Tottenham Hotspur are intensifying their efforts to sign Jan Paul van Hecke, having made significant headway in negotiations over the weekend. According to TEAMtalk, personal terms have already been agreed with the Brighton & Hove Albion defender.
The Dutch international has become a primary defensive target for Spurs this summer as manager Roberto De Zerbi begins a major squad overhaul in north London.
Sources confirm that Tottenham have been in active talks with Brighton since last week. While several bids have been turned down, discussions between the two clubs remain ongoing and productive.
Brighton CEO Paul Barber publicly acknowledged Spurs’ interest on Sunday, telling talkSPORT: “Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so. In fact, two bids.”
It is understood that Tottenham’s latest offer, including add-ons, is worth around £50 million for the 26-year-old centre-back, who has only one year remaining on his contract. While this still falls short of Brighton’s valuation, there is growing confidence that a deal can eventually be reached.
Van Hecke is currently with the Netherlands squad preparing for the World Cup finals, with their campaign starting Sunday against Japan in Texas. However, it has been revealed that the player is eager to resolve his club future before then.
De Zerbi key to Van Hecke signing at Tottenham
Though Chelsea and Liverpool have shown interest in recent months, sources close to the situation confirm that Van Hecke has now made Tottenham his preferred destination, largely due to De Zerbi.
The pair developed a strong working relationship at Brighton, and Van Hecke has already spoken with his former manager about the project taking shape at Spurs. Following those talks, the defender’s camp has informed other interested clubs that a move to north London is now his first choice.
Van Hecke and his representatives are keen to finalise the transfer before the weekend so he can fully focus on the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign, and Tottenham are doing everything possible to make that happen.
Brighton, however, have remained firm in negotiations. The Seagulls are believed to have initially valued Van Hecke at over £70 million and are determined to maximize any potential sale. Despite the gap in valuations, sources on both sides remain optimistic that a compromise can be reached.
Tottenham defensive rebuild nearly complete
If the deal goes through, Van Hecke will become the latest addition to Tottenham’s defensive overhaul. As previously reported, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson are already on board as part of De Zerbi’s summer rebuild, with more changes expected.
Spurs plan to part ways with Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin, and are also aware of continued interest in Micky van de Ven and highly-rated young Croatian Luka Vuskovic. This uncertainty has made adding another top-class centre-back a priority.
Van Hecke fits the profile Tottenham are targeting perfectly, regarded internally as a defender capable of becoming a long-term leader in the backline. With personal terms agreed and club-to-club talks continuing, Spurs are hopeful of securing one of their most important summer signings before the World Cup takes center stage.
As the defensive rebuild nears completion, attention is expected to turn to attack, with a £50 million move for a new left-sided forward also close to being finalized.
