Tottenham see second transfer bid for Jan Paul van Hecke rejected
Tottenham Hotspur have had a second transfer bid for Jan Paul van Hecke rejected by Brighton as the London club seek defensive reinforcements amid uncertainty over Cristian Romero.
The South Coast side are reportedly demanding a fee in the region of £70m to part ways with the 25-year-old.
Spurs initially tabled an offer of around £40m, but their latest attempt has also fallen significantly short of the required valuation.
A third formal approach is expected from the North London club in the coming days.
Multiple clubs tracking Dutch defender
The coveted centre-back has entered the final 12 months of his current contract and is widely expected to depart the Amex Stadium during the current window.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber confirmed the dual rejections and acknowledged widespread interest in the player.
“There’s always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul,” Barber told talkSPORT.
“We’ve been very clear that that interest has been ongoing for a while, and it’s coming from multiple sources.”
“We have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week, in fact two bids, but it has to be right for us, as well as the player.”
Spurs rebuilding backline amid Romero doubts
Tottenham have already moved to strengthen their rearguard by securing Marcos Senesi on a free transfer following his departure from Bournemouth.
Additional defensive recruitment has become a strict priority due to lingering speculation regarding the long-term future of current club captain Romero.
Former Spurs midfielder Sandro recently praised the Brighton mainstay, describing him as a perfectly mature candidate for the tactical setup.
“For me, Van Hecke is ready because he played under Roberto De Zerbi and showed that he can play in the moment,” Sandro told Standard Sport.
“He’s mature, and we need players that are already mature.”