Jan Paul van Hecke: Transfer to Tottenham for £52 million without affecting personality

 Jan Paul van Hecke assures that his transfer to Tottenham will not change his personality, although he is proud of the fact that he was bought for such a high fee. Van Hecke completed his move from Brighton to Tottenham on Thursday, with the north London club reportedly paying £52m for him. The Dutch defender will meet again with coach Roberto De Zerbi, with whom he previously worked at Brighton. Van Hecke has made 50 appearances under De Zerbi for Brighton and has made a total of 131 appearances for the team after joining from NAC Breda in 2020 for less than £2 million. He impressed in the 2025-26 season, recording more steals (48) and blocks (31) than his teammates in all competitions, and winning the most duels (223). Van Hecke helped Brighton qualify for the Conference League but is now ready to take on the challenge at Tottenham. "It's always difficult to say certain things, 'what I would do for myself,'" Van Hecke said when asked about the transfer. "I would give what the club is willing to give. I'm just happy that it's possible. I can say it doesn't affect me, but of course I'm proud of it because it's fantastic, but it won't change me as a person. But now I'll be playing for one of the most important clubs in the UK. It's important for my future. But right now I'm focused on the World Cup here." Van Hecke is Tottenham's latest defensive signing, having previously signed Andrew Robertson and Marco Senesi on free transfers. For now, he is focusing on the Netherlands' campaign at the World Cup, where Ronald Koeman's team will face Sweden on Saturday.