Tottenham Poised to Sweetener Van Hecke Bid as Brighton Defender Weighs Spurs Move

Tottenham are gearing up to test Brighton's resolve once more with a fresh proposal for centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, as the north London club continue their summer overhaul in desperate bid to avoid another brush with the drop.

Having already secured Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers, Spurs are plainly determined to shore up their backline after a season that saw them scrape survival on the final day. With West Ham finishing just two points adrift in 18th before dropping into the Championship, the message from the Tottenham hierarchy is clear: relegation form cannot happen again.

According to transfer journalist Pete O'Rourke, Spurs will return to the table with an improved offer hovering around the £55m mark. Brighton have already shown two rejections, though O'Rourke reckons the Seagulls may not hold all the cards here.

"Brighton turned down the first two offers because they want to make as much money as they can, but they're not in the strongest position here," O'Rourke explained. "There's a confidence that Tottenham can get this deal over the line because the player is interested in making that move to Tottenham as well and to work again with Roberto De Zerbi."

The player's enthusiasm for the switch appears genuine, with O'Rourke suggesting optimism abounds on both sides that an agreement could materialise imminently.

Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart has backed van Hecke to make the leap, describing it as a natural progression for the international defender. "It's certainly a very logical move," Van der Vaart said. "Spurs have had a disastrous season, finishing below Brighton, but Spurs are a much bigger club than Brighton. So that would be a really great step in that lad's development, to be able to train there under Roberto De Zerbi. I think he should definitely go for it."

Brighton have mooted figures as high as £70m, though Van der Vaart believes such a deal represents fair value for a prospect of van Hecke's calibre.

The Vuskovic Twist

In a curious turn, Brighton have launched their own raid on Spurs' squad, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing two bids for young centre-back Luka Vuskovic have been rebuffed.

Tottenham have already turned down an offer of €35m (£30m), with Romano suggesting the player himself would be open to the move should the clubs find common ground. However, with no agreement currently in place, Brighton will need to sweeten their terms if they're to prise the defender away from the Tottenham project.