How Spurs plan to sign a £51m replacement

What goes in means going out; that's just a fact of life. Tottenham Hotspur's lavish spending in the early going would backfire.

The issue is, have the Lilywhites given Roberto De Zerbi too much power? Are they selling the family silver to fund a quick, short-term success?

This is a team crying out for experience and proven Premier League quality, although eyebrows must be raised at the decision to allow Luka Vuskovic to head to Brighton and Hove Albion, even with Jan Paul van Hecke having moved elsewhere.

That exchange of youth for experience could be repeated in relation to Newcastle United, where the £100m arrival of Sandro Tonali could play its part in ending Lucas Bergvall's stay at N17. Is it time to cash in on the Swede, or will it come back to bite north Londoners?

Are Spurs right to cash in on Lucas Bergvall?

From a business perspective, the decision to sell the 20-year-old makes perfect sense, considering he arrived at a young age two years ago for just £8.5m.

It is suggested that Spurs this week alone rejected a £46m bid from Newcastle, feeling they could make an even bigger profit on the Scandinavian star.

It is also worth noting that Bergvall has yet to thrive in English football, starting 11 Premier League games in the past two seasons.

Injuries, coupled with competition for places, have hampered the budding star, and he did not feature much in De Zerbi's thinking at the end of last term, playing just ten minutes in the last four league games.

There may not be a better time to make a big profit, although the ongoing problem is that there is talent out there to be excited, Bergvall praised boasting a first touch as ” [Luka] Modric” by JJ Bull of Athletic.

The Swedish star is a handsome, charismatic midfielder, someone who seems to work in a variety of midfield roles. Having already boasted an 89% pass accuracy in 2024/25 as well, he seems a perfect fit for De Zerbi's attacking style.

If there is a choice between Bergvall and Archie Gray, however, the latter showed encouragement, confirming that, after Vuskovic, Bergvall could be the next player of this new era under the Italian maverick.

The arrival of a third midfielder, even after signing Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, had not been released even before the talk about Bergvall, De Zerbi wanted to oversee a real overhaul in the department.

Yves Bissouma has already left on a free, while loan hero Joao Palhinha is not expected to return, suggesting there may be room for another, especially given the recent injury record of Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.

Another name that has been thrown around for Japan's World Cup star, Kaishu Sano, TEAMtalk has reported that Tottenham are among the clubs that have held talks with the player's representatives.

Both Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have also reached out to the 25-year-old's camp, although with Liverpool, the Reds are considered to be leading the race as they prepare to make their first bid.

Depending on the nature of that bid, the Reds are said to be willing to meet Mainz's £51m asking price, putting pressure on the likes of Spurs to step up their interest.

Sano may not be a household name for Tonali and Fernandes, but he could be a replacement for Bergvall, as he has shown his class at world level in recent weeks.

It was his goal that gave Japan the lead against Brazil in the round of 32, whipping the air past the aging Casemiro with ease, before firing home from distance.

In all three of his starts at the tournament, Sano has boasted an accuracy rate of 91%, completing an impressive 90% of his passes in the opposition half, suggesting that he can thrive in tight spaces and against the likes of the Netherlands and Brazil.

He also had one assist and averaged 2.3 tackles per game, providing a real fighting edge in the heart of Japan's midfield.

For context, when Bergvall started just one of his four trips to Sweden, he averaged 88% accuracy, while averaging just 1.3 turnovers and an interception per game.

Looking back at last season's Bundesliga as well, Sano was consistent, starting all 34 games in Germany's top flight, while creating six 'big chances' and registering three goals and assists.

He continues to improve over Bergvall obviously, as Sano's deal could speed up the process of getting Bergvall out the door.

Perhaps the Lilywhites will live to regret such a sale, but after two very difficult seasons for the youngster in N17, there are not too many complaints.