Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Jan Paul van Hecke over a move from Brighton this summer, according to Voetbal International.
Spurs are in the midst of a major squad rebuild this summer after narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship thanks to a win on the final day of the Premier League season against Everton.
Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have already agreed deals to join from Bournemouth and Liverpool respectively, and a bid has now been tabled to Brighton to bring in yet another central defender for Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham Agree Terms With Van Hecke
The bid has been described as 'serious' according to a report by Dutch outlet VI, and it has now emerged that the two clubs are in negotiations to find an agreement, with a deal possibly being finalised before the World Cup begins next week.
Van Hecke is understood to be very open to joining the north London club, having entered the final year of his contract with the Seagulls, and is looking for a new challenge in his career.
Spurs are understood to be in pole position to get a deal done for the 25-year-old, despite rival interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.
Personal terms are not an issue, with a contract broadly agreed between club and player, and van Hecke believes that Tottenham will quickly bounce back towards the top of the division under the management of De Zerbi.
De Zerbi and Van Hecke worked together at Brighton between 2022 and 2024, and the Italian coach views the centre back as a crucial building block to getting the team away from relegation battles and back to contention in Europe.
Van Hecke Valuation Could Be an Issue
Van Hecke is entering the final year of his contract at the Amex Stadium, but that hasn't stopped Brighton from slapping a £70m valuation on his head as they look for maximum value.
Spurs' initial bid was below that valuation, although it hasn't been made public what the amount was, but if Brighton are going to keep demanding such a big fee, then it could well stop any deal from progressing as quickly as they'd hope.