De Zerbi: Unhappy players should leave Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi, the Italian manager of Tottenham Hotspur, has stated that any player who does not feel happy or proud to represent the club should leave the team. This comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who has informed the club's management of his desire to leave during the current summer transfer window.

De Zerbi spoke at a press conference ahead of the team's pre-season tour in New Zealand and Australia: "I have been clear since day one at Tottenham. Anyone who does not want to stay here, or does not feel happy or proud to represent Tottenham, should leave. I want players who are proud to wear this shirt and have a strong motivation to play, because motivation makes the difference."

Regarding Bergvall's future, the Italian coach clarified that he has not spoken with the player yet, but he intends to meet with him in the coming days, adding: "I haven't talked to Lucas yet, and I will do so in the coming days. We will make the best decision for the club, for the player, for me, and for everyone. Bergvall is a very big talent."

He added: "If he wants to stay, I will be happy with that, but if he decides to leave, we will work with sporting director Johan Lange and CEO Vinai Venkatesham to find the right solution. Once a departure decision is made, it will no longer be my responsibility."

Regarding the transfer market, De Zerbi confirmed that Tottenham has not completed its signings yet, highlighting the team's need to strengthen the attacking line, saying: "Our market is not over yet. We need to bring in more players, perhaps two or more. Our goal now is to complete the attacking positions, and we want to sign top-level players."

The coach praised the new signings, particularly Andy Robertson, stating: "We need experienced players like Robertson, as we want to improve the mentality and increase the experience within the team after two seasons where Tottenham has not achieved what it should."

Regarding the absence of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr from the pre-season tour, De Zerbi clarified that there is no cause for concern, emphasizing that they are key players. He also revealed that Mohammed Kudus is close to returning to team training after recovering from his injury.