News Focus
- Brighton & Hove Albion have tabled a £30 million offer for Tottenham Hotspur’s teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic
- The 19-year-old Croatian international is currently at the World Cup after an impressive loan spell with Hamburg in Germany
- Tottenham Hotspur are pursuing Brighton’s Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke, though the Seagulls have rejected multiple bids
- Spurs have already secured a free transfer for Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi to strengthen their defence
- Manager Roberto De Zerbi is targeting ball-playing centre-backs to improve his team’s build-up play from the back
Brighton & Hove Albion have made a formal approach to sign young defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur. The South Coast club has offered £30 million for the 19-year-old centre-back.
The Croatian international is currently away with his national team at the World Cup. He spent last season on loan at Hamburg in Germany, where he scored six goals and earned a place in the Bundesliga team of the season.
Tottenham originally bought Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in the summer of 2023. The teenager joined the North London club but immediately moved to Germany to gain first-team experience.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are attempting to sign Brighton’s defender Jan Paul van Hecke. The Dutch player previously worked under Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi when the Italian was in charge at Brighton.
However, Brighton have turned down two separate offers from Tottenham for Van Hecke. Paul Barber, the chief executive at Brighton, confirmed the rejections over the weekend.
Van Hecke has just one year remaining on his contract with the Seagulls. He moved to the club from NAC Breda in 2020 for £1.8 million.
Tottenham have already agreed to sign Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth on a free transfer. The deal will become official when his contract expires on July 1st.
If Tottenham succeed in buying both Senesi and Van Hecke, they will have four top centre-backs. This would provide strong competition for places alongside Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
De Zerbi wants defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. Both Senesi and Van Hecke rank highly in the Premier League for passing through opposition lines.
Van Hecke played 50 matches under De Zerbi at Brighton, so he knows the manager’s system well. Senesi also likes to play forward passes quickly from the back.
The moves suggest De Zerbi is worried about his current defenders’ ability to play out from defence. Last season, Romero and Van de Ven were not as effective with their distribution as the players Spurs are now targeting.