Tottenham have wasted no time strengthening their squad this summer and are now preparing a fresh bid for a defender highly regarded by Roberto De Zerbi, according to Fabrizio Romano.
After securing experienced defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers, Spurs have continued their focus on reinforcing a backline that conceded 57 Premier League goals last season — the highest tally among teams that avoided relegation.
With uncertainty surrounding the futures of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence, further defensive changes could be on the horizon. Brighton have already submitted a £30 million offer for highly-rated Croatian centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who impressed during a loan spell at Hamburg and is regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young defensive prospects.
At the same time, Tottenham remain locked in talks with Brighton over Jan Paul van Hecke. Two offers for the Dutch defender have already been turned down, but Romano reports that Spurs are discussing improved terms and are preparing a new approach. Brighton are believed to value the 26-year-old at around £70 million.
Romano also states that Van Hecke is open to the move, with his strong relationship with De Zerbi potentially playing a key role. During their time together at Brighton, De Zerbi frequently praised the defender’s leadership qualities, attitude and maturity.
Van Hecke was a key figure for Brighton last season, starting 36 of their 38 Premier League matches while contributing three goals and three assists. He also averaged 3.2 aerial duels won, 1.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per game, while maintaining an impressive 87.2% pass-completion rate.
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