Who is Lucas Bergvall? The Swedish star who snubbed Barcelona for Spurs
The 18-year-old Djurgarden midfielder is set to sign a five-year deal and will cost Spurs £8.5 million plus add-ons ahead of his first-team arrival in the summer.
Bergvall looked destined to sign for Barça, who were reportedly ready to part ways with £6 million and £2.5 million in add-ons after meeting with his entourage.
Spurs, though, lurked in the background and managed to convince him of a move to north London, with their technical director Johan Lange a key cog in driving the switch.
But as one of Europe's most coveted young players, who is Lucas Bergvall and what are Tottenham getting?
'Biggest transfer ever'
Bergvall's career began at IF Brommapojkarna, where he made his debut in the Superettan - the second-highest tier in Sweden - in July 2022 aged just 16 years old.
It is the same club which saw the likes of Dejan Kulusevski - his future Tottenham teammate - and Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres come through at youth level.
A former, Manchester United trialist, Bergvall joined Djurgarden for 900,000 euros (£767,700) in December 2022 and made his full Allsvenskan debut in May 2023 against reigning champions Hacken.
His performance in a 1-0 win drew plenty of praise, with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet going as far as to predict Bergvall would be "Djurgarden's biggest transfer ever".
He went on to make 28 appearances and score three goals in his debut campaign - enough to help him break onto the international scene.
He earned his first Sweden cap in January this year, becoming the sixth youngest player to feature for the side by playing 31 minutes in a friendly win over Estonia.
Big frame with finesse
Bergvall is often used as a left-sided number eight for Djurgarden but is usually allowed to roam around the midfield and drift wide into the channels.
He's a good mover and picks up the spaces well in key parts of the pitch, which makes him a bit of a nuisance for the opposition in central areas.
But straight away you are drawn to his 6 ft 1 in frame, which is certainly an interesting characteristic when you consider his age.
That allows him to be an excellent ball carrier and retainer of possession but also suggests there is a good foundation for future physical development.
Yet despite his stature, Bergvall also has a smooth and silky touch on the ball and when you marry these characteristics, you get a player who is capable of resisting the press.
He completed an average of 2.58 dribbles per game in the 2023 Allsvenskan season with a success rate of 68.3 per cent, so he is more than capable of gliding away from players.
Bergvall also appears to have remarkable composure and a good eye for a pass. He boasted an 88.1 per cent pass accuracy and 71 per cent long ball accuracy last season.
But like any young player, there are some areas that need refining for Bergvall as he progresses his journey through senior football.
He doesn't completely use his frame to his advantage when contesting duels aerially, and that is understandable considering he hasn't fully developed yet. That should come as he continues filling out and increasing his experience in the men's game.
Either way, this looks to be an exciting coup for Spurs and one to keep an eye on going forward as they continue building towards future-proofing their squad.
