Jan Paul van Hecke: Tottenham sign Brighton defender for £52m
Tottenham sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton in deal worth £52m; defender worked with Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton, playing 50 games under the Italian; Van Hecke set to join Marcos Senesi as Spurs look to revamp their defence
Thursday 18 June 2026 20:38, UK
Tottenham have signed Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m.
The Netherlands international defender had one year left on his contract at Brighton and played at the Seagulls under Roberto De Zerbi between 2023 and 2024.
Brighton are making considerable profit on the 26-year-old, having signed him for £1.8m from NAC Breda in 2020. It is understood Brighton have also negotiated a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
Van Hecke is Tottenham's third signing of the De Zerbi era, after Marco Sensi and Andy Robertson joined on free transfers.
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The club is determined to back De Zerbi in the market and have a strong interest in Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, while they also remain interested in Manchester City forward Savinho.
Van Hecke signing a reward for De Zerbi
Sky Sports' Michael Bridge:
This is total commitment in De Zerbi and you could also say a reward for keeping Spurs up. He has been given full control and has the final say on transfers.
With Van Hecke, they are getting a defender who is comfortable on the ball, much like Marcos Senesi, and excels at taking opposition players out of the game.
Yes, it's a big price. To put it simply, it's the player De Zerbi asked for.
A lot of people will be wondering about Cristian Romero. On his day, he is one of the best defenders in the world. But, that's on his day. He is playing about 50 per cent of the time because of injuries and suspensions. There was plenty of speculation over whether he would watch his team in the final game of the season.
If a big offer comes in for Romero, they will consider it. They key is whether they get a big offer.
Analysis: De Zerbi's transfer plan clear at Spurs
Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out what Tottenham are trying to do in this transfer window: Roberto De Zerbi is looking for centre-backs who are better on the ball.
In agreeing a deal for Van Hecke - having already secured the free transfer of Marcos Senesi - Spurs are looking for excellent ball progressors in the first phase of play.
In Senesi and Van Hecke, De Zerbi is targeting two of the Premier League's best in this specific area. These were the top two players in the league last season for bypassing defenders by passing the ball.
Quite simply, they are able to soak up pressure at the back and take opposition players out of the game by putting the ball through the lines.
Under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, Senesi was used to a very direct, vertical style of play where he would punch the ball through the thirds quickly.
Van Hecke, meanwhile, is accustomed to De Zerbi's intense style of play having played 50 matches under the Italian during their time together at Brighton.
That work has been built on by Fabian Hurzeler. "It helps that the coach I had here before was De Zerbi because he integrated this style of play," Hurzeler said in 2024 when asked about his defenders playing out from the back in dangerous areas.
Spurs getting two ball-playing defenders is a sign that this is something they feel they lack. The numbers back that up. Senesi and Van Hecke are a level above Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in terms of passing ability.
What will it mean for Spurs' current centre-halves?
