Brighton Expect Second Tottenham Bid for Van Hecke After Initial £70m Offer Rejected

Brighton are expecting Tottenham Hotspur to return with a second, improved bid for Dutch centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, 25, after the south coast club rejected their initial £70m offer. New Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi is eager to reunite with the defender he worked with at Brighton. Van Hecke, who played more Premier League minutes than any other Brighton outfield player last season, has just one year remaining on his contract, increasing the likelihood of a sale. Liverpool and Chelsea are also monitoring the situation. Tottenham have already signed Marco Senesi and Andy Robertson on free transfers this summer as De Zerbi rebuilds a squad that narrowly avoided relegation. A Van Hecke deal would represent a major statement of intent for the incoming regime at White Hart Lane.