Newcastle United linked with move for Swedish wonderkid - but face stiff Barcelona competition

Newcastle United have been linked with a move for 17-year-old Lucas Bergvall from Swedish outfit Djurgarden. Bergvall only joined the Swedish first-tier team last winter, but his form has reportedly attracted the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs with Newcastle United listed alongside Barcelona as admirers of the midfielder.

But just who is Bergvall and what is the latest surrounding his future in Sweden? Here, we take a look:

Who is Lucas Bergvall?

As mentioned, Bergvall currently plays for Djurgarden in the Allsvenskan as a central-midfielder. Before moving to Djurgarden, Bergvall came through the ranks at IF Brommapojkarna and an academy system that can count Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski, former Juventus midfielder Albin Ekdal, and former Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres as alumni.

At just 17, Bergvall has had limited experience in senior football, however, he did make 25 appearances in the league last year for his club and played 27 minutes of Djurgarden’s UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying defeat to FC Luzern in July. In October, the Guardian listed Bergvall among the 60 best talents in world football. All of this means there is plenty of optimism that he can have a successful career in the game - and plenty of transfer speculation to boot.

Who is interested in Bergvall?

Newcastle United, Inter Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt have all been credited with an interest in Bergvall, however, it seems that Barcelona are currently most advanced for his signature. Djurgarden’s sporting director, Bo Andersson, confirmed that talks had opened with Barcelona over a potential deal for the teenager back in December, saying: “Yes, I can confirm that we have been in contact and in dialogue with Barcelona. But it’s not a negotiation yet. There was some contact with Barcelona last week but this week we haven’t spoken to them.”

Although the La Liga giants have financial difficulties to overcome, Bergvall wouldn’t be an expensive transfer and the lure of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy that has produced so many great talents over the years, will undoubtedly be a big hurdle for any rival to overcome and secure the midfielder’s signature.