Spurs Eye Oliver Mansson, So Supporter Buys Seedling Outside Stadium And Loans It Back Until January

A Tottenham man has bought a seedling from a neighbour for £8.50 and left it exactly where it was, in what he describes as the Bergvall trick, after TEAMtalk reported that Spurs are looking at a second Swedish midfielder.

The Herald understands the report, relayed by Spurs Web, says Tottenham have made checks on Oliver Mansson, 17, of IFK Goteborg, over recent weeks. Arsenal and Chelsea are also said to be interested, with Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland keeping an eye ahead of the January window.

The man read this at a bus stop and walked to the stadium forecourt, which was closed, it being a non-match day, to complete the paperwork. He then returned to the neighbour's fence, paid the money and agreed that the plant would remain in the neighbour's greenhouse for six months, the period Lucas Bergvall spent at Djurgarden before moving to North London.

It's what they did with Bergvall. You get him early, you leave him where he's settled, and nobody else can say a word.

Rivals have since emerged. A woman at number fourteen has asked about a cutting, and a passer-by offered £49 for the seedling outright. The man declined both, citing competition from London and a figure he considered just short.

Under the terms of the arrangement the neighbour will continue to water the plant, while the man will visit on Saturdays to check it is developing. He has described the neighbour's greenhouse as a good environment for a young player.

You can tell he's got the physical profile. Look at the stem. That's a commanding presence in the middle of the pot.

Asked whether the seedling's representatives had been consulted, the man said it has none and that he has been speaking to it directly.

The neighbour has watered it twice.