The centre-back has one year remaining on his Brighton terms. George Wood/Getty ImagesJune 4, 2026 Updated 2:53 am EDTTottenham Hotspur have made an offer to sign defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion.The proposal for the 25-year-old fell short of Brighton’s valuation, but talks continue.Van Hecke is close to Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi from their time working together at Brighton from 2022 to 2024.In April, Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said he expected to talk to Van Hecke about his future, with the Dutchman’s contract expiring in June 2027. The Athletic reported earlier this week that Van Hecke had so far shown no interest in extending his deal and was one of three Brighton players, alongside compatriot Bart Verbruggen and midfielder Carlos Baleba, that are candidates for a big sale this summer.Van Hecke has been named in the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup and played 87 minutes of Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat by Algeria in Rotterdam. He has been capped 11 times by his country.The centre-back first joined Brighton in 2020 from Dutch side NAC Breda and has had loan spells at Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers before beginning to establish himself in the Brighton first team in the 2022-23 season. He has made 131 appearances for Brighton, with 106 of those coming in the Premier League.Last season, Van Hecke was a mainstay in Fabian Hurzeler’s back four, starting 36 Premier League games and missing only two due to injury.In addition to Spurs’ pursuit of Van Hecke, the club are set to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a four-year deal. The 29-year-old’s contract at the south-coast club is due to expire this summer, and he is now expected to complete a move to north London.Jun 4, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms