Roberto De Zerbi’s first test as Tottenham manager will be against Sunderland on Sunday.
After signing a five-year deal at the club last week, the Italian has spent the past week at Hotspur Way to put his players through their paces and get to know them better.
De Zerbi’s coaching staff at Tottenham was confirmed yesterday, with the likes of Bruno Salter and Fabian Otte remaining at the club to assist him over the course of the current campaign.
While the players continue to get to grips with their new manager’s methods, Alasdair Gold has pinpointed just how hands-on De Zerbi has been with his players, particularly with Lucas Bergvall.
Bergvall-De Zerbi relationship brewing
Bergvall recently returned to action for club and country and could play a big role for Tottenham during the back end of the season.
The young Swede was named Player of the Year last season but has struggled with injuries this time around.
Read More: Tottenham’s 100 days of misery: 5 catastrophic moments from ongoing Premier League winless run
Bergvall, however, played a key role for Sweden during the international break as they booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
And now, after returning to Tottenham training, he has been spotted working closely with De Zerbi.
“I think from what I understand, he’s taken a real kind of hands-on approach to Lucas Bergvall as soon as he’s come in,” said Gold on the Talking Tottenham podcast.
“I think we saw it in the video, him having a chat with him, and I think that’s kind of been the way behind the scenes as well. I think he’ll like him a lot because he’s so versatile, he could play as his 10, couldn’t he?
“He can play in midfield. You want these young players who can receive the ball, turn in tight spaces and do exactly what he needs to.”
Bergvall could be Tottenham’s saviour
Tottenham have a lot of options in midfield, but Bergvall’s skillset makes him unique.
He could really thrive in De Zerbi’s 4-2-3-1 set-up as a No.10, which would allow the likes of Archie Gray and Pape Sarr to be stationed as the holding midfielders.
Read More: Tottenham players loving one particular aspect of Roberto De Zerbi’s training sessions
The youngster can play between the lines and thread the needle with a final pass, which would allow Tottenham to break down teams at will.
A lot of players could benefit from De Zerbi’s arrival as he is one of the best tacticians in the modern game, but if things go well for Bergvall, he could be catapulted into superstardom under the mercurial Italian.
