Tottenham Hotspur continue to push for defensive reinforcements this summer as Roberto De Zerbi looks to reshape his squad ahead of next season.
Spurs narrowly avoided relegation during the 2025/26 campaign after finishing 17th in the Premier League. Since arriving at the club, De Zerbi has already started rebuilding several areas of the squad.
The north London side have already completed the signing of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth on a free transfer.
Andy Robertson has also arrived from Liverpool, while Tottenham continue discussions over a move for Manchester City winger Savinho.
However, the club are still expected to make further additions in defence. Cristian Romero remains strongly linked with a move away from Tottenham.
At the same time, uncertainty also surrounds other defenders at the club heading into the new season. That is why Spurs want another centre-back before the transfer window closes.
Tottenham already made an opening move for a Premier League defender earlier, but that proposal was rejected immediately.
Now, according to The Daily Mail, Spurs are preparing a second bid for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke after failing with their first offer.
The Netherlands international has become one of Tottenham’s priority defensive targets because of his previous relationship with Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian manager worked closely with Van Hecke during his time at Brighton. However, Brighton are not making negotiations easy for Spurs.
The Seagulls reportedly value Van Hecke at close to £70 million despite the defender entering the final year of his contract.
Tottenham must now increase their offer significantly if they want Brighton to consider selling the 25-year-old this summer.
Meanwhile, Van Hecke remains focused on international duty with the Netherlands.
He started in their recent friendly defeat against Algeria in Rotterdam as speculation around his future continues to grow.
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