The 20-year-old reportedly wants to leave with interest from Newcastle
\n LONDON
\nRoberto De Zerbi said he wants in-demand midfielder Lucas Bergvall to stay at Tottenham, but cannot guarantee the Sweden World Cup player a starting role.
\nThe 20-year-old reportedly wants to leave with interest from Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
\nHis future was cast into doubt by the recent arrivals of club-record signings Matheus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.
\nSpurs manager De Zerbi denied Bergvall had told him he was looking for an exit after starting him in the pre-season friendly against Sydney FC on Wednesday.
\nTottenham won 4-2 on penalties after the match finished 1-1.
\n\u201cI\u2019m always being very clear with him and with you. I would like that he stays with us,\u201d De Zerbi said.
\n\u201cI think he\u2019s potentially a top, top, player. But then I don\u2019t want to convince anyone to stay.
\n\u201cTottenham is already, without me, a top club and we are not to convince anyone to stay.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t give, for any player in the world, a place in the first XI guaranteed.\u201d
\nFrench striker Mathys Tel scored a stunning free-kick to put Spurs 1-0 ahead at half-time against Sydney, but they failed to capitalise and the hosts\u2019 new Japanese signing Takahiro Sekinelevelled.
\nTottenham\u2019s shootout win came after a 2-0 victory over Auckland FC on Sunday as they build towards their English Premier League opener against Brentford on August 22.
\n\u201cI think we played well, especially in the first half,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIn the second half, we changed many players, but good quality of play, good performances and I think we are working very well with the younger players.\u201d
\nTonali missed Tottenham\u2019s first tour game with a niggle, but played the entire second-half, while fellow new recruit Andy Robertson was given a 25-minute debut.
\nBut there was no appearance from Fernandes, whose absence De Zerbi attributed to \u201cjust fatigue, in the calf, and also for him, we took the decision not to take any risks\u201d.
\nThe Italian manager suggested Fernandes would also miss Tottenham\u2019s final tour match against Chelsea in Sydney on Saturday.
\nJames Maddison was another absentee along with Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke and Dominic Solanke.
\n\u201cDanso, van de Ven, Solanke, Jan Paul van Hecke, I thought they were not ready yet to play without risk,\u201d De Zerbi said.
\n\u201cMaybe some of them can play the next game, on Saturday against Chelsea. Maybe not in the beginning, maybe at the beginning Robertson and Sandro Tonali.
\n\u201cIt is about managing the players. I wouldn\u2019t like to take any risks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 20-year-old reportedly wants to leave with interest from Newcastle LONDON Roberto De Zerbi said he wants in-demand midfielder Lucas Bergvall to stay at Tottenham, but cannot guarantee the Sweden World Cup player a starting role. The 20-year-old reportedly wants to leave with interest from Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. His future was cast into doubt […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":559361,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-559348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n