Unhappy Tottenham players should leave - De Zerbi

Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi says players who are not happy at the club this summer should move elsewhere.

The Italian, who took over at Spurs at the end of March and helped save them from Premier league relegation last season, made his comments amid doubts over Lucas Bergvall's future at the club.

Tottenham rejected a first bid of £38m from Nottingham Forest for Sweden midfielder Bergvall, with Forest set to up their offer to £45m.

"I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said, who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham? Who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave," De Zerbi said, external before his side's pre-season friendly against Auckland FC in New Zealand on Sunday (04:30 BST).

"I want the players to be proud and happy to stay here, to go on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with big motivation. Because now in football, if you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference.

"The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team."

Forest set to make £45m offer for Spurs' Bergvall

Tottenham not finished in transfer market

Bergvall, who joined Spurs from Swedish club Djurgarden in 2024, played limited minutes at the end of last season under De Zerbi.

The 20-year-old started the Italian's first game in charge – a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland – and, after that, made four appearances as a substitute.

Spurs have since signed midfielders Sandro Tonali - in a £100m deal from Newcastle United - and Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham.

"I have not spoken with Lucas yet," said De Zerbi. "I will in the next days and we will make the best decision for the club, for Lucas, for me, for every one of us, without problems. Lucas is a big, big talent.

"There will be a big competition to play because at the end, I think we will be two players for each position.

"If he wants to stay, I will be happy. Otherwise, we have to find a new solution with [sporting director] Johan Lange, with [chief executive] Vinai [Venkatesham]. It's not my business after the decision to leave."

Tottenham have also added defenders Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi to their ranks and De Zerbi says now the "target is to complete the attacking positions".

"First of all, I think it's not finished yet, our transfer market window," he added. "We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players."

Bergvall is part of Tottenham's squad in New Zealand but wingers Mohammed Kudus (thigh) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee) have not travelled as they recover from long-term injuries.

"Kudus is very close. I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us," said De Zerbi. "It's a great thing for us. Kudus is another important player.

"Kulusevski, we have to see in the next couple of weeks. He's another important player. After one season, one complete season, without a game, we have to analyse better and better, don't take risks, first of all for him and then for us."

Meanwhile, Spurs attacking midfielder Xavi Simons said "the first four days were the worst days of my life" as he recalled the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in April.

The Netherlands international required surgery on the serious knee injury and missed the 2026 World Cup.

"I couldn't sleep, I didn't eat for one week," he told Tottenham's website. "I was in a lot of pain. I was vomiting and felt dizzy, it was everything. That pain, I don't wish no-one to go through that pain.

"I don't know what it's like for other players but, for me, it was like my whole body was saying like 'what happened?'

"This is what it is. I'm happy and in a good place now."

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