Former Sunderland target Jan Paul van Hecke set for £52 million Tottenham move | OneFootball

Jan Paul van Hecke is set to join Tottenham after Brighton agreed a £52 million deal for the Netherlands defender.

The 26-year-old is closing in on a switch to North London. According to Sunderland Echo, he is expected to reunite with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Van Hecke has 12 months left on his contract and had shown no desire to extend. Brighton rejected an earlier bid but have now accepted Tottenham’s proposal, which includes a significant sell-on clause.

Sunderland had explored a loan earlier in his Brighton career. He stayed put and became one of the Seagulls’ most dependable performers.

Signed from NAC Breda in 2020, he made 131 appearances for Brighton. Last season he started 36 of 38 Premier League games as Fabian Hurzeler’s side finished eighth and qualified for Europe for only the second time in the club’s history.

He also started for the Netherlands in their 2-2 draw with Japan at the World Cup on Sunday.

The move underlines Brighton’s knack for developing talent and selling at a profit. Spurs have already added heavily this summer as they seek improvement after successive 17th-placed finishes.

Source: Sunderland Echo