Tottenham Hotspur's former chief executive officer has reportedly mocked the club over their deal to sign Jan Paul van Hecke.
Tottenham have been the busiest Premier League club in the summer transfer window so far as they look to put two successive 17th-placed finishes behind them in a new era under Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs have already announced the signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers, with the duo adding experience and quality to the backline.
Van Hecke is set to join them as a new defensive recruit, after the north Londoners reached a club-to-club agreement to bring the Netherlands international to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Club chiefs are far from done there however, as the club are now chasing a statement deal to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
De Zerbi is desperate to bring the Italy international to the club to bolster his midfield, with the player said to be keen to link up with his compatriot in the capital.
Spurs are working on two more deals too, including a permanent deal to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich, with the player giving priority to Tottenham, as well as a move for Manchester City winger Savinho.
Levy: Tottenham Have 'Pants Pulled Down' for Van Hecke Deal
It was confirmed on Tuesday that Tottenham have agreed a deal worth £52m with Brighton to sign Dutch defender Van Hecke.
The fee is one of the most expensive in history for a player set to enter the final 12 months of his contract, which is a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by Levy.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Wednesday, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan revealed a private text message from Levy that suggested that the north Londoners have had their 'pants pulled down' by the Seagulls over the deal.
Jordan said: "I was showing him [Ben Foster] a fact about the Brighton deal and how Brighton have pulled Spurs' pants down on a player that was out of contract in a year's time and didn't want to sign a new contract. That's what Daniel [Levy] was pointing out to some extent."
Tottenham May Have Overpaid for Van Hecke
While it was clear that De Zerbi really wanted to link up with his former player again, you would have to say that a fee in excess of £50m is a lot for a player with 12 months remaining on his contract.
Tottenham will be hoping that the 26-year-old hits the ground running at the club, and you would expect for that fee that he will be a regular starter alongside Dutch compatriot Micky van de Ven, with Marcos Senesi playing back-up.
What you can also say is that given Spurs have signed Senesi and Robertson on free transfers, the fee for Van Hecke looks better when you consider they have transformed their defence for just over £50m.