"Wants to make the move to Tottenham Hotspur quickly" as De Zerbi named in talks

It appears that Spurs are now approaching the summer transfer market at some pace, and talk of ‘waiting for the World Cup to be over’ isn’t going to feature prominently in the club’s list of excuses.

Joost Blaauwhof is a Dutch football journalist and media personality. He hosts or co-hosts the podcast D’n Hoefcast, which focuses on NAC Breda news and Eredivisie topics. Joost also works as a journalist for Voetbal International (VI), a major Dutch football media outlet, where he covers transfer news, Eredivisie clubs (especially NAC Breda), and other football topics.

Blaauwhof understands that, barring ‘calamities’, Jan Paul van Hecke, the 25-year-old Dutch defender, will soon sign for Tottenham. Personal terms are agreed, and the player wants to make the move to London. The money is believed to be in the region of 50 million euros.

Joost underscores the point that although the British press had mentioned interest from other clubs, Van Hecke only wants to go to Tottenham, which will please fans no end.

Brighton are thought to have rejected two bids from Tottenham. Brighton CEO Paul Barber publicly confirmed this, noting the club wants any deal to be right for the club as well as the player. talkSPORT, amongst many, were running with Brighton holding firm on a high valuation; reports mention around £70m or strong resistance to lower offers, and this was largely propped up by Barber’s reputation for securing his price in the markets.

Also, Van Hecke has one year left on his contract, which strengthens Brighton’s negotiating position but also increases the chance of a sale this summer.

Where would Jan Paul play? Dutch international is a strong ball-playing defender who played the most Premier League minutes of any Brighton outfield player last season. He would likely partner well with Micky van de Ven.