Jan Paul van Hecke, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer target, is set to be evaluated by the Netherlands national team's medical staff on Monday after sustaining significant swelling to his right eye during Holland's 2-2 World Cup draw with Japan in Dallas.
The injury, caused by a kick, worsened in the second half, and images of the bruising taken as he greeted his family in the stands have raised further concerns. Van Hecke revealed the damage affected his vision, stating: "He kicked me in the eye with all his might. I was heading for the ball, so I thought something might happen. At some point, it definitely affected my vision. I can't see very well on that side right now. I hope it will get a little better in a few days. I think it will swell up a bit more later, but that's also part of the game."
Although it is unclear when the incident occurred, Van Hecke played the full 90 minutes as Ronald Koeman's team surrendered the lead twice in their Group F opener. The 26-year-old, approaching the final year of his Brighton contract, believes Holland should have pressed higher after restoring their lead through Crysencio Summerville. He added: "We scored two fantastic goals, but personally, I think we dropped back a little too much. If we had kept putting pressure on the opponent, we could have made the game easier for ourselves."
Tottenham have had two bids rejected but remain in talks with Brighton over the defender, who is keen to reunite with former manager Roberto De Zerbi. While Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle have monitored Van Hecke, he has made it clear he wants to join Spurs. His former club NAC Breda holds a 7.5% sell-on clause and awaits an agreement.
Tottenham have already signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth this summer.
