Chelsea suffer €81m defender blow as selling club seek deal with rival

Updated: 12 Jun 2026 15:55 BST | 5 min read

Matthew Judge | Editor

Chelsea have suffered a blow to their hopes of strengthening their defence after Brighton and Hove Albion tabled a €34.7million (£30m) bid to sign Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur, who want to sign Blues target Jan Paul van Hecke from the Seagulls.

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Van Hecke is widely regarded as one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the Premier League, with the 26-year-old having played a key role in Brighton securing UEFA Conference League football for next season following a seventh-place finish in 2025-26.

However, with just 12 months left on his contract, Van Hecke has drawn interest from Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window opening for English clubs on Monday, 15 June, with The Telegraph reporting the defender is valued at €81million (£70m) by Brighton.

STATS

Jan Paul van Hecke

D (C)

Brighton

Jan Paul van Hecke

D (C)

Brighton

40

Games
3

Goals
3

Assists

Van Hecke is also a primary target for Tottenham, however, with the north London club having had two undisclosed bids rejected by Brighton, whose CEO, Paul Barber, insists a sale will only be permitted if it suits Fabian Hurzeler’s side.

In a report from The Athletic, Van Hecke is understood to be keen to join Tottenham in a move that would see him reunite with manager Roberto De Zerbi, with the pair having worked together at Brighton between 2022 and 2024.

And in what could now become a transfer merry-go-round which freezes Chelsea out of the picture, Brighton want to sign Spurs’ highly-rated defender Vuskovic, who has developed a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising central defenders.

The Athletic understands that while Vuskovic is admired by several clubs, he is aware of Brighton boss Hurzeler and believes the Amex Stadium represents the best place for his development. The 19-year-old scored six goals in 28 games in 2025-26 as the German club finished 13th in the table.

STATS

Luka Vuskovic

D (C)

Hamburg

Luka Vuskovic

D (C)

Hamburg

30

Games
6

Goals
0

Assists

Tottenham signed Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in a deal worth a reported €13.9m (£12m) in 2023, though the Croatia international did not officially join until after he had turned 18 last year. He is yet to make a first-team appearance for Spurs.

Vuskovic will be hoping to help Croatia put together another memorable World Cup campaign this summer, with Zlatko Dalic’s side - who were runners-up at Russia 2018 and finished third in Qatar 2022 - set to face England in their opening fixture on Wednesday, 17 June.

Van Hecke, on the other hand, is hoping to help the Netherlands go far under Ronald Koeman’s stewardship, with Oranje poised to lock horns with Japan in their opening World Cup game on Sunday.

© IMAGO - Jan Paul van Van Hecke & Luka Vuskovic

Meanwhile, as Chelsea continue to plot their first transfer window under manager Xabi Alonso, they are yet to receive an update from Everton as to whether they will trigger a €28.9m (£25m) option to sign Tyrique George on a permanent basis, according to the Daily Mail.

George spent the second half of last season on loan with the Toffees, making 11 appearances in the Premier League. The Mail understands that the 20-year-old has attracted interest from other clubs, should David Moyes’ men opt against signing him permanently.

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