Liverpool made transfer move for $94M Virgil van Dijk teammate before Arne Slot firing
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Liverpool FC NewsTransfer NewsTransfersTottenham is hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign Jan Paul van Hecke, who is set to be sold by Brighton this summer ahead of the expiry of his Seagulls contract in 12 months' timeVirgil van Dijk may not unite with Jan Paul van Hecke at club level after all, amid Tottenham's interest in him(Image: 2026 Getty Images)Liverpool made contact with Jan Paul van Hecke's agent when Arne Slot was still in charge, but as things stand it is Tottenham that is making the strongest play for his services.The Dutch center-back has emerged as a key player for Brighton in recent years, but it looks as though he will move on to pastures new this summer. Brighton rejected a £70 million ($94 million) bid from Spurs for Van Hecke, who is in demand, with Chelsea and Manchester City also said to admire the 26-year-old.The Telegraph says that Tottenham is hopeful that the chance for Van Hecke to work with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi again will give the club an edge in the race to sign him.Van Hecke only has one year remaining on his contract at Brighton, and there is an acceptance within the South Coast club that it will have to sell the player this summer.Tottenham is in the process of rebuilding its squad after an atrocious season that saw the team finish in 17th position in the Premier League.The North London club is also closing in on the signing of Marcos Senesi, the 29-year-old Bournemouth center-back who will become a free agent on July 1.As for Liverpool, it is unclear whether the Reds' interest in Van Hecke will persist following Slot's dismissal over the weekend.Jan Paul van Hecke and Virgil van Dijk are teammates for the NetherlandsLiverpool continues to work on targets ahead of the summer transfer window officially opening later this month, and a new center-back is a requirement after Ibrahima Konate's exit was confirmed.It was revealed last week that Konate would be leaving Liverpool after five years with the club, despite having suggested just weeks earlier that he was on the brink of a contract extension at Anfield.Konate signed a five-year contract upon joining Liverpool in 2021, and that deal will expire at the end of this month, leaving him free to join a new club – almost certainly Real Madrid.Andoni Iraola is set to be confirmed as Slot's replacement before the end of the week, but there is no suggestion at this moment that Liverpool could look to hijack Tottenham's move for Senesi.Senesi has played under Iraola at Bournemouth for the last three seasons, and the Argentina international made 37 Premier League appearances this term.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCVirgil Van DijkArne SlotTransfers