Brighton CEO Paul Barber has confirmed that Tottenham have made a second bid to sign Jan Paul van Hecke ahead of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham have been showing an interest in signing Van Hecke ahead of the summer transfer window, with manager Roberto De Zerbi clearly keen to work with one of his former players.
Spurs may need defensive reinforcements in the summer transfer window, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both linked with departures.
De Zerbi could be looking to bring in players that he knows he can trust as he aims to guide Spurs into the top half of the Premier League table.
Reports emerged this week that Tottenham had made a bid to sign Van Hecke, but it appears they've made another one as the Brighton CEO speaks out.
Brighton CEO Speaks on Tottenham Interest
Speaking live on Talk Sport, Brighton CEO Barber has confirmed that Tottenham have made a second bid to sign Brighton defender Van Hecke.
"There's always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul. We've been very clear that that interest has been ongoing for a while, it's coming from multiple sources. Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids. "So from that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player, we have to be in a position to make the best trades to suit our model. And also to make sure that we're supporting Fabian (Hurzeler, head coach) because he's got another big season ahead of him. "He's had two seasons in the Premier League, he's finished eighth on both occasions, this time we've been fortunate enough to qualify for a European competition. "We want to go as deep in that competition as we can, while also doing well in the Premier League. "To do that, we need to make sure Fabian's got the best possible squad and we've got the right balance between the young players that typically we like to bring in and develop, "And the more experienced players like Pascal Gross and others, who can actually help us progress in all of the competitions that we're in. "As always, it's a balancing act, and hopefully this summer we can work hard to pull it off again."
Brighton appear to be standing firm with the Dutch defender as they understandably don't want to lose him this summer.
Tottenham's second bid was rejected by the Seagulls. It will be interesting to see whether Spurs return to the negotiating table once again.
Tottenham Should Walk Away
With reports suggesting that Tottenham's initial offer was in the region of £70 million, it could be time for the North London club to walk away from a deal.
That would suggest that Spurs' second offer was even more, which clearly shows that Brighton aren't going to let him go on the cheap.
Van Hecke would undoubtedly improve Tottenham, especially if they lose van de Ven and Romero, but there are certainly question marks as to whether he's worth over £70 million.
At this stage, Tottenham should be walking away rather than continuing to negotiate, as there is undoubtedly better value elsewhere in the centre-back market.