Bergvall already had an invite from Barcelona and, when Lange sat down with the teenager and his family, Spurs were rank outsiders to sign him.
Lange, though, laid out the club's vision, explaining what they were building under head coach Ange Postecoglou and how they would play. Over and over, Lange came back to the style - it was at the heart of everything, he told the Bergvalls - using video clips to show how the midfielder would fit in to Postecoglou's front-foot team.
"[It was] not with the aim of him saying yes but the aim of him coming with his family to visit us," Lange told Standard Sport.
When Bergvall - accompanied by his parents and agents - arrived at Hotspur Way on January 29 (the day before they flew to Spain for lunch with Barca's sporting director, Deco), Spurs pulled out all the stops. Having already heard from Lange, the Bergvalls were given the hard sell by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Postecoglou, as well as Lucas's international teammate Dejan Kulusevski and Spurs Women's coach, Robert Vilahamn, another Swede. "They felt at home," says Lange. "They're very intelligent people who really wanted to make an informed decision and feel that we were right for him." Bergvall was bowled over by Spurs; by the club's pristine training centre, Postecoglou's zealous belief in his football and Kulusevski's infectious enthusiasm for the project. On February 2, his 18th birthday, Bergvall snubbed Barca and signed a five-year contract in north London.
'Destination for the best'
The deal capped a strong winter window for Spurs, who had pulled off another coup by beating Bayern Munich to the signing of highly-rated Genoa centre-half Radu Dragusin - again, following a charm offensive by Postecoglou and Lange. The deals underlined the club's growing momentum, and demonstrated that their fervent commitment to a style of play was winning over players.
Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av The London Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ?  Logg pÄ
Denne historien er fra October 03, 2024-utgaven av The London Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
"We're building a Spurs squad to compete now. This is not a project for five years time
BACK in December, in the run up to Christmas, Tottenham's technical director Johan Lange travelled to Stockholm on a special assignment. Lange's mission was to persuade Lucas Bergvall, one of the most exciting young players in Europe, to visit Spurs in the New Year.
England's breakthrough star faces biggest challenge yet
Pakistan, the Ashes and fatherhood now lie in wait for Jamie Smith
Bizarre search results, battles in court - is it game over for Google?
RICHARD GODWIN asks if time could finally be running out for the all-powerful behemoth
Finneas
He's won Grammys and Oscars, but his proudest achievement? His relationship with his sister... Billie Eilish
Has this legend of the London restaurant scene lost its cool?
Once upon a time ânot so long ago, less than a decade â being a D&D restaurant meant something. Back then, Le Pont de la Tour and Coq dâ Argent were governed by swathes of the most moneyed City regulars; Sartoria offered a hangout on Savile Row as stylish as any of its neighbouring tailors; and Quaglinoâs, until recently, was the place mere mortals were most likely to bump into Prince Harry or Mick Jagger.
Message to the Jews
Beware your liberal values those you see as allies are the vultures waiting for your demise
Are these the 18 ways that we could transform London?
The capital could actually be good, but we need some radical new rules
Change or die... London's eternal lesson to us all
Like the city it serves, the new Standard must build on the best of the past
The Tories are their own unique brand of special
Like Republicans, they're on a journey, but it couldn't be more different
Plane truths...the world's most loved and loathed airlines
From endless delays and frightening mishaps to delightful cabin crew, the differences between airlines can be astonishing. So which ones rule the air and which dontimpress?
