Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall has signed a new contract which will keep him tied down in North London until 2031.
The Swedish midfielder only joined Spurs last summer for a reported £8.5m from Djurgarden, where he had spent 18 months following a move from boyhood club Brommapojkarna.
After making his first start in the dramatic EFL Cup victory over Coventry City in September, Bergvall has gone on to be hugely involved in first-team matters this season, making 45 appearances, despite only turning 19 in February.
The club have evidently seen enough from the youngster to offer him a new and improved deal though, with the two sides agreeing on a new five-and-a-half year contract.
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A bright spark in a dark Spurs season
It has been far from a positive season for Spurs, with manager Ange Postecoglou in serious danger of losing his job with the club down in 16th in the Premier League table after losing 5-1 at Liverpool on Sunday.
It is in cup competitions where Spurs have been at their best though, and Bergvall has featured prominently in both the Europa League and the EFL Cup.
Bergvall's only goal in Spurs colours to date came in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg with Liverpool, which secured a 1-0 win, but they were convincingly beaten in the return at Anfield.
Spurs' Europa League campaign continues though, and along with fellow teenager Archie Gray, Bergvall has been handed plenty of opportunities in that competition, and taken them with both hands.
Bergvall was hugely impressive in both legs of the quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this month, and even though he played 90 minutes at Anfield on Sunday, he is in line to start against Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their semi-final on Thursday.
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A player to build around?
Many of Spurs' recent recruits have been with the future in mind, and Bergvall and Gray are at the centre of that, as well as Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, Antonin Kinsky and loanee Mathys Tel, who could sign permanently in the summer.
While this has been a very difficult campaign for Spurs, a few more signings to complement the young blood that is coming through could help them to compete towards the top end of the Premier League again.
Winning the Europa League would help in that respect, as it would see Spurs return to the Champions League next season, and Bergvall is set to play a key role in their chances now that the semi-finals are on the horizon, despite his tender age.
Andrew Delaney
