Luka Vuskovic: Brighton make £30m offer for Spurs defender as Roberto De Zerbi maintains Jan Paul van Hecke interest | Football News

Brighton have made a £30m bid for Tottenham’s teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic. 

The 19-year-old, who is at the World Cup with Croatia, established himself as one of the world’s best young defenders while on loan with Hamburg last season.

Vuskovic’s performances in Germany earned him a place in the Bundesliga team of the season, with the player scoring six league goals, more than any other central defender in Germany’s top flight.

Spurs first agreed a deal to sign Vuskovic from Croatian side Hajduk Split in the summer of 2023 in a move that saw him join the Premier League club last summer, before heading out on loan to Hamburg.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side are pursuing Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who worked under the Tottenham boss when he was in charge of the Seagulls.

The north London club have already confirmed the signing of Marcos Senesi on a free, which will be sealed once his contract with Bournemouth expires on July 1.

If successful in signing Van Hecke, as well as Senesi, Spurs would have at least four centre-backs who would be considered first-choice options in a season when they do not have European football.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been the starters at Spurs when fit, while Kevin Danso stepped up in captain Romero’s absence at the end of the season after an injury kept him out for the run-in.

De Zerbi will have the final say on all of Spurs’ transfers this summer.

Brighton reject second Spurs bid for Van Hecke

Brighton last week rejected a second bid from Tottenham for centre-back Van Hecke, according to Seagulls chief executive Paul Barber.

The Netherlands international defender has one year left on his contract at Brighton after moving from NAC Breda for an initial fee of £1.8m in 2020.

“Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so. In fact, two bids,” Barber told talkSPORT at the weekend.

“There is always going to be a lot of interest in our best players and certainly in the case of Jan Paul.

“We have been very clear, that interest has been ongoing for a while. It is coming from multiple sources.

“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.”

Analysis: De Zerbi’s transfer plan clear at Spurs

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out what Tottenham are trying to do in this transfer window: De Zerbi is looking for centre-backs who are better on the ball.

In making a bid for Van Hecke – while also agreeing a free transfer for Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi – Spurs are looking for excellent ball progressors in the first phase of play.

In Senesi and Van Hecke, De Zerbi has targeted two of the Premier League’s best in this specific area. These were the top two players in the league last season for bypassing defenders by passing the ball.

Quite simply, they are able to soak up pressure at the back and take opposition players out the game by putting the ball through the lines.

Under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, Senesi was used to a very direct, vertical style of play where he would punch the ball through the thirds quickly.

Van Hecke, meanwhile, is accustomed to De Zerbi’s intense style of play having played 50 matches under the Italian during their time together at Brighton.

That work has been built on by Fabian Hurzeler, who told Sky Sports in 2024: “It helps that the coach I had here before was De Zerbi because he integrated this style of play,” when asked about his defenders playing out from the back in dangerous areas.

Spurs getting two ball-playing defenders is a sign that this is something they feel they lack. The numbers back that up. Senesi and Van Hecke are a level above Romero and Van de Ven in terms of passing ability.

If Spurs end up getting both players, what will it mean for Spurs’ current centre-halves?