Jan Paul van Hecke has just 14 months left on his deal on his current contract at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Despite the Seagulls’ attempts to convince the Dutch defender to sign a new contract, it seems the 25-year-old will be on the move this summer.
Top sides rumoured to be interested in the Brighton defender include Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle, with concrete moves expected this summer.
The Dutch international won’t be short of suitors, given his quality on the ball and the experience he now has in the Premier League after playing 100 games in the competition already, making him a shrewd signing for top sides wanting proven quality.
In this article, we’ll cover
Season so far
Van Hecke has made 34 appearances for Brighton in all competitions this season, scoring three goals, providing two assists and contributing to eight clean sheets.
Brighton currently sit ninth in the Premier League, just two points off of sixth-placed Chelsea, with Van Hecke proving to be a crucial component to Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
Van Hecke averages 13.44 final third passes attempted per 90 minutes, with 8.93 final third passes completed per 90, ranking fourth and eighth in these metrics among Premier League central defenders.
The 25-year-old also averages 2.93 aerial duels won per 90, making 3.23 headed clearances per 90 and 5.26 clearances in total per 90.
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Elite on-ball qualities
Van Hecke has proven himself as one of the most progressive players in the build up phase in the Premier League over the past few seasons, often orchestrating and breaking lines to start attacks.
Brighton often set up to build out with both central defenders and the goalkeeper, joined by a double pivot in front while the full-backs take dynamic positions where they can arrive in the final third.
The Dutch defender has the passing range to break lines at all ranges, making it even harder for defenders to guess his next action, as Van Hecke can bounce passes with the pivot, fire passes through the lines into the pockets or even switch play to the wings.
Disguise is a key element for progressing play through the lines and having the range Van Hecke possesses makes it easier to sell his disguise, shaping up to fake a shorter pass before firing it between the lines or wrapping a pass in the opposite direction against the defensive momentum.
Looking to bait pressure and play through to find advantages between the lines has become a key strategy for many teams in recent years. And Van Hecke is perfectly suited to this style of play, making him desirable to plenty of elite ball-playing sides.
Defending style
Van Hecke likes to defend on the front foot, getting tight to the opposition and looking to stop them from turning on the ball.
While the Dutch defender isn’t the fastest or most agile defending in wide areas, his reading of the game and positioning still allows him to keep the game in front of him, arrive in the channels to cover his full-backs and make sliding challenges to recover if needed.
Van Hecke is solid defending his own box, scanning well to protect space and track runners inside the box and timing his tackles/blocks well to make timely challenges for his side.
He is also strong in aerial duels, standing at 6’2″, reading the flight of the ball well and being one step ahead with his positioning to win 50/50 balls both inside and outside the box in the air.
Best tactical fit?
So taking into account the fact Van Hecke specialises in the build up phase as a primary progressor and has both aggressive and cover based defensive qualities, which team would suit him best this summer?
Chelsea are one side who are clearly looking to add a central defender, as Liam Rosenior wants to add a Premier League experienced defender who also suits the on-ball philosophy of press baiting.
Adding Van Hecke to their defensive options would make a lot of sense, as he could play both with and in place of Levi Colwill, adding the desired on-ball qualities as a central centre-back or as a wide centre-back on either side.
Roberto De Zerbi will likely be looking for a defender who suits his style of play at Tottenham next season too. Providing they stay in the Premier League, Van Hecke would certainly fit the bill.
Van Hecke has already played 50 times for De Zerbi at Brighton, which could prove favourable for Spurs as they look to secure the Dutch defender’s signature as a primary option to improve De Zerbi’s options to fully implement his style of play.
Other teams such as Newcastle and even Bayern Munich have shown interest in the past, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up, but it could be a move to London for Van Hecke this summer as he looks for his next adventure.