Manchester United supporters have been left dismayed by the revelation that the Red Devils twice missed the opportunity to sign Tottenham wonderkid Lucas Bergvall.
The 18-year-old netted a dramatic late – and controversial – winner as the North Londoners beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday night.
Bergvall’s first goal for Spurs came 11 months after the club hijacked Barcelona’s attempt to sign the attacking midfielder. He joined the side in the summer from Swedish outfit Djurgardens IF for an £8million fee and has made 22 appearances this term.
But things could have been very different for the Sweden international, who had two trials with the Red Devils – once aged 14 and another aged 16.
According to The Sun, the midfielder was loved by Old Trafford scouts but regulations following the UK’s exit from the European Union prevented them from signing him.
Under current FIFA rules, players aged under 18 cannot be sold overseas – except those within the European Economic Area. As a result, Bergvall remained in Sweden before attracting interest from Barcelona as his 18th birthday approached.
Lucas Bergvall scored a dramatic late winner for Tottenham as they beat Liverpool 1-0 in he Carabao Cup semi-final first leg
The Swedish wonderkid had two trials with Manchester United in 2020, aged 14, and 2022, aged 16
On fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘hows the administrative failure that the club did not keep relations open with the player and his reps so as to be able to bring him to United once he turned 18.’
‘[His goal] this evening is proof that karma exists,’ wrote another. A third Red Devils supporter cheekily added: ‘Once a red, always a red.’
Bergvall’s strike on Wednesday night arrived in controversial circumstances, as the teenager netted past Alisson shortly after he escaped a second yellow card for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas.
Reds bosss Arne Slot was left incensed by the referee’s leniency, while assistant Sipke Hulshoff was booked for his angry protests after the goal.
‘I don’t think there’s any debate about it,’ said Slot. ‘I think I saw Ange sitting here on Saturday and Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions.
‘One went against them, tonight maybe one went in favour of them.
‘The decisions is made, you can’t change it. When he didn’t give the second yellow card, no one thought it would have such a big impact 30 seconds later.
‘I am 99.9 per cent certain I was not the only one who didn’t feel the best when it went in. It was, for him [the referee] also far from ideal.’
Bergvall was fortunate to escape a second booking shortly before he scored the winner on Wednesday night
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said that he believes Bergvall was not fortunate to escape a second yellow card
To add insult to injury, Tsimikas was off the pitch waiting to come back on due to the challenge when the Swede netted, with the Reds temporarily down to 10 men.
Ange Postecoglou, meanwhile, shared an alternative view of the situation and said he believed calls for Bergvall to have been sent off are unfounded.
‘He wasn’t (lucky to be on the pitch),’ Postecoglou said. People misinterepted my comments from the other day.
‘The rule is and we have been told for quite a while now that if advantage gets played, as long as it is not for a cynical tackle then the yellow card (doesn’t get given).
‘We have been screaming for it for the last two months. It has happened to us consistently, have a look at our games.
‘We have asked the officials and they have said, if you play advantage and it is not a cynical tackle then the yellow card does not get played. To me, that was pretty clear.
‘That’s the rules and we have copped it for the last six weeks.’
However, commentors online were quick to note that Bergvall’s challenge could be classed as reckless, for which a yellow could have been given under similar circumstances.
Postecoglou was also incorrect in Attwell playing the advantage, as the referee instead said that no foul was given, with advantage not being applied on a second yellow card except in cases of an immediate chance.
The result gives Postecoglou’s side the advantage ahead of the second leg at Anfield on February 6.
