Tottenham Hotspur face huge pressure to nail their summer recruitment, with the threat of a third consecutive underwhelming Premier League season looming.
Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival had an instant positive effect, helping the club avoid the drop, but Spurs still finished a disappointing 17th in 2025/26 — identical to their position the year before, leaving fans with a sense of déjà vu.
That makes the upcoming window a defining moment for the club’s hierarchy, who are targeting a push for Europe in 2026/27. Behind the scenes, the recruitment staff have been busy, and progress looks imminent with the transfer window set to open on Monday.
Personal terms reportedly agreed with £70m target
Spurs are scouting widely across the continent, but Premier League options remain firmly in play too. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has surfaced as a possible target, with suggestions the Dutch forward could be willing to leave Anfield — a fee close to £60m has been floated for the 27-year-old, who netted seven league goals last campaign.
Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke is another English-based name Spurs are tracking. Fabrizio Romano has reported that personal terms are already in place with the 26-year-old centre-back, and discussions between the two clubs continue following Brighton’s rejection of an opening bid. The Seagulls reportedly want at least £70m, though whether Spurs will go that high remains uncertain.
Why Van Hecke fits the captaincy profile
Given how poorly last season went, changes look likely — and Cristian Romero’s future is in doubt. The Argentine has fueled exit speculation by declining to rule out a departure, while his on-field discipline slipped badly, with 11 yellows and two reds across 2025/26 — costly lapses that don’t sit well for a club captain.
Should Romero leave, Spurs would need fresh leadership at the back. Van Hecke’s profile at Brighton makes him a strong fit: he ranked among the top 3% of Premier League players for passes completed (2,198 last season), reflecting the ball-playing composure De Zerbi’s system demands.
His defensive numbers also stand out — a 62% success rate in ground duels and 8.9 defensive actions per 90 minutes, with no Spurs centre-back winning more ground duels per 90 than Van Hecke managed last season.
The fact personal terms are already sorted signals his eagerness for the move. The remaining task is closing the gap with Brighton’s valuation. £70m is a steep outlay, but it could hand De Zerbi exactly the elite centre-back his rebuild needs.
There’s every chance Van Hecke could thrive at Spurs, potentially stepping into Romero’s role — captaincy included — as the club looks to turn things around.
