Tottenham are set to make a shock move for the England U21 star after Van Hecke
Tottenham are in talks with Brighton over the futures of Jan Paul van Hecke and Luka Vuskovic, and are also eyeing a move for a Premier League rival as Roberto De Zerbi steps up his summer rebuild.
Brighton have made a £30million bid for Croatia defender Vuskovic. The 19-year-old, regarded as one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe, spent last season on loan at Hamburg, making 30 appearances for the Bundesliga side in all competitions, 28 of them in the league.
He was included in coach Zlatko Dalic's 26-man squad for the World Cup and may feature in the opening match against England.
Spurs are also in talks with Brighton for the sale of defender van Hecke as two bids have been rejected so far.
A third request is expected to follow after negotiations this weekend.
Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham are in talks to submit a bid for the £70m star who wants to join
The Lilywhites have been the busiest team in the Premier League so far this summer.
Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have already arrived to bolster De Zerbi's defense and the manager has reportedly been instrumental in tying down defender Pedro Porro to a new contract, with the Italian wasting no time in transforming his squad this summer.
The transfer window officially opened on Monday June 15, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that they will once again look to strengthen the midfield.
Spurs aren't stopping there either, and are now set to make a shock move for a Premier League rival to bolster their attacking ranks.
Tottenham admire Chelsea star
Reporter Ben Jacobs has told the Last Word Spurs podcast that the Lilywhites could make a move for Chelsea striker Liam Delap.
Delap, who is yet to play for England but has played for the U21 team, wants to prove himself at Chelsea, but may have no choice but to move on if Xabi Alonso prefers Joao Pedro and Nicolas Jackson.
Once it is clear that there will be a rush to sign him, said Jacobs, and Spurs is one of the three teams in England looking for a move.
“I think Liam Delap would be one to watch at Chelsea, another club Tottenham wouldn't normally do much business with.
“Newcastle, Everton, Tottenham, three clubs like Delap. Before we clarify if there is any further development there, Delap wants to stay and fight for his place, so he will understand where he is in this mess, with Joao Pedro who is the best under Xabi Alonso, who will be the best striker?
“Will it still be Delap? Will it be Nico Jackson, who is returning from a loan at Bayern? I think it will not happen, but Jackson wants the pre-season to see if he can change the new manager's mind.
If all that is in order, if Delap is available on the market, Newcastle, Everton and Tottenham are the three Premier League clubs I have heard of.
Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are both struggling with injuries in North London, so it wouldn't be surprising to see De Zerbi invest in a new ninth.
What is surprising, however, is that the number 9 is another injury-prone player – Delap missed 15 games due to hamstring and shoulder problems last season.
That meant the former Ipswich star started just 12 Premier League games, scoring once, but at 23 he still has time to improve.
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