Tottenham Hotspur’s winter transfer window is effectively over. Tottenham attempted to hijack Swedish wonderkid midfielder Lukas Beribal, but the player’s desire to join Barcelona was too strong.
“Tottenham have attempted to hijack Barcelona’s offer for wonderkid Beribal, who has already made his Swedish international debut at the age of 17,” the Daily Mail reported on Jan. 30 (KST). “Beribal is set to join Barcelona for a transfer fee of £8.5 million ($14.3 billion), but Tottenham can compete.”
Sportsmall also reported that Tottenham would be competing with Barcelona for Beribal, stating, “Tottenham have made an attempt to intercept Barcelona transfer target Beribal. Barcelona are currently leading the race for the player, but Spurs have also contacted his club Jurgodense about him.”
“Tottenham are interested in signing Verbal,” Sportsweekly reported. Berivald is understood to have visited Tottenham during a trip to England and toured the club’s facilities,” raising the possibility of a move to Spurs.
The Swedish midfielder, born in 2006, is a huge prospect who is currently on the radar across Europe. He has already made his Swedish international debut for Jurgårdens in his home league, and his talent has been recognized early on.
He scored two goals and provided one assist in 25 league appearances last season and proved his goal-scoring prowess in the UEFA Europa Conference second qualifying round, scoring twice in just 30 minutes against Lucerne.
Verbal prefers to play on the right side of the center midfield and has explosive pace for his size. He also has the ability to control the tempo of the game. He has a neat touch and a good understanding of the space around him, making him a good passer in space, and his strength lies in his ability to move between the lines of defense.
Beribal has also become known for his good looks. His Nordic heritage means that he stands at 6’2″ and is very handsome. He’s been touted as the next in a long line of handsome midfielders, including David Beckham, Kaka, and Claudio Marchisio.
He’s as good as he looks, which is why he’s been pursued by some of Europe’s biggest clubs this winter. Premier League clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Newcastle United, as well as Italian clubs Juventus and Inter Milan, have all shown interest in Verbal.
Enter Tottenham, who were looking to bolster their midfield. With regular midfielders Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg classified as a non-performer, they needed a new player. They turned to Verbal, not for immediate impact but for the future.
However, it looks like the signing will end in failure. The player’s desire to join Barcelona is reportedly too strong. European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on social media, “Barcelona will make an official offer for Berivald next week. It includes a €7 million ($10.1 billion) transfer fee and a €3 million ($4.3 billion) option.”
“Verbal is very clear. He only wants to join Barcelona. The deal is almost done, and he will join on July 1,” he said, adding that Verbal only wants to join Barcelona.
Tony Juan Martí of Sport de España confirmed that the player is now a Barcelona player, saying on July 30, “Verbal has already arrived in Spain to complete his transfer to Barcelona.”
Barcelona Noticias also reported that “Verbal has already finalized his move to Barcelona. Accompanied by his agent, he was spotted meeting with Barcelona president Deco Barcelona at a restaurant in downtown Barcelona.” “The transfer will take place this summer, not in the winter. Barcelona will have one of the most promising young players in European soccer.”
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s winter transfer window looks set to end with the loan of Timo Werner and the signing of Radu Dragucin.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of the club’s league game against Brentford on January 1, manager Anze Postecoglou said, according to Football England, “As far as I can see, there will probably be no further signings. I’m not involved in transfers, so it might be a little bit different, but I don’t think there will be any additional signings.”
Tottenham announced the loan signing of Werner on Tuesday via their official channels. “We are delighted to announce the signing of Werner on loan,” the club said. “The Germany international joins Tottenham on loan until the end of the season. He will wear the number 16 shirt with an option to make the deal permanent in the summer.”
Werner is an all-rounder who will eventually fill the void left by captain Son Heung-min, who is away at the Asian Cup, and will either coexist with him or play as his backup when he returns.
Then there’s the Romanian monster center back Dragusin. On the 12th, the club officially announced the signing of Dragucin through the club’s official website, subject to the issuance of a British Labor Authority work permit. His contract runs until 2030, and while the club did not disclose the terms of the deal, it is known that he will earn an annual salary of €3 million (approximately $4.3 billion) and will wear the number 6 shirt.
The Red Devils have been in the running for rival Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher and Manchester City fat midfielder Calvin Phillips, but neither will be available this winter. Gallagher is strongly wanted to stay by Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, while Phillips has been linked with a move to Newcastle.
With both players out of reach, Spurs, who have been linked with Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey and Swedish wonderkid Beribal, are likely to end up with just Werner and Dragucin.