Tottenham poised to raid Brighton for partnership amid squad overhaul

It wouldn’t be bold to say that anything is better than what Tottenham Hotspur just did during the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season, one point above the line. It’s become apparent that the Lilywhites are doing their best to avoid even getting close to that zone again, which can be reflected in their activity early on in the summer transfer window.

It’s being heavily speculated that Spurs are set to sign both Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson to help bolster their backline, something that was quite the issue for them, as the team only kept nine clean sheets, allowing 54 goals during the domestic campaign.

There have also been links to Dinamo Zagreb’s Sergi Dominguez, with the North London club jumping in on a target of Italian side Lazio, but their search appears to have gone to the South Coast of England.

De Zerbi looking for a reunion

According to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey, Spurs’ manager Roberto De Zerbi is keen on signing two of his former players, Jan Paul van Hecke and Bart Berbruggen.

“Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to test Brighton and Hove Albion’s resolve as they weigh up moves for Dutch duo Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke this summer,” writes Bailey.

This would reunite the Seagulls’ pair with their former manager, and would certainly put Guglielmo Vicario’s future in North London under question, given his shaky performances last season.

Van Hecke, on the other hand, would slot in well with the Spurs’ backline, as he was a huge part of the Sea Gulls’ defensive strategy, recording 46 interceptions, while winning 32 tackles across his 40 appearances last season.

While there isn’t a known fee for the partnership, TEAMtalk reports that it would be quite high, given that Brighton is rather relaxed about selling the pair.

“The Seagulls are under no pressure to sell Verbruggen or Van Hecke and are expected to demand substantial fees should formal approaches arrive,” stated Bailey.

For now, it’ll be another one of the storylines to follow as the Lilywhites look to rebound from what was quite the lackluster campaign.

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