Tottenham step up interest in Brighton & Hove keeper Bart Verbruggen | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as manager Roberto De Zerbi continues a major summer overhaul of his defence.

The Lilywhites are moving quickly to strengthen a vulnerable goalkeeping department and have identified Verbruggen as the ideal candidate.

After an underwhelming campaign in which he lost his starting spot, Guglielmo Vicario is expected to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, and Spurs are unlikely to make Antonin Kinsky their permanent first-choice for next season.

While Spurs are also interested in James Trafford, De Zerbi believes Verbruggen is a better fit for his style of play.

Having established himself as Brighton’s undisputed number one, the Dutch goalkeeper enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 season, making 38 Premier League appearances, keeping 10 clean sheets, and recording a 76% pass success rate.

Verbruggen also enjoyed a productive working relationship with De Zerbi during the Italian’s tenure on the south coast and could be open to a reunion.

However, negotiating a deal with Brighton will require Spurs to navigate a significant financial hurdle. The Seagulls are reportedly demanding a fee of around €50 million to consider allowing the ‘unbelievable’ Verbruggen, who still has two years remaining on his contract, to leave.

Brighton are already in negotiations with Spurs over a deal for defender Jan Paul van Hecke and have recently tabled an offer for Tottenham prodigy Luka Vuskovic.

The North Londoners could leverage Brighton’s interest in Vuskovic to their advantage, although Brighton have shown in the past that they can be a notoriously difficult side to negotiate with.