Tottenham transfer news: Spurs 'ready' £40m bid for Brighton pass master to solve key issue

Tottenham Hotspur could soon make a £40m bid for a Brighton & Hove Albion defender as Thomas Frank seeks to bolster his rearguard ranks, according to a report.

The Europa League holders converted Kevin Danso's loan from Lens into a permanent deal this summer, but Frank is still lacking in centre-back options.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are immovable in the Tottenham backline when fully fit, and the pair helped the Lilywhites keep their first clean sheet in five games in Saturday's 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford.

However, with Radu Dragusin still on his way back to full fitness after an ACL injury, Kota Takai yet to make his debut and Ben Davies out of contract in 2026, Tottenham could do with additional defensive cover.

According to TEAMtalk, Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke is a player who has interested Spurs chiefs, and a sizeable bid for the Netherlands international could be forthcoming in 2026.

Tottenham considering £40m offer for Jan Paul van Hecke?

The 25-year-old has established himself as a crucial player for the Seagulls since joining in a €2m (£1.8m) deal from NAC Breda in 2020, although he was first loaned out twice to Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers.

Van Hecke now boasts four goals and four assists from 108 matches in a Brighton shirt, scoring an impressive three times in the current Premier League campaign for Fabian Hurzeler's side.

The Dutchman was at fault for Jarrod Bowen's opener in Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Ham United, but he atoned for his mistake with the assist for Georginio Rutter's injury-time leveller at the Amex Stadium.

However, Van Hecke - who is expected to be part of the Netherlands contingent for the 2026 World Cup - is about to enter the last 18 months of his contract with Brighton, who could therefore be forced into a cut-price sale next year.

A January move has not been ruled out for Tottenham if the Seagulls cannot tie Van Hecke down to a new contract, but the South Coast club are still fighting to keep the 25-year-old for a little while longer.

What would Jan Paul van Hecke bring to Tottenham?

Comfortable on the left and right-hand side of the backline, Van Hecke could seamlessly slot into the Romero or Van de Ven role for Spurs, and it goes without saying that the Brighton man knows the latter from their time in the national team.

There are few better central defenders than Van Hecke when it comes to progressing play, as the Dutchman has averaged 6.70 progressive passes per game over the past 365 days, in addition to 1.95 progressive carries.

The former statistic puts Van Hecke in the top 3% of all centre-backs in the big five European leagues, while he sits in the top 2% for progressive carries.

Moreover, the 25-year-old has made 7.14 passes into the final third per game over the past year, further highlighting how he could help solve Spurs' well-documented build-up issues from the back.