Tottenham Hotspur are making significant progress in their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke, with personal terms now agreed with the player according to TEAMtalk. The Netherlands international has become a priority target for manager Roberto De Zerbi as he undertakes a major rebuild at the North London club.
Discussions between Tottenham and Brighton have been ongoing since last week, and while initial bids have been rejected, talks are described as constructive. Brighton CEO Paul Barber confirmed to talkSPORT on Sunday that the club had received and rejected two bids from Spurs. Tottenham’s latest offer is reported to be around £50million, including add-ons, for the 26-year-old centre-back, who has just one year remaining on his current contract.
Despite falling short of Brighton’s valuation, there is growing confidence that a compromise can be reached. Van Hecke is currently preparing for the World Cup finals with the Netherlands, but is reportedly keen to resolve his club future before the tournament begins. The defender has also been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool in recent months, but sources indicate he now favours a move to Tottenham.
A key factor in Van Hecke’s preference is his prior working relationship with De Zerbi during their time together at Brighton. The pair have reportedly held discussions regarding the project being built at Spurs, and Van Hecke’s camp have informed other interested clubs of his desire to move to North London. Brighton are understood to have initially valued Van Hecke at over £70million and are determined to secure a substantial fee for the player.
Should the transfer be completed, Van Hecke would become a key addition to Tottenham’s defensive overhaul, alongside Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, with Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin potentially departing. The club are also monitoring Micky van de Ven and Luka Vuskovic. Van Hecke is seen as a player capable of becoming a long-term leader in the Tottenham back line, and the club are working to finalize the deal before the World Cup.
