Tottenham pursue Senesi and Van Hecke, two top english EPL ball-playing defenders

Tottenham Hotspur are currently pursuing Senesi and Van Hecke. Sky Sports commented on this, stating that it is not difficult to see Tottenham Hotspur's transfer direction in this window: De Zerbi hopes to sign center-backs with better ball-playing abilities.

Reports indicate that Tottenham Hotspur have successively bid for Van Hecke, and are also expected to sign Marcos Senesi from AFC Bournemouth for free, which fully demonstrates the team's desire to strengthen its defense with players who can stably advance the ball during the offensive build-up phase.

Senesi and Van Hecke are among the best players in this position in the Premier League, and last season, both ranked high in the league for their ability to penetrate opponents' defenses with passes.

In short, they can both break down high presses in the backfield and tear apart opponents' defenses with passes, disrupting their defensive setup.

Under Andoni Iraola's coaching at AFC Bournemouth, Senesi became accustomed to a concise, direct, and vertically-focused playing style, enabling him to quickly distribute the ball to the front third.

Van Hecke, on the other hand, has long adapted to De Zerbi's high-intensity tactical style, having worked together at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Hürzeler has also continued this playing style, and in a 2024 interview with Sky Sports discussing defenders playing out from dangerous areas, he said: "We have benefited greatly from the foundation laid by our former coach De Zerbi, who established this tactical style for the team."

Tottenham Hotspur's full effort to bring in two defenders skilled in playing out from the back also reflects the team's current shortcomings in this area, and relevant data confirms this. In terms of passing ability, Senesi and Van Hecke are superior to Cristian Romero and Van de Ven.