Overview
- Brighton chief executive Paul Barber confirmed on Sunday that the club turned down two formal offers from Tottenham for Jan Paul van Hecke, saying any sale must meet Brighton’s valuation.
- Tottenham have already lodged bids for the 25-year-old and are expected to return with improved offers as manager Roberto De Zerbi pushes to reinforce a defence that narrowly avoided relegation.
- Spurs have completed free transfers for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi to add experience and depth to the back line while preparing to replace captain Cristian Romero, who the club now expect may leave.
- Micky van de Ven’s future is drawing interest from Liverpool and other top clubs, and sources say De Zerbi prefers to keep him but a Van Hecke arrival could change Tottenham’s stance on outgoing defenders.
- Reported valuations for Van Hecke vary widely in coverage, with Brighton demanding a significant premium, and the outcome could force Spurs to raise their offer or trigger further squad sales to balance transfers and wages.