Chelsea receive official transfer update on €80m signing

8 Jun 2026 16:06 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has urged his Netherlands team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke to join the club this summer, despite rumoured interest from Chelsea.

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Van Hecke, who is valued at €80 million by Brighton & Hove Albion and has been tipped to become one of Xabi Alonso’s first signings as Chelsea boss, made 40 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

Current ETV

Jan Paul van Hecke

D (C)

Brighton

Jan Paul van Hecke

D (C)

Brighton

ETV Range

€39.8M - €48.7M

The Dutchman played a key role as Brighton qualified for the Europa Conference League via an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, but his form did tail off during the latter stages of the campaign.

Despite this, Tottenham have earmarked him as one of their top targets for the 2026 summer transfer window, with Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi eager to reunite with the 26-year-old following their time together at Brighton.

The north London giants have already finalised an agreement to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on a Bosman deal this summer, but they remain in the market for another centre-back amid the uncertain future of club captain Cristian Romero.

The club have identified Van Hecke as their ideal replacement for the Argentina international and they have already seen two summer bids rejected by Brighton, as confirmed by the Seagulls’ CEO Paul Barber.

Although Spurs are yet to reach an agreement to sign the Brighton defender, Van de Ven believes his compatriot should join him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I did talk to Jan Paul about Tottenham for a bit. I think it is a good step for him,” Van de Ven told reporters while on international duty with the Netherlands ahead of the World Cup.

Chelsea receive Jan Pual van Hecke update

With Van de Ven confirming that he has spoken to Van Hecke about a summer move to Tottenham, it appears as though Chelsea may face an uphill battle to sign the Brighton star ahead of the 2026-27 season.

As a result, they may be forced to pursue an alternative centre-back target, with the likes of Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP), Jacobo Ramon (Como) and Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) all linked with a Stamford Bridge switch in recent months.

However, the Blues will reportedly look to sign an experienced option to partner Levi Colwill at the back next season, which could narrow their list of possible options.

Chelsea have already announced the signings of Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Dastan Satpaev and Denner ahead of the summer window, and a deal is in place to purchase Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a permanent deal too.

Meanwhile, the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Tyrique George and Aaron Anselmino will return to the club in pre-season after loan spells away during the 2025-26 season.

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