Tottenham battle Newcastle for £43m Brighton star, Micky Van de Ven knows him well

A Brighton star has now made a big decision on his future, thus opening the door for Tottenham to swoop for him over the coming weeks.

Thomas Frank is not short of options at centre-back, particularly given that Cristian Romero now looks set to stay at Tottenham.

However, it has been widely reported over recent weeks that Spurs are still in the market for central defenders, and a great opportunity may have just opened up for the Lilywhites.

It has now emerged that Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to a Brighton star, who is thought to be keen to leave the Amex Stadium.

Tottenham circling over Jan Paul van Hecke after contract decision

It has been revealed by Voetbal International that Tottenham have expressed an interest in Micky Van de Ven’s Netherlands international teammate, Jan Paul van Hecke, who has decided against signing a new contract at Brighton.

The Seagulls were ready to make the 25-year-old their highest-paid player, but he has declined their contract offer.

Van Hecke wants to move to a Champions League club this summer, with Newcastle also joining Spurs in the race for the centre-back.

While the defender will not agitate to leave the South Coast, it is revealed that an offer of €50m (£43.2m) will be enough to prise him away after his refusal to sign a contract extension.

Why signing another centre-back may make sense for Spurs

While Romero is expected to stay, there are no indications that the Argentine is expected to sign a new contract.

That is why Frank and Tottenham may want to future-proof themselves by signing a top centre-back this summer, and they could be alive to any market opportunities that open up.

Additionally, it is unclear if Kota Takai is ready for the Premier League, while reports also indicate that Tottenham are likely to allow Luka Vuskovic to head out on loan.

• READ MORE: Tottenham ‘have been looking’ at Premier League star again, but he wants Liverpool instead

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