Newcastle and Nottingham Forest 'moves' for Lucas Bergvall 'play right into Tottenham's hands'
Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Bergvall demands are set to skyrocket after sparking a bidding war for his signature this summer.
Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United have both made formal offers for the 20-year-old, and while a £45million bid was expected to be accepted, Spurs have revised their plans.
Instead, they hope to play the two interested parties off against each other in a bid to force up his price tag and maximise the profits from his sale.
Former Tottenham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Newcastle have caused themselves issues by joining the race for Bergvall as the deal may now be difficult.
Both Forest and Newcastle have money to spend after the big-money sales of Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali, with the Spurs midfielder seen as their preferred replacements.
Bergvall has also made clear his desire to leave Tottenham this summer, but with both clubs making moves, Spurs hope to receive the highest fee possible.
What is Tottenham's updated stance on Lucas Bergvall?
Football Insider revealed on 19 July that Tottenham have made a U-turn on Bergvall's future, abandoning their initial stance that he was not for sale in favour of pursuing a big profit.
The Sweden international joined Spurs for £8.5million in 2024, and are now expected to sell for a fee upwards of £50million if they get the desired outcome of the bidding war.
Both Nottingham Forest and Newcastle remain keen to sign Bergvall, despite his increased price tag, as they aim to beat one another to a key signing.
"Tottenham are in full control over Bergvall's future because he's on a big contract there," Brown told Football Insider.
"They will only sell for a price that suits them, so when you see both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest making moves, that's going to play right into their hands.
"Tottenham now will be looking to get the best price possible, even more than they originally would've accepted.
"Especially when you consider that Bergvall has asked to leave and said he doesn't want to be at Tottenham any more, so if they can make a huge profit, that'll be a great deal.
"They expect Nottingham Forest and Newcastle to return with new offers, they want to start a bidding war, so let's wait and see what happens."
Can Nottingham Forest beat Newcastle to sign Bergvall?
The eventual winner in the race to sign Bergvall will likely depend on which club is willing to spend the most money in their attempts to convince Tottenham to sell.
Neither club can offer the midfielder European football next season, with Newcastle having finished in 12th while Forest finished 16th, but they are both making ambitous plans.
Brown told Football Insider on 10 July that Nottnigham Forest are working hard to convince Bergvall of a move to the City Ground with talks ongoing over a deal.
Following the appointment of Oliver Glasner, they are looking to put ambitious plans in place to strengthen his squad and return to European football after their Europa League campaign.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have competed in the Champions League in two of the last three seasons and are aiming to return to Europe's premier competition in the near future.