Tottenham Hotspur ‘Sunk Their Teeth Into’ Target And Won’t Let Go | OneFootball

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Tottenham Hotspur have ‘sunk their teeth into’ Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke and are determined to get the defender to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs endured a campaign to forget, mirroring their 17th-placed finish from last season and only securing their Premier League status on the final day after a 1-0 win over Everton.

Newly appointed Roberto De Zerbi had seven matches to steer them to safety and succeeded, and he is now focused on strengthening a squad heavily disrupted by injuries ahead of next season.

Brighton centre-back Van Hecke has emerged as a key target for the north London club, with the Italian coach having previously worked with the 25-year-old during his spell with the Seagulls, overseeing 50 appearances together.

Earlier this week, it was suggested that Brighton had already turned down a Tottenham bid for the Netherlands international.

With suggestions that a deal could be pushed through before Van Hecke links up with the Netherlands for the upcoming World Cup, further indication of Spurs’ intent has now surfaced.

According to Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof, De Zerbi’s side have ‘sunk their teeth into’ the Oranje defender and remain determined to secure his signature this window.

The 25-year-old has been a mainstay in the Brighton set-up since 2023, racking up more than 130 appearances for the Seagulls, with just one year remaining on his current contract.

Brighton will be eager to negotiate a fair fee for their defensive stalwart, though any sale would represent a significant profit after signing him from NAC Breda for an initial £1.8m in 2020, and they are keen to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.

Tottenham have already made further moves to bolster their backline, coming close to securing two free transfers in Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi.

It has been suggested that Van Hecke is open to reuniting with De Zerbi, despite the absence of European football in north London compared to the Amex Stadium.

The ball-playing 25-year-old centre-back is currently with the Netherlands squad, who are set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Japan on 14th June.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs can wrap up a deal for the Dutchman before the tournament gets under way across the pond next week, or if the saga will drag on into the summer months.