Lucas Bergvall: The Swedish Wonderkid Headed for Tottenham Hotspur
Club: Djurgården IF
Nationality: Sweden
Position(s): CM, DM
Preferred Foot: Right
Height: 6’1”/186cm
Age: 18
Strengths: football IQ, creativity, dribbling, vision, tackling, defensive work rate, passing, finishing, flair
Areas for Development: aerial duels, strength
Over the past year, we’ve seen various Swedish players make the move to some of Europe’s leading clubs. Viktor Gyökeres (25) has taken the continent by storm since leaving Coventry City and joining Sporting CP, Hugo Larsson (19) has emerged as a regular in midfield for Eintracht Frankfurt after arriving from Malmö this past summer, whilst Anthony Elanga (21) has benefitted from his decision to depart boyhood club Manchester United for Nottingham Forest.
The next Swedish talent to try his luck in one of Europe’s leading clubs will be Lucas Bergvall. Born and raised in Stockholm, Bergvall progressed through the academy of IF Brommapojkarna, making his debut in Sweden’s second-tier on July 9, 2022 in a 1-1 draw vs. Örgryte IS. Five months later, Bergvall departed his boyhood club and joined top-flight side Djurgårdens.
His Allsvenskan debut came on May 24, 2023, with Bergvall delivering an impressive display in midfield and leading his side to a 1-0 victory against reigning champions BK Häcken. This prompted Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet to name him as the man of the match and forecast that he would become “Djurgården’s biggest transfer ever.” They were soon proven right.
Over the next few months, Bergvall would emerge as a key figure in the center of the pitch and earn a spot in The Guardian’s Next Generation 2003 list, slotting in with the likes of Endrick, Eli Junior Kroupi and Warren Zaïre-Emery as one of the best players born in 2006. On February 1, one day before turning 18, Bergvall signed a five-year contract at Tottenham Hotspur for a transfer fee of £8.5 million, with the teenager joining the North London side on July 1.
An uber-complete profile in midfield, he is creative enough to be a top-level no.10, but he’s also a tall, physically imposing player whose duel-winning ability and stamina makes him a good fit as an #8 as well. With strong finishing, impressive ball-carrying and a mental focus that belies his tender age, Bergvall’s excellent footballing IQ makes him stand out amongst his age mates.
The Swedish playmaker loves to break the lines with his passes and is capable of splitting apart the opposing defense with perfectly timed through balls, dictating the flow of possession and teeing up his teammates with precise passing. A decisive player who can change a game through his creativity or goal-scoring ability, he’s a dangerous threat in the final third and is capable of becoming a double-digit goal-scoring threat — provided that he starts increasing his shot volume and the amount of times he crashes into the opposing box.
Viktor Gyökeres since the start of November:
-Brace of assists vs. Estrela
-Goal vs. Benfica
-Goal vs. Dumiense
-Assist vs. Atalanta
-Brace vs. Gil Vicente
-Goal vs. Sturm Graz
-Goal and assist vs. Porto
-Goal vs. Portimonense@Ben_Mattinson_:https://t.co/thQGNSWCX4 pic.twitter.com/f7ypyjOKL9
— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) January 4, 2024
This year, he’s already chipped in with 3 goals and 4 assists to lead his side to the Swedish Cup Final, where they will face Malmö on May 1. However, numbers don’t tell the full story with regards to his complete profile. In deep positions, Bergvall wins the ball and sprays passes wide to advancing attackers, creating chances with ease and carrying the ball up the pitch with speed and grace. Off the ball, he’s capable of carving out opportunities with his unique technical flair, arriving into the box and testing the goalkeeper with a well-timed effort.
He is quite similar to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in that he has the raw power and technical ability to adapt to any role in midfield. Bellingham wore the #22 shirt at Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund and now England because of this adaptability, with his youth coach stating that he can play in all three midfield positions (4+8+10=22). Whilst Bergvall is capable of adapting to an advanced midfield role or a deep-lying playmaker or even as a second striker, he is best suited for the #8 where he can impact the game in all phases.
Bergvall is a strong ball carrier who excels at dribbling in tight spaces. He loves to progress play either through his ball-carrying or his top-notch passing ability, and he has good stride variance as well, allowing him to run with the ball at quick speeds whilst also having the turning radius to beat his man and hold onto the ball. Above all, though, he boasts a work-rate and dedication that should put him in good stead for his upcoming move to the Premier League.
He’s active defensively and is able to read the game well and make vital interceptions to snuff out the counter, and he doesn’t shy away from putting in a tackle and coming out with the ball in ground duels. Whilst many attacking midfielders shy away from the physical side of the game, Bergvall relishes in it, and at 18, there’s still plenty of room for him to put on more muscle.
If there is one area where he needs to improve, it’s aerial duels, although this should come with experience as well as physical development as he fills out his frame and grows his body. An all-round, influential profile in midfield who is capable of holding his own in all phases of play and making himself a nuisance in ground duels, Bergvall looks set to play a pivotal role in midfield for both the Sweden national team and Tottenham Hotspur.
By: Ben Mattinson / @Ben_Mattinson_
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Michael Campanella – Getty Images