De Zerbi’s football is built on risk in the first phase.
That is not a role for a purely reactive defender. It demands timing, passing nerve and the confidence to keep making the same decisions after mistakes. At Spurs, where the crowd expects front-foot football, that trait is essential.
Van Hecke appears to suit that brief. He is comfortable stepping into midfield areas, aggressive in duels and willing to pass forward rather than simply clear danger. Just as important, he looks like the kind of defender who can survive in a stretched game, which matters in a De Zerbi side that often commits numbers ahead of the ball.
There is also a stylistic point here. Spurs do not just need defenders who can start attacks; they need one who can keep the structure intact when possession turns over. Van Hecke looks closer to that modern balance than a traditional stopper.
Even if no move materialises, the discussion is useful because it reveals what Spurs may now prioritise.
That is the lens to watch. Whether it is van Hecke or another target, Spurs’ next defensive signing is likely to tell the clearest story yet about how far De Zerbi plans to push his style in north London.