This season has been drastically different for the north London rivals. While Arsenal are pushing to win their first Premier League title since 2003-04, having also reached the last four of the Champions League, Tottenham are at serious risk of getting relegated to the Championship.
Tottenham have already sacked Thomas Frank and parted ways with Igor Tudor, with new boss Roberto De Zerbi now desperately trying to guide them out of the bottom three. Spurs will have to sell some of their best players even if they avoid the drop. But if they go down, then there will likely be a mass exodus in N17.
As per CaughtOffside, Arsenal and Chelsea are both ‘plotting summer moves’ for classy midfielder Lucas Bergvall. Chelsea and Aston Villa remain interested in the Swede after making approaches in January, while Arsenal have recently joined the race. Spurs view Bergvall as ‘unsellable’, particularly if close rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea come calling. But the report suggests transfer talks could start at £50million if De Zerbi’s side drop down to the second tier.
Despite being only 20 years old, Bergvall is too good to play in the Championship, and he would likely back himself to join a top club operating in the Champions League. Arsenal and Chelsea have been tipped to submit ‘creative offers’ to prise the starlet out of Spurs’ hands. Bergvall joining either of those sides would be hugely controversial and would immediately end his relationship with the Spurs fanbase.
Barcelona could also enter the frame for the eight-cap Sweden international, having missed out on him to Spurs in July 2024. Bergvall has been affectionately labelled the ‘new Eriksen’ thanks to his creative nature and sublime technique.
The youngster, who looks set to reach world-class status in the future, has registered one goal and five assists in 30 appearances so far this term. The fact he missed eight league games between January 24 and March 15 contributed to Spurs’ downfall, as they lost five of those matches.
Bergvall could leave but Gray to stay Archie Gray is another young player who has impressed despite Spurs’ clear issues. Liverpool have been linked with the English talent, but he is among three untouchable stars for Spurs. Cristian Romero looks set to leave regardless of how Spurs’ season ends. The centre-back has long been linked with a move to Spain, and both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are interested heading into the summer.
In the cold light of analysis, this is more than a transfer story — it is a stark illustration of how quickly fortunes can shift in the Premier League. Arsenal’s pursuit of Bergvall is not born of desperation but of calculated ambition: adding a technically gifted, high-potential midfielder who already carries the creative DNA of a future star. For Tottenham, the potential loss represents something far more existential. At a time when the club is fighting for its top-flight status, losing one of its brightest prospects to a direct rival would not just weaken the squad — it would symbolise the complete reversal of north London power.
Whether Spurs stay up or go down, the summer window will test their resolve like never before. Arsenal, meanwhile, continue to move with the quiet confidence of a side that senses opportunity in their neighbours’ chaos. The north London derby has always been fierce; this summer, it could become something far more decisive.