Lucas Bergvall has just signed a new contract at Tottenham, and there are several other members of Roberto De Zerbi’s squad who could soon find themselves following suit.
It was a good summer of business for Tottenham Hotspur, who not only brought in 10 new players but also moved to secure the futures of several important members of the squad after Roberto De Zerbi admitted following last season’s relegation battle that only 10 to 12 players were good enough to remain part of his plans.
Micky Van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Antonin Kinsky were among those handed new contracts over the summer, before Lucas Bergvall, who had submitted a transfer request at the club two months ago, changed his mind and signed a fresh deal on Friday that will keep him at Tottenham until the summer of 2032.
Spurs Web recently compiled a full breakdown of the contract lengths across the Tottenham squad, and with Bergvall now tied down for the long term, it is worth looking at five players who could potentially be next in line for an extension.
1. Archie Gray is a Tottenham vice-captain
Archie Gray arrived at Tottenham just a day after Bergvall in the summer of 2024, with Spurs hijacking a move for the then 18-year-old from Brentford.
The two youngsters were almost always put in the same bracket, and they both quickly established themselves around the first team under Ange Postecoglou, who even once said:
“I’m so happy they’re at our football club and you know, in two or three years’ time, I just pray to God I’m the beneficiary of their talent, mate, because if somebody else is getting it, I won’t be happy.”
Two managers later, that partnership remains relevant, with both Gray and Bergvall impressing under Roberto De Zerbi so far.
Gray’s current Tottenham contract runs until 2030, while Bergvall’s previous deal was due to expire in 2031. That naturally raises the question of whether Gray could be the next one to commit his future to Spurs, and De Zerbi was even asked about it on Friday.
“We often talk about Lucas and Archie Gray together, would you like Archie to be the next one?”
The Tottenham head coach gave a rather cryptic response:
“I am happy when… I am generous as a man and when the people close to me extend their contract, I am happy.”
2. Tottenham will want to tie Luca Williams-Barnett down
Luca Williams Barnett joined the Tottenham Hotspur academy at Under 10s level and went on to earn his first professional contract in October last year after making a particularly strong impression within the youth ranks.
The 17-year-old made his senior debut under Thomas Frank in a Carabao Cup clash against Doncaster Rovers last season before making his second appearance in the same competition during this campaign’s 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic under De Zerbi.
The manager has already spoken highly of Williams Barnett, describing him as a ‘special player’ who needs to be managed ‘like a precious diamond’ after the youngster impressed throughout Tottenham’s pre-season. He featured in 5 matches over the summer and even got on the scoresheet once.
The exact length of his Tottenham contract has not been publicly disclosed, but first professional contracts for players under 18 are generally limited in duration; 3 years being the maximum under the relevant FA and FIFA rules.
That means Williams Barnett could potentially be approaching the final year of his current agreement, depending on the terms Spurs handed him.
He turns 18 on October 1, so it would therefore not be surprising to see Tottenham look to secure his future next month.
3. Rodrigo Bentancur is Tottenham’s best player right now
Just a day after Williams Barnett signed his first professional contract, Rodrigo Bentancur committed his own future to Tottenham by agreeing a new deal until the summer of 2029, having previously been due to become a free agent this summer.
The Uruguay international was one of Spurs’ best midfielders during his first year at the club under Antonio Conte before an ACL injury arrived at a particularly unfortunate stage of his career.
His performances dipped somewhat after returning from that setback, but under De Zerbi he is now looking closer to the player Tottenham saw during his best days under Conte.
Bentancur is arguably the club’s most in form midfielder at present, making a further extension something De Zerbi could eventually want to explore.
With his current deal running until 2029, though, there is no immediate urgency, meaning Spurs could wait until next year before addressing his situation again.
4. Spurs will want James Maddison back to his best
James Maddison has endured an extremely unfortunate spell since moving to North London from Leicester City in 2023, missing 419 days through injury, including almost all of last season due to an ACL injury.
At his best, Maddison remains arguably the most creative player in the Tottenham squad, having registered 35 goal contributions across his 79 appearances for the club.
Before any new deal becomes a serious conversation, however, the England international will first need to show De Zerbi that he can return to the level he produced before his latest run of injuries.
Maddison‘s current contract expires in the summer of 2028, so there is no immediate need for Tottenham to make a decision. If he can stay fit, rediscover his best form and establish himself under De Zerbi, a new contract could become a realistic possibility next summer.
5. Can Dejan Kulusevski rediscover his Tottenham career?
Dejan Kulusevski has had his own problems with injuries, having not featured since May last year because of a complicated knee issue.
He finally returned to full training last month, only for another setback to arrive, with De Zerbi confirming that the Sweden international did not train this week due to a ‘small’ problem.
There is little debate about Kulusevski’s quality when he is at his best. Anyone who has watched the 26 year old on one of those days will understand why, and there is no26-year-old doubt that a fully fit and firing Kulusevski could become one of De Zerbi’s most important players.
Tottenham have registered him in their Premier League squad this season, with De Zerbi looking forward to having him back and hopeful that his return will come sooner rather than later.
Like Maddison, Kulusevski’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2028, so Spurs have some time on their side. However, as is the case with his teammate, Spurs will likely want to see Kulusevski return to his best level and maintain his fitness before considering handing him a new deal.