Spurs now making calls to sign De Zerbi’s new Caicedo

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the signing of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion to bolster their central defensive options earlier this week.

The Lilywhites are agreed a deal worth £52m to bring the Netherlands international to North London, despite him being in the middle of a World Cup campaign with his country.

Van Hecke worked with Roberto De Zerbi during their time together at Brighton in the Premier League, which means that he could hit the ground running at Spurs under a manager he already knows.

The Dutch star is also an international teammate of Micky van de Ven and started alongside the Tottenham defender, who was at left-back, in the Netherlands’ draw with Japan.

He will not be the last player to join the club in the summer transfer window, though, as the Premier League side are looking to add further reinforcements to the group.

Spurs pursuing deal for Portuguese star

The Lilywhites are in the market to strengthen their options in the middle of the park, as they eye a deal for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, and De Zerbi once had a terrific midfield talent in Moises Caicedo at Brighton.

Chelsea paid £115m to sign the Ecuador international from Brighton, making him an unrealistic target for the club, but De Zerbi is now looking at a star who could be his next version of Caicedo.

According to Fabrizio Romano, via his YouTube channel, Tottenham Hotspur are pursuing a deal to sign West Ham United central midfielder Mateus Fernandes in the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that Spurs have been making phone calls to speak with the player and his representatives, to lay the groundwork for a potential move this summer.

However, Romano adds that there is a fight to secure the Portuguese star’s signature in the off-season, as Manchester United are in talks to sign him and Real Madrid are considering a move to add him to Jose Mourinho’s squad.

It has been previously claimed that the Hammers, despite being relegated to the Championship, are looking for a fee of around £80m for Fernandes, and it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs are willing to pay that price.

How Mateus Fernandes can be Tottenham’s own Moises Caicedo

Caicedo earned a £115m move to Chelsea by offering exceptional qualities in and out of possession in the middle of the park for Brighton, and Fernandes offered similar qualities during his time at West Ham.

The Ecuador international played 33 times in the Premier League for Brighton in the 2022/23 campaign in De Zerbi’s first season at the club and averaged 4.4 tackles and interceptions per game for his team.

Now, despite being relegated in the 2025/26 season, Fernandes’ form over the past nine months suggests that he has the ability to replicate Caicedo’s Brighton form for De Zerbi at Spurs.

Comparing the £80m-rated star’s form to Caicedo’s under De Zerbi makes it clear that they are both very similar players who can both make an impact on and off the ball in midfield in the Premier League.

Fernandes, who was hailed as a “superstar” by analyst Joost van der Leij, is an incredibly combative midfield player who likes to get stuck in with tackles, interceptions, and duels to win possession back for his team on a regular basis, much like the £115m star.

The 21-year-old destroyer is not just a brute who roams around the pitch to offer physicality and little else, though, because he is also an impressive operator with the ball.

A return of three goals and four assists as a combative midfielder in a team that finished in the bottom three is nothing to be sneered at, as it shows that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Fernandes has the potential to be De Zerbi’s new version of Caicedo because of the qualities that he can offer in midfield in and out of possession, breaking up play and contributing in the final third.

That is why the club should push to beat Real Madrid and Manchester United in the race to sign the former Southampton man in the coming days and weeks.