‘I had Man Utd trials but joined rivals for £8.5m - Guardiola thinks I’m unreal'

Manchester United have been left to mull over their mistakes after watching Lucas Bergvall's star rise at Tottenham Hotspur.

The 19-year-old Swedish midfielder has impressed for Spurs after his £8.5million move from Djurgardens IF in his home country. An under-the-radar signing last February, Bergvall has been thrust into the spotlight due to the club's injury woes, chalking up 34 appearances for Ange Postecoglou's side so far this season.

United had multiple opportunities to sign the teenager themselves, twice taking him on trial years before his move to north London. To add insult to injury, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola showered Bergvall with praise after his team's 1-0 victory against Tottenham on Wednesday.

"Bergvall, every time he has the ball and runs, he's unstoppable," Guardiola said. "[Djed] Spence, Pedro Porro, [Destiny] Udogie, [Dejan] Kulusevski, [Heung-min] Son. It's an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play really good."

Manchester Evening News reported that Bergvall caught the attention of United's Scandinavian scout, Sergio de Souza, as far back as 2020 during the midfielder's time with IF Brommapojkarna. Aged 15, he made his way to Carrington for a trial that ultimately didn't lead to a deal, despite hints of a potential £1.5m offer from United.

Brexit regulations later took effect, requiring overseas players to turn 18 before signing for clubs. Despite this, United showed interest by inviting him for a second trial in 2022, when he registered an assist for United's under-16s.

He joined Djurgardens in December of the same year, and changes to United's recruitment staff are believed to have caused the club to lose the race for Bergvall's signature. On February 1, 2024, the day before his 18th birthday, it was announced that the two-time United trialist had signed for Spurs, joining his new club at the end of the season.

Bergvall scored his first goal for Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool in January. Spurs boss Postecoglou was thrilled with his performance and acknowledged how quickly he had adapted to the first team.

"Lucas was brilliant. Like I said, I haven't lost sight of the fact that we've got two 18-year-olds, one who's playing at centre back (Archie Gray), it's not even his position," Postecoglou explained. "I just don't think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment.

"Lucas is just growing all the time. He's got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself. He's got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well."