Tottenham have already failed with two bids for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke, but they will not be deterred from trying to sign the 26-year-old, GIVEMESPORT understands.
After saving the club from relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season, Roberto De Zerbi's clear priority is improving the defence he has at Spurs, with Andy Robertson having already signed on a free transfer from Liverpool.
Marcos Senesi will join the Scot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with confirmation of his transfer to the north London club expected imminently.
Tottenham have already had two bids rejected by Brighton
If Spurs are to get a deal over the line to sign van Hecke from the Seagulls, that would mean their first three signings of the summer window were all defenders. And it is no shock to see De Zerbi home in on the defence, after all, Spurs have shipped an incredible 113 goals in the last two Premier League seasons, finishing 17th in both campaigns.
Tottenham made a bid for van Hecke last week, although the exact fee was not disclosed. It was immediately rejected by Brighton, but Seagulls chief executive Paul Barber revealed the Lilywhites had followed up with a second offer too.
Speaking to Talksport, he said: "There's always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul.
"We've been very clear that that interest has been ongoing for a while, it's coming from multiple sources. Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids.
"From that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player.
"We have to be in a position to make the best trades to suit our model and also to make sure that we're supporting Fabian [Hurzeler], because he's got another big season ahead of him."
Van Hecke is keen on making the move to London
GMS understands that Spurs intend to make a third bid for the Dutchman, who is currently out in the USA preparing for the Netherlands' 2026 World Cup campaign.
Brighton have their valuation of the defender - who turned 26 on Monday - which has been reported to be around the £70million mark, and they are notoriously hard to bargain with, sticking by their price tags. However, van Hecke only has one year left on his current contract at the Amex Stadium, with Spurs hoping to secure a cheaper deal for the player.
The one thing that could work in their favour is that van Hecke wants to make the move to north London. He is pushing hard to reunite with his former boss Roberto De Zerbi.
GMS sources close to the deal believe an agreement between the two clubs will ultimately be reached.