Tottenham Hotspur secured the services of Swedish talent Lucas Bergvall on the final day of the January transfer window.
The Lilywhites struck a deal with Djurgarden for the promising midfielder, agreeing to a fee of £8.5 million. Bergvall is set to join North London on a five-year contract starting in July.
They reportedly hijacked a deal from right under Barcelona’s noses, leaving a bit of bad taste with the Spanish giants.
According to Peter Kisfaludy, Djurgarden’s chief youth director, the decision was a tough one for the teenager and his family. Ultimately, Bergvall opted for the English club over the Catalan giants due to his dream of playing in the Premier League.
The Barcelona-based news outlet Sport suggested that Tottenham offered a more lucrative deal to the midfielder, which Barcelona couldn’t match, given Bergvall’s limited experience at the top level.
The report claims that ‘everything began to go wrong’ with the deal with Barcelona when the agent allegedly asked for more commission from Barcelona.
Barcelona officials claim that Tottenham’s willingness to pay a higher commission to Bergvall’s agent may have influenced the player’s decision in favour of the North London club.
Report further suggests that Barcelona harbour resentment towards Bergvall, as they believe the player’s representatives used the club’s name in the media to pressure Tottenham into meeting their demands.
It has also been alleged that Bergvall’s agent ‘worked secretly’ with Tottenham. Consequently, Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, opted against making an improved offer to avoid being manipulated by the player’s representatives.
The situation has left lingering feelings of frustration and disappointment in Catalonia, as Bergvall was on the brink of finalizing a deal with Barcelona before Tottenham swooped in with a last-minute hijack.
