Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke in a deal understood to be worth £52m.

The Netherlands international was determined to make the move to Spurs, with reports indicating he was the only club Van Hecke wanted to join. The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at Brighton, making this summer the ideal moment for a transfer.

Van Hecke is expected to reunite with manager Roberto De Zerbi, whom the defender has previously described as a father figure. The Dutch centre-back played 50 matches under De Zerbi during the Italian's spell at Brighton between 2023 and 2024.

The incoming defender is set to link up with fellow new arrival Marcos Senesi as Tottenham push to overhaul a defensive unit that struggled for consistency last season.