A fresh update has emerged on Tottenham’s pursuit of Jan Paul van Hecke, with confidence growing that a deal can eventually be struck despite Brighton’s firm stance.
With club captain Cristian Romero expected to leave north London this summer, Tottenham have wasted little time lining up potential replacements, already completing the signing of Marcos Senesi earlier this week.
However, Spurs are not stopping there. One of Roberto De Zerbi’s priority targets remains Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke, with Tottenham already seeing two bids rejected by the Seagulls. The first was worth £40 million, while a second proposal of around £50 million also fell short of Brighton’s reported £70 million valuation.
The expectation throughout negotiations has been that Tottenham would return with a third bid, and now a fresh update suggests exactly that could be around the corner.
Pete O’Rourke expects Tottenham to return with third Jan Paul van Hecke bid
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke provided an encouraging update for Spurs supporters.
“We fully expect Tottenham to make a third bid for Van Hecke. He is a key target for them. Roberto De Zerbi is keen to be reunited with him after his time as the manager at Brighton.
“Brighton have turned down the first two offers because they’re trying to get as much money as they possibly can for the centre-back.
“But they’re not in the strongest position here because he’s only got one year left on his contract and they won’t want to let him run that down and leave on a free transfer.
“Offers of £40m and then around £50m were rejected, but Spurs will come back with a slightly improved offer, of around £55m for Van Hecke.
“There is optimism that a deal can be reached and a third bid will be imminent.”
Roberto De Zerbi could be Tottenham’s biggest advantage
Football Insider recently reported that former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness believes De Zerbi is pushing hard for the club to sign Van Hecke, with Tottenham’s hierarchy prepared to back their head coach in the market.
That comes after reports that the Dutch defender attracted interest from several top clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea. Despite those options, Van Hecke is has prioritised a move to Tottenham after holding discussions with his former Brighton manager.
The pair built a strong relationship during their time together on the south coast, and De Zerbi’s presence appears to have played a major role in the player’s preference for north London.
While details of Tottenham’s expected third bid remain unclear, there is increasing optimism that a deal can be reached. Spurs will simply hope it does not come at the cost of losing Luka Vuskovic, with Brighton interested in the Croatian youngster as part of the wider negotiations.