Tottenham have been handed a boost in their rumoured pursuit of a Brighton star as a new report has shed light on his future.
Jan Paul van Hecke has emerged as one of the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League of late and is now being tipped for a big move.
It emerged last week that Tottenham are exploring a January move for Van Hecke, who is allegedly valued at £44m by Brighton.
It has since emerged that Spurs are expected to face competition for Van Hecke’s signature, and a new report has suggested that the player could indeed be on his way out of the Amex Stadium soon.
Football Insider now reports that the Netherlands international has resisted Brighton’s attempts to tie him down to a new contract so far.
The report says that Van Hecke made this decision after both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle expressed an interest in his services during the summer.
The outlet also spoke to transfer market expert Pete O’Rourke, who revealed that the 25-year-old wants to play in the Champions League.
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O’Rourke said: “If a Champions League club came calling, [Van Hecke] might be interested in a move away to progress his career and play at the highest level possible.
“Brighton are obviously very happy with him, but there’ll be clubs looking at Van Hecke because at 25, he’s got real potential to become a top, top player for club and country. It’s no surprise that some of the bigger clubs across Europe are keeping tabs on him.”
Spurs have two aces up their sleeve in the Van Hecke transfer race
Spurs may have an advantage over Newcastle and Van Hecke’s other suitors if the defender becomes available in January.
The Brighton defender is an international teammate of Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons, and Tottenham will be hoping the pair can persuade him to come to N17.
However, there may be a slight conflict of interest in Van de Ven’s case as the pair may be competing for one position at Spurs if the Segulls star does make the move to the London club.