Tottenham and Brighton & Hove Albion may be locked in talks over the next few days and weeks for two big transfer deals.
Spurs made the first move, going to Brighton with a first and the subsequent second bid to sign 26-year-old centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke.
The Lilywhites are expected to return with a third bid for the Dutch international, after those two initial offers were rejected by the Seagulls.
Van Hecke only has one year left on his contract at the Amex Stadium and is understood to favour a move to Spurs to link up once again with his former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
Brighton test Tottenham's will with £30m move
A departure for van Hecke would leave Brighton with a big hole to fill in their defence, so they have seized their opportunity and while speaking to Spurs about one transfer, have tried their luck with a move of their own.
News emerged on Friday that the Seagulls had launched a £30milllion bid to sign highly-rated Tottenham centre-back Luka Vuskovic.
The 19-year-old has yet to make an appearance for the Spurs first team, having spent this past season on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga, where he has been making waves, winning the young player of the season award.
Vuskovic has a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2030 and if he does leave is unlikely to be allowed to go on the cheap.
football.london Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold said this week: "Everyone I've spoken to said Vuskovic has got a way higher ceiling than van Hecke. Van Hecke is a very good Premier League player, but Vuskovic can be, in the words of Thomas Frank, a top, top, top player in world football, and I know there's some suggestions that Spurs maybe would accept a bid for him this summer. That would be insane! That would be absolutely insane!"
As mentioned above, it is probably a case of Brighton trying their luck with a cheeky bid for one of the most promising defenders in world football, but there are plenty of reports that Vuskovic is keen on the move, seeing playing under Fabian Hurzeler as good for his development.
Spurs cannot just let Vuskovic leave
But if Tottenham are to let him go, it should either be on loan or for a ridiculously high fee with a buy-back option written into the deal.
That is what has been reported by Teamtalk in a fresh twist on the player's future. Their report states that "Vuskovic’s representatives have floated the possibility of including a buy-back clause in any agreement. Such a provision has not been agreed and would still depend on future discussions with the player, but it is understood to be an option Tottenham would consider if they ultimately decide to part ways with one of the brightest young defenders in Europe".
Brighton are understood to be demanding close to £70million for the sale of van Hecke - an experienced Premier League player, but one that only has one year left on his contract. Meanwhile they value a 19-year-old, with a four-year contract and the ceiling to reach even greater heights than the Dutchman at only £30million.
There is a £40million gap there that needs to be eroded if the two clubs are to come to any kind of agreement over the two plauyers moving in opposite directions this summer.