July 29 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi said on Wednesday he wants Lucas Bergvall to remain at the club but cannot guarantee the Sweden midfielder a place in his starting lineup amid reports linking the 20-year-old with a move away.
British media have linked Bergvall with Premier League clubs including Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, but De Zerbi said the player had not told him he wanted to leave.
"I'm always being very clear with him and with you. I would like that he stays with us," De Zerbi told reporters after Bergvall started in Spurs' 4-2 penalty shootout win over Sydney FC in a pre-season friendly.
"I think he's potentially a top, top, player. But then I don't want to convince anyone to stay. Tottenham is already, without me, a top club and we are not to convince anyone to stay.
"I can't give, for any player in the world, a place in the first XI guaranteed."
Bergvall, who joined Spurs in 2024, made 33 appearances in all competitions last season and scored once.
De Zerbi said the midfielder still had areas of his game to develop as he competes for a demanding spot.
"He wants space and wants to play in a double pivot," De Zerbi added.
"To play as a central midfielder, sometimes it is to attack, sometimes to keep the holder, to move the ball faster. He has to improve."
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
