Lucas Bergvall: Elliot Anderson’s Nottingham Forest replacement – ​​where else could he go?

The seemingly inconceivable process of changing Elliot Anderson has begun for Nottingham Forest.

Since Anderson arrived from Newcastle United two years in the past, for £35million, Forest haven’t signed a holding midfielder on a everlasting deal.

Only Douglas Luiz and James Ward-Prowse arrived on mortgage at the moment, making 14 begins between them and returning to their dad or mum golf equipment by January.

But with Manchester City bidding and rivals Manchester United within the England worldwide, Forest have identified 20-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall as a potential replacement for Anderson.

Bergvall, who’s on the World Cup with Sweden, would arrive with related positional uncertainty to Anderson however has the attributes and Premier League expertise to fit into Forest’s midfield neatly.

They can’t try to exchange the whole lot Anderson brings, however Bergvall’s traits match these they may miss essentially the most, and would complement his potential midfield companion Ibrahim Sangare effectively.

In their profitable partnership, Anderson was the all-action, box-to-box choice, the place Sangare was the calming affect, working collectively in triangles with Morgan Gibbs-White forward of them.

Bergvall’s ball-carrying traits mirror these of Anderson, a participant who can wriggle out of tight areas and works onerous off the ball. Bergvall has averaged 2.98 take-ons per 90 within the final two league seasons with a 50 per cent success charge; Anderson was 2.8 at 49 p.c.

This passage of play from Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in 2025 exhibits Bergvall’s means to drive into house.

Bergvall receives the ball on his weaker left foot, underneath stress from Nico Gonzalez.

He shifts the ball onto his proper foot and breaks previous Gonzalez.

He progresses Spurs 10 yards and creates two passing lanes.

In 2025-26, Anderson averaged 89.3 touches and 64.4 go makes an attempt per 90, with a completion charge of 86 per cent. Bergvall, throughout various positions and over the past two seasons, has averaged 60.4 touches and 41.2 go makes an attempt per 90, with a hit charge of 87 per cent.

His physicality is analogous too, one thing he developed throughout his time at Tottenham, affectionately described as a “lump” by team-mate James Maddison in 2025.

Bergvall will not be the completed article, although. He has not appeared snug dropping deep and receiving the ball off the again 4, a job Forest’s midfield duo shared.

Sangare and Anderson excelled at firing the ball ahead into Gibbs-White with regularity, with 14.4 and 15.8 traces damaged per 100 passes for the final season, in comparison with Bergvall’s 9.2.

Anderson’s involvement was extra in his personal half and tended to float left.

Bergvall operated extra to the appropriate and wasn’t required to be as concerned in build-up play.

Forest aren’t any strangers to signing younger gamers with a need to supply themselves, and have a observe document of offering an setting for them to flourish.

Nobody exhibits that greater than Gibbs-White, who swapped Wolverhampton Wanderers for Forest in 2022 to shake the considering he would all the time be that “kid from the academy.”He has since develop into their captain, had 71 purpose involvements and been nominated for the Premier League’s participant of the season award.

Callum Hudson-Odoi signed from Chelsea at 22 and is now a daily starter, and Anthony Elanga was 21 when he arrived from Manchester United. He gained confidence and conviction in entrance of purpose earlier than departing for Newcastle final summer time, Forest making £37m revenue on the £15m spent on him in July 2023.

Anderson didn’t nail down a beginning place at Newcastle and, when he arrived at Forest, performed off the wing and throughout the midfield till constant minutes as a holding participant.

Bergvall faces the same quandary. He gained Spurs supporters’ and gamers’ participant of the season in 2024-25 working as essentially the most forward-thinking choice of a holding midfield duo however struggled to construct on that final marketing campaign.

Despite making 33 appearances, he solely began 4 matches in 2026 (however did miss two months with an ankle harm) and his greatest place has remained blurred. He has operated as a No 6, No 8, No 10 and even out extensive.

Signing a younger participant matches with Forest’s recruitment mannequin and Bergvall’s two seasons in England means he mustn’t take months to rise up to hurry.

Pereira brought the best out of Forest’s depleted dressing room and, in Gibbs-White and Sangare, Bergvall would have midfield companions who know the system, and play it effectively.

The large query, although, is — does he have the standard and self-discipline to step up in Anderson’s absence?

Where else could he go?

Aston Villa and Newcastle United stand out as groups in want of a squad refresh. They ranked nineteenth and fifteenth respectively for common age throughout their squad in 2025-26 (via Transfermarkt), and haven’t added sufficient younger or peak-age gamers in recent times as a result of struggles with revenue and sustainability guidelines.

There are questions, nevertheless, on whether or not Bergvall instantly improves both staff’s beginning XI.

Villa’s place, as reported by TheAthleticis {that a} sale could be obligatory for them to signal him. In their midfield division, they’ve Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Ross Barkley and Youri Tielemans, the latter of whom is coming into the ultimate two years of his contract.

While Villa hopes to resume Tielemans’ deal, the 29-year-old does have curiosity from elsewhere. In that actuality, Bergvall would are available in however solely as a replacement for Tielemans or every other midfield exit.

Tielemans has been an integral a part of Villa’s success underneath Unai Emery as a tempo-setter. Among central and defensive midfielders with 900 or extra minutes throughout the final two Premier League seasons, his 19.3 traces damaged per 100 go makes an attempt ranks first.

Bergvall has not proven the same passing arsenal, preferring brief exchanges to flow into possession and relying extra on his dribbling. Only Maddison, Tottenham team-mate Dejan Kulusevski and Tijjani Reijnders, of Manchester City, amongst central and defensive midfielders, have tried extra take-ons (2.98 per 90) than him since 2024-25.

Bergvall’s playstyle map from 2024-25, when he performed 1,206 league minutes in comparison with 966 underneath 4 completely different managers in 2025-26, exhibits a midfielder who excels at retaining the ball and relishes snapping into tackles within the center third. He has not but developed right into a passer and deep-lying playmaker like Tielemans or an attacking midfielder who creates and scores recurrently.

In Kamara, Villa have a participant who can tackle the Tielemans’ position, having averaged 15.5 traces damaged per 100 makes an attempt since 2024-25. The 26-year-old has been sidelined with a knee harm since January.

Bergvall, who’s of the same mould to Onana, would supply a complementary companion for Kamara when he returns, whereas bolstering Villa’s depth earlier than a return to the Champions League.

It is the same story at Newcastle.

Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali have fashioned Eddie Howe’s first-choice midfield trio for the final three seasons. In 2025-26, Guimaraes and Joelinton missed time with harm, making fewer than 30 Premier League appearances. Tonali’s future at St James’ Park is unsure, with TheAthletic reporting on June 20 that Tottenham have opened talks with Newcastle about signing the 26-year-old Italy international.

As is the case with Tielemans, Bergvall has not but proven that he could be a Tonali replacement. While he has had a handful of minutes for Spurs as a No 6, he is at his greatest in a extra superior position. He profiles higher as a replacement for Joelinton as a result of his athleticism, tenacity and dribbling means.

TheAthletic reported on June 12 that Joe Willock, with one year left on his contract, is likely to depart too. Willock is the same profile to Joelinton and has stepped in for the Brazil midfielder as a No 8 when required.

Bergvall, six years youthful than Willock and 9 years Joelinton’s junior, would supply extra future upside. Regular minutes, having performed solely 32 per cent of the staff’s league minutes in two seasons at Spurs, and harm luck (14 video games missed as a result of concussion and ankle and groin points) can be key.