After having spent the current winter transfer window rather quietly, FC Barcelona were seemingly close to completing the signing of one of the brightest up-and-coming talents in Europe, Lucas Bergvall.
The youngster had already visited Barcelona, and almost everything indicated that signing for the Catalans was only a matter of time for the Swede, as he had rejected advances from most other European clubs.
However, one club remained in the race for his signature with Barcelona, i.e., Tottenham. According to the latest update from SPORT in this regard, the Premier League side has pipped the Blaugranes to sign the midfielder. As a result, Bergvall will play in the Premier League next season.
As already reported here, Bergvall had visited both London and Barcelona before deciding on his next destination. In London, his compatriot Dejan Kulusevski tried to convince him to join Spurs.
Still, Barcelona were confident that they would be able to sign the midfielder, despite the uncertainty at the club after Xavi’s announcement of leaving at the end of the season. Now, Barcelona believe it was the higher agent commissions offered by Tottenham that helped them win the race.
The youngster will turn eighteen in a few hours, and then officially announce his next destination. But with Tottenham in the pole position, this is going to be a blow for Barcelona, as the Catalans had put in a lot of effort to sign the midfielder, and already believed him to be an important part of their project in the future.
As things stand, there is some confusion about the fee paid for the youngster. The Catalan club was reported to be open to paying €7 million fixed and another €3 million in variables a few days ago, but later this figure rose up to €15 million in total because of Tottenham’s involvement in the transfer. Reports from Sweden indicate that the operation can now reach around €19.5 million.