Just two months ago, Lucas Bergvall was actively trying to negotiate his way to departing Tottenham Hotspur through his agents and the media while he was playing with Sweden at the World Cup. Today, he just signed a contract extension that will keep him at Spurs.
Huh.
Interestingly, the official report
of Bergvall’s new contract does not discuss length of contract, nor weekly wages, however Sam Tabateau of the Standard says it comes with a year extension to 2032 and a “substantial” (though unstated wage increase.
Chief among Bergvall’s complaints when he was agitating for a move this summer was his lack of development at his preferred position last season under Thomas Frank. Bergvall thinks of himself as a central midfielder but while he did play a fair amount in various roles in midfield, he was frequently deployed out of position on the flanks under Frank.
It’s quite a turnaround — you don’t often see players agitate for a transfer in the summer and sign an extension two months later, without the promise of major minutes in the existing season. Bergvall had talks with Roberto De Zerbi after returning from his World Cup duties, and De Zerbi apparently talked him into not only fighting for his place, but promising to develop him at his preferred position.
Here’s what Bergvall had to say about the extension:
“I think we’re building something great here. It’s an exciting time for the Club and that’s why I’m happy to extend my contract.
“I’m always trying to achieve as much as possible, to be the best version of myself both on and off the pitch and I know this is the right place to do that.
“Personally, my goal is to produce more for the team – performances, goals and assists – to help as much as I can. I’m getting better every day in training and I’m looking forward to what will be a really good season ahead.”
Apparently De Zerbi has convinced Bergvall that, while he might not get a ton of midfield minutes this season, he’s critical to the future of Tottenham Hotspur.
“Every day in training you can see Lucas’ desire to learn, improve and push himself to the highest level.
“Lucas is brave, he wants responsibility and has the personality to play in big moments. He also understands that development is a process and he has shown a fantastic attitude towards working on the areas of his game where he can become even better.
“I believe his best football is still ahead of him and we want to give Lucas the platform to reach his full potential.”
A surprise as we head into the weekend match fixtures, but a welcome one indeed.
