Tottenham have bid 'rejected' for Jan Paul van Hecke

Brighton & Hove Albion have rejected an approach from Tottenham for their defender Jan Paul van Hecke, according to reports.

The Dutchman had an excellent season for the Seagulls, starting all but two of their 38 Premier League matches as Fabian Hurzeler's side secured Conference League football, courtesy of an eighth place top-flight finish.

Van Hecke turns 26 shortly before he is set to star for the Netherlands at the World Cup and would be a welcome addition to the Spurs backline.

As reported by David Ornstein in The Athletic, Tottenham will keep up their pursuit of the defender, despite their initial approach being rejected.

"Tottenham Hotspur submit bid to sign Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion," Ornstein shared via X.

"#THFC offer for 25yo centre-back below #BHAFC valuation so rejected, but talks continue in bid to strike agreement. Dutch int’l close to Roberto De Zerbi."

Back in April, reports emerged that the Dutch international was set for talks regarding his Brighton future with Hurzeler.

Van Hecke's contract is set to expire in the summer of 2027 and the understanding at the time was that there was no indication that he would sign a new deal with the club.

Speaking before Van Hecke made his 100th Brighton appearance, Hurzeler expressed his desire to keep hold of his defender: “I love Jan Paul, I love his attitude, how he works for the team, I love his mentality of winning.

”He has a big impact on his team-mates, therefore I would love to continue working with him, because we have a really good relationship.

After avoiding relegation, Tottenham manager De Zerbi will have set his sights on a hike up the table when he embarks on his first full term as Spurs boss and high on his priority list has to be a defensive refresh.

Injury issues saw Radu Dragusin play just 517 minutes of Premier League football throughout 2025/26 and fitness issues also played a hand in Kevin Danso and Cristian Romero's availability, meaning Archie Gray had to deputise at the heart of the defence on occasions.

Van Hecke made his Brighton debut just weeks before De Zerbi took over at the Amex, soon becoming a regular and racking up 50 appearances under the Italian.