"He's ready" - Sandro names the one player he desperately wants to see at Spurs next season
Former Spurs midfielder Sandro believes Roberto De Zerbi must fix Tottenham’s defence this summer
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro believes Jan Paul van Hecke would be a fantastic signing this summer.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi has already begun his Spurs rebuild by signing Andy Robertson on a free transfer from Liverpool, while it’s believed former Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi is also close to signing.
Another centre-back Spurs are reportedly close to signing is Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jan Paul Van Hecke, although it was reported earlier this week that the south coast club had rejected Spurs’ opening bid for the 25-year-old.
After securing Premier League survival on the final day of last season, De Zerbi has wasted no time in identifying the areas of his squad which need strengthening to avoid another relegation battle.
And, according to Sandro, the defence is a key area that needs work, while he also wants to see a complete overhaul in attack.
Sandro, speaking via Stake, explained why he believes Van Hecke would be the perfect acquisition by Spurs this summer.
“I really like him. He's good on the ball, he played with De Zerbi before too,” he said.”
“He's not only good on the ball, but he can be very aggressive, and in a way that he’s not stupid, he's not doing crazy things without the ball, but I think he's mature.
“He's ready to play because he played under De Zerbi and he showed that he can play in the moment, that he's mature, and we need players that are already mature.
I think we are now going to the market and have to buy players who are ready.”
De Zerbi signed Van Hecke for the Seagulls when he was manager at the AMEX Stadium in 2020.
Since then, the Dutchman has developed into one of the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League, which explains Brighton’s reported £70m valuation.
They signed him for around £1m, so that would represent an incredibly impressive return on investment if they can convince Spurs to meet that valuation in the coming weeks and months.
But Sandro also thinks De Zerbi must also ensure Micky Van de Ven remains at the club this summer.
“He needs to stay, van de Ven needs to stay. He needs to be the captain for next season.
“I think De Zerbi will build a strong squad and it will help Micky as well. He's so important for Tottenham and he's been there for three seasons, so it's important for him to stay.”