Jan Paul van Hecke expected to become Tottenham player on Sunday as swap deal emerges

Jan Paul van Hecke is set to sign for Tottenham by Sunday as Brighton aim to include Luka Vuskovic in a swap deal.

Van Hecke has been closely linked to Spurs as Roberto De Zerbi aims to bolster his defensive options this summer.

The likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been linked with moves away from the club after they came close to relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs have reportedly already seen two bids for Van Hecke's services rejected by Brighton, but are expected to return with another offer in the coming days.

A new report has claimed that Brighton are keen to include Spurs starlet Luka Vuskovic in any deal after they made a £30m offer for his services.

Vuskovic spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan with Hamburg and built a reputation as one of the best centre-backs in the Bundesliga.

His future in North London has remained up in the air over the last few months, as the arrival of Marcos Senesi and links to Van Hecke have raised doubts over his game time.

Brighton want Luka Vuskovic included in any deal for Jan Paul van Hecke

Vuskovic scored six goals in 30 appearances for Hamburg last season as he was named the Bundesliga Young Player of the Year.

According to Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof, Van Hecke is set to join Spurs by Sunday, but the Seagulls are keen to broker a swap deal that includes Vuskovic heading to the south coast.

With Brighton valuing Vuskovic at around £30m, that fee could be deducted from the bigger fee for Van Hecke to get a deal over the line.

What has De Zerbi said about Van Hecke in the past?

Sources have revealed to Football Insider that De Zerbi is pushing to sign Van Hecke at the start of the summer window after they previously worked together at Brighton.

He is clearly a keen admirer of the Dutchman, having heaped praise on him during their time at the Amex Stadium.

Speaking in 2023, he said: "I think the most important quality of JP is the balance between the arrogance and the confidence in himself. He is not arrogant but his confidence in himself is high, high, high.

"It is his secret to keep this level because he has an incredible personality, shows incredible leadership and he is so young. It's not common to see one young player with that level of personality.”

It remains to be seen if Spurs are keen to let Vuskovic go to agree a deal for Van Hecke, however, especially after his strong season out on loan.