Roberto De Zerbi wants to reunite with ‘this’ PL star at Tottenham.
Tottenham Hotspur desperately need a strong summer after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League last season. The back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the English top-flight has given a clear wake-up call to the N17 bosses.
Reinforcements in defence appears to be the priority for Roberto De Zerbi. Spurs have already confirmed the signing of Andy Robertson from Liverpool and are expected to announce the capture of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth imminently, with both deals being free transfers. The Lilywhites also want another centre-back alongside Senesi, with De Zerbi keen to reunite with Brighton and Hove Albion star Jan Paul van Hecke.
Over the last 24 hours, reports suggest Tottenham have reached an agreement over personal terms with Jan Paul van Hecke and are preparing a third offer for the central defender after seeing their opening two bids knocked down by Brighton. Spurs and Brighton seemingly remain locked in talks over the 26-year-old, who has been picked by the Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman for the upcoming World Cup campaign.
Micky van de Ven backs Jan Paul van Hecke to become his teammate at Tottenham
From Tottenham, Micky van de Ven will be representing the Netherlands at the World Cup in North America. He has seemingly been in the ear of Van Hecke in the national team camp. While the two clubs try to find an agreement, the Tottenham star has now revealed what he told Van Hecke over a potential move to White Hart Lane.
“I did talk to Jan Paul briefly about Tottenham. I think it is a good step for him,” Micky van de Ven told Dutch publication NU.
Van Hecke is said to be keen to wrap up his future before the World Cup, which starts on Thursday with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands kick off their campaign against Japan on Sunday. The 26-year-old is prioritising interest from Spurs over other potential suitors, demonstrating a keenness to team up with De Zerbi again.
A potential Dutch centre-back partnership next season?
Until very recently, Van de Ven was being heavily linked with an exit from Tottenham. The Dutchman certainly stepped up massively during Spurs’ final run-in, taking on the leadership mantle following the injury to Cristian Romero and helping the club achieve safety in the top flight.
With the Lilywhites narrowly beating the drop, Van de Ven has decided to stay put. Now, he has been acting as a Spurs agent, trying his best to convince Van Hecke of De Zerbi’s project. While Van Hecke has already agreed personal terms with the North London club, Van de Ven staying in N17 should give the Brighton star more confidence and energy to become a part of De Zerbi’s revolution.