Tottenham primed to snatch £40m ‘leader’ from Premier League rival as 2026 transfer splurge begins | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have continued to monitor Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke through the opening stages of the season, and TEAMtalk can reveal how a potential £40million bid could be incoming for 2026.

Spurs explored a move for the Dutch centre-back last summer and sources indicate he remains a player of interest as the club considers strengthening its defensive options during the 2026 transfer windows.

Van Hecke has played every minute of Brighton’s Premier League campaign so far and the club would be keen to secure him on a longer-term contract.

The defender, who scored twice in Tuesday night’s 4–3 defeat to Aston Villa, is currently under contract until the summer of 2027.

Tottenham have become increasingly open to adding new names to their recruitment lists, with sporting directors Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici preparing for an ambitious period of squad investment.

Early indications suggest Spurs aim to make substantial changes across both the January and summer windows, targeting reinforcements in goal, central defence, central midfield, wide attack and centre-forward.

Brighton could secure a significant profit on Van Hecke, who joined from Dutch side NAC Breda for just £3 million in 2020, if they were to sell him.

Current estimates suggest he would command a fee in the region of £40m (€45.7m / $53m).

‘Leader’ Van Hecke urged to commit to Brighton

Meanwhile, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler recently called on Van Hecke to commit his future to the club beyond 2027, amid fears of an exit for the talented centre-back.

The 25-year-old could walk away as a free agent in just over 18 months, unless Brighton do decide to cash in on his services, which would have to come in the next two windows if they want to secure that asking price.

However, Hurzeler hopes that Van Hecke will consider committing his long-term future to the south coast club, telling The Argus: “Hopefully he has a long and bright future here in Brighton.

“When you see his past, where he has come from, what he went through to where he is now, you see a really consistent development. That’s because of his, his attitude. That’s because of his mindset. His effort is always above the things you can expect as a coach.

“That makes his values so important to us. He’s a Dutch guy, so I already like his, he’s very straight with you and honest with his opinion. I think that’s always powerful in the team.

“He’s one of my leaders, he’s in the leadership group. He has taken more responsibility and more ownership this season. I think that’s the next step for him, to not only be a great performer, but also try to be a leader in this club.”

First up, Tottenham are working hard on prospective goalkeeper targets heading into 2026 and one they are huge admirers of is Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen, though TEAMtalk can reveal the European giants who are also strongly looking into a move.

Elsewhere, Spurs sources have revealed the latest on the club’s reported interest in Brighton & Hove Albion’s £100million-rated Carlos Baleba – revealing if an offer could be on the cards.

And finally, Tottenham are prepared to back Thomas Frank in the January transfer window, despite some fans already calling for his job, with a move to strengthen the club’s leaky backline with a top Serie A star .