Chelsea have reportedly made a late approach to Tottenham Hotspur to explore the possibility of signing highly rated midfielder spurs midfield maestro before the transfer window closes.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have made contact with Tottenham to establish whether the Sweden international could be made available in the final hours of Deadline Day. Chelsea are still searching for another midfield addition despite already completing a busy summer of recruitment.
The late enquiry comes after Chelsea agreed to a British-record £125 million deal that will see Enzo Fernandez leave Stamford Bridge and join Manchester City. With such a significant departure creating another potential gap in the middle of the pitch, Chelsea have been assessing the market for alternatives who could strengthen their squad.
Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea have already completed a remarkable ten signings during the summer transfer window, but the club’s hierarchy remains open to further business if the right opportunity becomes available before the 11pm deadline.
Bergvall has now emerged as one of the players Chelsea have considered.
Romano revealed that Chelsea made calls to Tottenham to gather information about Bergvall’s situation and determine whether there was any possibility of negotiating a late deal. However, the initial indications suggest that Tottenham have little interest in allowing the midfielder to leave.
“They [Chelsea] made some calls to understand the situation of Lucas Bergvall at Tottenham, so it’s true that there were some conversations to understand if Bergvall could be available,” Romano said in his latest YouTube update.
“But my understanding is that Tottenham now want to keep the player, so it’s not an easy one.”
That stance could prove decisive with very little time remaining in the transfer window. Tottenham view Bergvall as an important part of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans, meaning Chelsea would likely have to make a huge offer to even tempt the north London club into reconsidering their position.
The 20-year-old midfielder has already experienced an interesting summer at Tottenham. Following the arrivals of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, there were growing questions over where Bergvall would fit into De Zerbi’s midfield plans.
Those concerns intensified when Bergvall was linked with a move away from the club. Reports indicated that the Sweden international had considered leaving in search of more regular first-team football, with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United among the clubs to have shown interest.
Tottenham, however, rejected approaches for the midfielder and made it clear that they were reluctant to lose him.
De Zerbi also played an important role in persuading Bergvall to remain in north London. The Italian coach reportedly convinced the youngster to stay and reassess his situation in January, while making it clear that he would have an important role to play within his squad.
Bergvall’s involvement at the beginning of the campaign has provided some evidence of that confidence. He started Tottenham’s opening Premier League fixture of the season before being replaced at half-time, although he was an unused substitute during Spurs’ 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United at the weekend.
Despite his uncertain position in the starting XI, Tottenham’s decision-makers appear unwilling to allow him to leave on Deadline Day.
For Chelsea, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated as they attempt to find a midfielder following Fernandez’s departure. The Argentine’s future had been one of the major stories surrounding the club throughout the summer, and his eventual move to Manchester City has left Chelsea needing to consider alternative options.
The Blues have explored several possibilities in recent days. AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara has been discussed as one potential target, while Roma’s Manu Kone has also attracted attention from the Premier League side.
Chelsea appeared to make progress in their pursuit of Kone, but Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has reportedly intervened and blocked the midfielder’s departure. The Serie A club have subsequently confirmed that Kone will remain at Roma beyond the transfer deadline.
A move for Camara has also become increasingly difficult to complete with the clock running down, leaving Chelsea searching for other solutions.
That situation appears to have led them towards Bergvall, but Tottenham’s determination to retain the Swedish midfielder means a late transfer looks extremely difficult.
Chelsea may have the financial resources to make an ambitious offer, but Tottenham are under no pressure to sell. With De Zerbi viewing Bergvall as a valuable member of his squad and the player having been persuaded to remain until at least January, Spurs appear ready to resist any last-minute attempts to prise him away.
Unless Tottenham dramatically change their position or Chelsea make an extraordinary proposal before the deadline, Bergvall is therefore expected to remain a Tottenham player.
The late interest nevertheless underlines the growing reputation of the young midfielder. Despite competition for places following Tottenham’s expensive midfield additions, Bergvall continues to attract attention from major Premier League clubs.
For now, though, Chelsea’s late enquiry appears unlikely to turn into a completed transfer, with Tottenham intent on keeping hold of one of their most promising young talents.
