Revealed: Chelsea failed with shock attempt to sign Tottenham star in January transfer window

Lucas Bergvall

Chelsea had a quiet January transfer window but did enquire about the possibility of landing a key star from Premier League rivals Tottenham. Spurs are in the midst of another difficult campaign and have just replaced manager Thomas Frank with Igor Tudor until the end of the 2025-26 season. Tudor takes over with Tottenham currently just five points above the relegation zone.

Chelsea interested in Bergvall

Chelsea made a move for Bergvall this winter but were told Tottenham had no interest in letting the midfielder go, according to The Athletic. The Blues weren't the only Premier League club to make an approach for the young Swede, with Aston Villa also making contact with Spurs. Bergvall was named Tottenham's Player of the Year last season but has struggled to have the same impact in the current campaign under Frank. Bergvall has only made 10 starts in the Premier League in 2025-26 but his situation may change following the appointment of Tudor.

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Bergvall tied to long contract at Spurs

Bergvall only joined Tottenham in 2024 but signed a long-term contract extension last year that runs until 2031. He spoke about how much he was enjoying his time at the club.

"I’m really excited and really grateful to everyone who has helped me and I’m excited for this journey to continue," he said. "It’s a club with great ambitions, I’m really enjoying being here and playing for this amazing football club. I’ve learned a lot. Coming to a new country, a new culture, of course I had Deki (Dejan Kulusevski) helping me a lot in the beginning but still, living on your own, making food and everything... it’s not only to be a footballer to train every day, it’s everything around it. You have to take care of the car, the house or apartment... everything really, so I think I’ve developed a lot as a person as well as a player.

"I think I worked really hard for this and with help from my team-mates and the staff, I’ve developed a lot this season.  If you compare to the beginning of the season, I came from the Swedish league, I had a lot to learn and needed to settle down a little bit but I think around Christmas and before that, I started to get more time (on the pitch) and I started to develop and learn more with help from my team-mates and the staff."

Tudor to turn Tottenham around?

After a dismal Premier League campaign under Frank, Tottenham have now turned to Tudor to try and turn their season around. The former Juventus boss says he is well aware of the challenge in front of him in north London. He told the club's media: "It is an honour to join this club at an important moment. I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear. To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match. There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly."

Tudor

Arsenal up next...

Tudor's first game in charge will be the small matter of a north London derby against Arsenal. It promises to be a baptism of fire for the new boss as he welcomes Mikel Arteta's Premier League leaders to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Gunners will be favourites for victory but Spurs know that if they can inflict a derby win on their neighbours it could seriously harm their chances of finishing top of the pile. Arsenal currently sit four points clear of Manchester City but were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford last time out.