottenham coming in the summer.
Bergvall, who just turned 18 this past weekend, has now been officially “unveiled” as a Tottenham player, and he discussed why he picked Spurs over the Catalan club.
“They are both incredible clubs,” he said.
“It was a very difficult choice, it was 50-50…It felt like the next step for me was Tottenham. It was not very easy to say no to Barca — it took a very long time to decide.”
Bergvall also said that his countryman, Dejan Kulusevski, was influential in helping him make his decision.
This is an incredible clip ?
New Tottenham signing Lucas Bergvall has talked about being a leader.
Well, here he is at just 13yo, giving a rousing speech before his team won 3-0 vs PSG in the Madrid Cup QF 2019 ?
MENTALITY!#THFC #COYS ?????? #EVETOTpic.twitter.com/WpgXA4MTmy
— Football Confidential ? (@footballconfid1) February 5, 2024
“We talked a little before,” In general, how the club works, how they work, how they train, what the days look like. It wasn’t a persuasive talk like that.
“He just said the club was great and I noticed that when I got there. I got an incredible reception. It’s a very family club, but incredible people.”
One of Sweden’s most promising young football talents, Bergvall has already been capped by the Swedish national team. He made his professional senior team debut in the Superettan with IF Brommapojkarna on July 9, 2022, in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw against Örgryte IS.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglu will reportedly give Postecoglu a geunine chance at earning regular first team spot in the middle of the park next season.
He expressed his excitement at moving over to North London:
“It’s a fantastic feeling to sign for Tottenham and a dream to have the opportunity to play in the Premier League. I have received an incredibly warm reception from the club and feel really welcome.
“It has always been my dream to play in the Premier League – the best league in the world. It is a really good club with a great manager and a hungry and young team, which plays really good football and it is really really fun to watch. So, it is a pleasure for me to join this big club.
“Feels like it is the beginning of an era, with a really great coach, Ange. He is a really great man and a really great coach and he gives a lot of young players a chance to make it in the big stage. I am a young player, I know that but I really like to help the team by giving my best.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.