Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Brighton and Hove Albion star Jan Paul van Hecke, as per transfer journalist David Ornstein.
The Lilywhites have struggled with their leaky defence over the last two campaigns. Having conceded 65 goals in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, their defence were breached 57 times in the English top-flight last term.
As a result, Roberto De Zerbi is prioritising revamping the backline this summer to turn the situation around. Spurs have already signed Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi as free agents.
Moreover, the Italian boss is keen on reuniting with his former colleague, Van Hecke. However, Brighton usually play hardball to sell their big assets and have done the same on this occasion as well, even though Van Hecke’s deal was set to expire at the end of next season.
It was reported yesterday that after seeing their opening two proposals worth up to £50m rejected by the Seagulls, Tottenham were preparing to launch an improved third bid.
Now, on The Athletic, Ornstein reports that Tottenham have reached an agreement with Brighton to sign Van Hecke, and the overall cost of the deal is set to be £52m without any bonuses.
Meanwhile, on X, Fabrizio Romano backs Ornstein with his trademark ‘here we go’ post and writes that Van Hecke agreed on personal terms with Tottenham last week.
Van Hecke to Tottenham
Tottenham currently have Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso as options to deploy in the centre-back positions. Moreover, Archie Gray can provide cover in this area if needed.
However, Dragusin has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League since joining from Genoa. On the other hand, Romero has been heavily linked with a move away in this transfer window. Van de Ven’s future has also been a subject of speculation.
Van Hecke, standing at 6ft 2in tall, has proven his worth in the Premier League in recent years and has even secured his place in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands national team’s starting line-up. The 26-year-old is currently at the prime stage of his career and should be a great coup for Tottenham.
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