Chelsea made a late attempt to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall in the recently concluded winter transfer window, according to David Ornstein.
Last summer, Chelsea were poised to add a new attacking midfielder, capable of playing multiple roles.
The club were heavily linked with Xavi Simons and reportedly held talks, but London rivals Tottenham trumped them to secure his signature on deadline day.
They also looked to sign Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, but a move did not materialise, as the Spaniard remained with the LaLiga champions and has since extended his contract until 2031.
With options now short, the Blues turned to Brighton & Hove Albion to sign Facundo Buonanotte on a one-year loan deal, where he featured eight times before cutting short his deal to sign for Leeds United in January for the remainder of the season.
With Buonanotte gone and fitness concerns for Cole Palmer, it appears Chelsea explored midfield options in the winter transfer window, as Ornstein claims the London giants made enquiries about a potential transfer for Bergvall to Stamford Bridge.
Amid his long injury this season, the 20-year-old has played a reduced role, leading to interest from the Blues in his services in January, according to the report.
Writing in The Athletic, Ornstein reveals that Chelsea’s interest stemmed from their failure to land Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz before he joined his former club, Aston Villa, who also made enquiries about Bergvall.
Chelsea have their own Bergvall in Reggie Walsh
However, despite the interest from both clubs, the report adds that Tottenham rebuffed every approach for the midfielder and made it clear they were not considering his departure from the club where he is contracted until 2031.
The Blues are already well stocked in central areas, with several options, including highly rated academy prospect Reggie Walsh.
The England U18 star became Chelsea’s third-youngest debutant, behind Ian Hamilton and Kingsley Whiffen, when he made his debut against Bergvall’s former club Djurgårdens IF in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League semi-finals.
In the 5-1 win over Ajax this season, he surpassed Dominic Solanke’s 11-year record to become Chelsea’s youngest-ever UEFA Champions League debutant as well as the second youngest Englishman to debut in the competition, behind Jack Wilshere.
Having shown promise whenever called upon, the 17-year-old has proven reliable and, if given enough time, could become a vital player for the club.
As such, Chelsea should look inward to give Walsh more playing time rather than breaking the bank, as Bergvall will likely command a fee well above his £34m Transfermarkt valuation.
