Nottingham Forest have already had a £38 million bid rejected.
Newcastle United have now entered the picture.
And Tottenham Hotspur, who told Bergvall he wasn’t for sale just weeks ago, are reluctantly accepting that the situation has moved beyond their control.
David Ornstein confirms Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest’s £50m battle for Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall
According to David Ornstein, Newcastle United have entered the race for Bergvall, with the 20-year-old Sweden international having already informed Tottenham of his desire to leave and the club now reluctantly opening the door to a departure if their £50 million valuation is met.
Nottingham Forest are the frontrunners.
They had a £38 million opening bid rejected but are expected to return with an improved offer.
Flush with funds following Elliot Anderson’s £116 million move to Manchester City and with Bergvall identified as the ideal player to fill that void.
But Newcastle are not stepping aside.
The backdrop to Bergvall’s desire to leave is straightforward.
Roberto De Zerbi arrived at Tottenham and immediately prioritised experienced, established midfielders.
Signing Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes in a summer that has pushed Bergvall down the pecking order considerably.
Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison.
The queue ahead of him is long and it’s getting longer.
For a 20-year-old who once snubbed Barcelona to join Spurs because he believed in their direction, watching a midfield rebuild happen entirely around other players is a difficult reality to accept.
He wants out.
Tottenham initially dug in, telling him he wasn’t going anywhere.
The shift since has been rapid.
Tottenham paid £8.5 million for him from Djurgårdens in 2024.
They’re now looking at a return of more than five times that figure.
Forest need him most urgently, Anderson’s departure has left a specific, significant gap in a midfield that carried them to Champions League qualification last season.
But Newcastle offer something Forest cannot, the knowledge that Bergvall’s midfield pathway is far less congested and that first-team minutes are far more guaranteed.
Two clubs.
One player.
One very clear message to Tottenham.
The £50 million is coming.
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