Former Tottenham Hotspur star Sandro has urged the club to sign Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke this summer, describing him as the ideal centre-back partner for Micky van de Ven.
Significant squad changes are anticipated at Spurs following a disappointing 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, with the north London outfit surviving relegation by a mere two points on the final day. Tottenham are already on the verge of securing Bournemouth's player of the season Marcos Senesi on a free transfer, but the left-footed defender could potentially compete with Van de Ven for one centre-back position while manager Roberto De Zerbi recruits another new arrival on the right.
Skipper Cristian Romero and Ragu Dragusin have both been strongly linked with departures from the club, leaving Kevin Danso and a decision regarding Luka Vuskovic on the right side of central defence. The 19-year-old Vuskovic returns from an outstanding loan spell at Hamburg, where he earned a place in the Bundesliga team of the season.
Sandro's Verdict on Van Hecke
Sandro, who played under De Zerbi at Benevento, believes his former boss should pursue one of his ex-Brighton players in 25-year-old Van Hecke, who is entering the final 12 months of his contract. Speaking exclusively to Reach PLC via Ivy Casino, Sandro said: "They are talking about Marcos Senesi, at Bournemouth, but I really like the defender from Brighton, Van Hecke. I really like him. He's good on the ball, he played with De Zerbi before too. 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."
"For me, Van Hecke is ready. 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 that are ready."
Van de Ven Must Stay
While Romero could leave this summer despite penning a fresh lucrative deal 12 months ago, Sandro has been emphatic that Van de Ven must remain in north London. "100 per cent, he needs to stay. 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 and it's important for him to stay, I think," said the Brazilian.
"If we let him go, it will be losing Romero and him, so I hope he is at least there for three or four seasons. We need to keep him, I think he's happy now with De Zerbi because De Zerbi can put a smile on the players' faces and it's so needed. Van de Ven needs to stay and I hope he does stay and build the team around him at the back and then around the midfielders. I think we are okay in the middle."
Comparisons to Arsenal's Gabriel
The former Tottenham midfielder went so far as to draw comparisons between Van de Ven and Arsenal's highly-rated Brazilian centre-back Gabriel. "Gabriel suits the Arsenal squad so well, and we need Van de Ven to become that same defender at Spurs. Micky is one of the top defenders, he just needs to have a team around him as well for him to grow, for him to shine. I just want De Zerbi to do his magical things, I'm a fan of his and I think he will," he said.
"Van de Ven has that ability to become that good. Yeah, 100 per cent. He's been there in the club for three seasons so he just needs the players, the squad to help him a little bit and, having a strong team around him, he will be even more effective in the squad. De Zerbi is the guy to build the team and he needs to build around Van de Ven."
