Tottenham transfer target Jan Paul van Hecke is set to be assessed by Dutch national team medical staff on Monday after he suffered significant swelling to his right eye in Holland’s 2-2 World Cup draw with Japan in Dallas.
The issue, sustained from a kick, worsened during the second half and images of the bruising, taken as he greeted his family in the stands, have raised further alarm.
Van Hecke has also since revealed the damage impacted 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.”
While it’s not clear when the incident took place, Van Hecke was able to complete the full 90 minutes as Ronald Koeman’s Oranje surrendered the lead on two separate occasions in their Group F opener.
The 26-year-old, who is swiftly approaching the final year of his current contract with Brighton, feels Holland should have pressed higher up the pitch after restoring their one-goal cushion through Crysencio Summerville.
He continued: “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
“It happens naturally. A goal changes the flow of the game. When you take the lead, you start to defend it. But you have to keep defending high up the pitch. Sometimes it’s difficult, but I think we could have done better.”
After seeing two bids rejected, Spurs remain in discussions with their Premier League counterparts over a deal for the central defender, who is eager to reunite with former boss Roberto De Zerbi in north London.
View 2 ImagesJan Paul van Hecke suffered a blow to the face in Holland’s World Cup draw with Japan
While other clubs had considered entering the race, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle are among those to have kept tabs on Van Hecke, he is thought to have made it clear he wants to join Tottenham.
Van Hecke’s former side NAC Breda are patiently awaiting an agreement as they have a small sell-on clause (worth 7.5%) that will entitle them to a small cut of profit.
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Tottenham have already completed two signings this summer after snapping up Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth, respectively.
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