The Sports Guru
Roberto De Zerbi has told his Tottenham squad that anyone unhappy should walk. This article looks at what that ultimatum really means with Lucas Bergvall wanted by Nottingham Forest and significant money already committed to new midfielders, and what it signals about who actually decides a player's future at the club this summer.
Roberto De Zerbi has drawn a line for his Tottenham squad: be happy and proud to stay, or leave. It is a tidy piece of man-management rhetoric. The awkward part is that one of the players it seems to point at, Lucas Bergvall, is 20 years old, cost Spurs nothing like the sums now flowing into the club, and is already the subject of an improving bid from Nottingham Forest.
The Ultimatum
Speaking before Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Auckland FC in New Zealand on Sunday, De Zerbi restated a message he says he delivered when he took charge at the end of March. "Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave," he said. The Italian, who helped keep Spurs up last season after replacing the previous management, framed it as a motivational principle rather than a threat aimed at any one individual. But the timing, arriving days after Forest's interest in Bergvall became public, makes it hard to read as coincidence.
Bergvall's Squeeze
Tottenham have rejected an initial £38m bid from Forest for the Sweden midfielder, with the Premier League club reportedly set to return with an offer of £45m. Bergvall started De Zerbi's first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, then made four appearances from the bench before the season ended. That is not the profile of a player being pushed out for football reasons alone.
De Zerbi insists he has not yet spoken to Bergvall directly. "Lucas is a big, big talent," he said, adding that any decision would involve sporting director Johan Lange and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham rather than him alone. His explanation for the growing competition is squad depth: "There will be a big competition to play because at the end, I think we will be two players for each position."
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| Competition | St | G | A | SoT | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The Midfield Spending
That competition has a price tag. Tottenham have signed Sandro Tonali in a £100m deal from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham. Defensive additions Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also arrived. De Zerbi says the attacking positions are next: "We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players."
Set against that outlay, a 20-year-old valued at £45m becomes easier for a club to move on, whatever the stated reasoning about happiness and pride.
The Walking Wounded
Not every absence in New Zealand is about form or contracts. Wingers Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski have stayed behind with thigh and knee issues respectively. De Zerbi expects Kudus to be available once the squad returns to London, but says Kulusevski, who missed a full season, needs further assessment "in the next couple of weeks" before any risks are taken.
Attacking midfielder Xavi Simons offered a reminder of how serious those recoveries can be. Reflecting on the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out of the 2026 World Cup, the Netherlands international said "the first four days were the worst days of my life," describing pain, sleeplessness and vomiting before adding that he is now "happy and in a good place."
What It Signals
De Zerbi's language suggests a manager keen to project harmony as Tottenham spend heavily and reshape a squad that only avoided relegation last season with his help. Whether Bergvall genuinely wants to leave, or is simply being priced out by a midfield reinforced with two expensive new signings, is not something the available evidence settles. What is clear is that the club's summer business is moving fast enough that even a player who started under De Zerbi in his first match may not have long to make his case.
Frequently Asked Questions
De Zerbi said players who are not happy or proud to stay at Tottenham should leave, repeating a message he says he gave when he took charge at the end of March.
Forest had an initial £38m bid rejected and were reportedly set to increase their offer to £45m for the Sweden midfielder.
Spurs signed Tonali in a £100m deal from Newcastle and Fernandes for £85m from West Ham.
Both missed the pre-season trip to New Zealand through injury. De Zerbi expects Kudus back working with the squad on return to London, while Kulusevski's timeline needs further assessment.
Simons suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April that required surgery and ruled him out of the 2026 World Cup. He says he is now "happy and in a good place."
Research: Our wider editorial research consults online reporting from BBC Sport, Sky Sports, The Guardian and other reputable sources. Story inspiration: BBC Sport's original report.