Newcastle United’s midfield rebuild remains unfinished with a little over two weeks left in the summer transfer window and mere days for the Premier League opener against Liverpool.
Matthias Jaissle’s side clearly lacks a proven player in the area and is expected to add further options after losing both Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, although no transfer for a veteran has materialized for now.
According to reports, one of Newcastle’s long-running pursuits was effectively placed on hold for weeks, with Newcastle waiting for UEFA’s 45-day player-exchange accounting period following Tonali’s £100 million move to Tottenham to expire before returning to the negotiating table.
Now, Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reports Newcastle — and Nottingham Forest — is expected to submit an improved offer for Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall after having an initial £46 million bid rejected earlier in the window.
“Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Newcastle and Forest intend to submit new offers for Bergvall after they saw respective bids turned down earlier in the window,” O’Rourke reported. “The 20-year-old signed a new Spurs contract just over 12 months ago that runs until 2031, and they are believed to be demanding upwards of £50million for his services.”
Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson previously told Football Insider that the Magpies appeared to be deliberately waiting until approximately Aug. 16 before making another move because of UEFA’s new accounting regulations and after submitting their first offer for Bergvall.
Now that the waiting period has effectively passed, Newcastle should be in the clear to resume its pursuit without a Bergvall transfer potentially being treated as a player exchange connected to Tonali’s move in the opposite direction.
O’Rourke reported that Bergvall’s own position has not changed despite Roberto De Zerbi using him regularly during preseason, which might just be the manager’s way of showcasing the player and dangling him in front of the world.
“This is an ongoing situation with Bergvall,” O’Rourke explained. “I don’t think his stance has changed, and he would be interested in a move away from Tottenham in search of regular, consistent first-team football, which he probably isn’t going to get there after their new midfield signings.”
That leaves Newcastle with an opening as it prepares to return with another offer, although Nottingham Forest remains direct competition for his signature and it looks like landing Bergvall won’t be cheap for any suitor.
Would you go beyond £50 million for Bergvall, or should Newcastle prioritize adding another midfielder instead? Share your thoughts below!