De Zerbi's Clear Message: Stay Motivated or Leave Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi has never been shy about drawing lines. In New Zealand, thousands of miles from north London but very much at the heart of Tottenham’s summer reset, he drew another one.
If you’re not happy, you’re out.
The Italian, who dragged Spurs away from the trapdoor last season after arriving in March, made his stance brutally clear as questions swirled around the future of Lucas Bergvall.
De Zerbi’s message: pride or goodbye
“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 declared before Sunday’s pre-season friendly against Auckland FC in Wellington.
No grey area. No soft landing.
He wants players who feel something when they walk out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Players who see the shirt as motivation, not a stepping stone.
“Motivation makes the difference,” he said. “The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team.”
Those words land differently when a £45m bid is hovering in the background.
Bergvall at a crossroads
Nottingham Forest have already tested Spurs’ resolve with a £38m offer for Bergvall, swiftly rejected, and are preparing to come back at £45m for the Sweden midfielder.
Bergvall arrived from Djurgarden in 2024 as one of the most intriguing young talents in Europe. Under De Zerbi, his start was bright but brief. He was handed a place in the XI for the Italian’s first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, then slipped to the fringes – four substitute appearances, limited minutes, even as Spurs fought for survival.
Now the landscape around him has shifted again.
Tottenham have spent heavily in midfield: Sandro Tonali for £100m from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham. Two major signings, two direct competitors, and a manager who openly talks about “two players for each position.”
“I have not spoken with Lucas yet,” De Zerbi admitted. “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.
“If he wants to stay, I will be happy. Otherwise, we have to find a new solution with Johan Lange, with Vinai Venkatesham. It's not my business after the decision to leave.”
The choice is stark: fight for a place in a stacked midfield or accept that his development might accelerate elsewhere.
A squad reshaped, but not finished
Bergvall’s situation is only one thread in a wider rebuild. Tottenham have already moved decisively in defence, adding Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi to a back line that needed depth and personality.
De Zerbi, though, is not satisfied yet.
“First of all, I think it's not finished yet, our transfer market window,” he said. “We have to finish, we have to bring another couple of, maybe more, maybe not less, but a couple of players.”
The priority now is clear: attack. With the spine reinforced, the Italian wants more firepower and variety in the final third. The plan is to walk into the new season with competition everywhere, no position safe, no comfort zones.
For some, that is exactly the environment they crave. For others, like Bergvall, it forces a decision.
Injuries, returns and a long road back
Not everyone has made the long haul to New Zealand. Mohammed Kudus (thigh) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee) stayed in London as they continue their recovery from long-term injuries.
“Kudus is very close,” De Zerbi said. “I think when we come back to London he will be available to start working with us. 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.”
The caution is deliberate. Tottenham have been burned before by rushing players back. With Kulusevski, after an entire campaign without a single appearance, the medical and coaching staff know one misstep could undo months of work.
Xavi Simons and the pain behind the comeback
No one at Spurs needs reminding how brutal that process can be. Xavi Simons has lived it.
The attacking midfielder tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April, underwent surgery and watched the 2026 World Cup from afar. The physical damage was obvious; the emotional toll, less so, until he spoke.
“The first four days were the worst days of my life,” he told the club’s website. “I couldn't sleep, I didn't eat for one week. 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?'”
He is in a better place now, he says. Happy. Stable. Focused on what comes next.
That, ultimately, is the thread running through Tottenham’s summer. De Zerbi wants players who are all-in – whether they are fighting for minutes, returning from injury or staring at a life-changing offer from elsewhere.
Some will stay and embrace the battle. Some will walk away.
The manager has made his position brutally clear. The next move belongs to the dressing room.
