Tottenham Hotspur have been looking to bring in defensive depth to the roster at Hotspur Way in the ongoing summer transfer window, with Daniel Levy scrambling through a lot of options to bring a new centre back to N17. We saw how the North Londoners struggled at the back in the last season given the lack of qualitative depth, and the 63-year-old club chairman is in no mood to go into another campaign with the same problems as he looks to give his new head coach, Thomas Frank, all the boxes ticked going into the first game.
Now it does look like the Lilywhites have been looking around quite a lot in the Premier League as the chiefs at Hotspur Way look to ensure that they bring players who are more of a surety to succeed at Tottenham. We saw that with Spurs’ marquee arrival from West Ham in Mohammed Kudus earlier this season, and that also replicates into the links with the likes of Illia Zabarnyi and Marc Guehi. But with the former having his heart set on a move to PSG while the latter on Liverpool, Tottenham has pivoted to another Premier League star.
The Lilywhites have been exploring possibilities to sign Jan Paul van Hecke, who will not reap the same headlines as the aforementioned duo, but he does make perfect sense. Now he is not glamorous or a box office, but given that the Lilywhites need that assured depth with the high risk of Micky van de Ven tweaking his hamstring or Cristian Romero ending up losing the plot (like he does many times given his aggressive nature going into games), then Van Hecke is a type of player who has the capacity to play the role of both VDV and Romero.
With Van Hecke you get someone who can be that plug-and-play option who slots into the side without disrupting much of the rhythm of the team. We saw how the Seagulls trusted the 25-year-old to play different roles against elite opposition in the Premier League, and he can do exactly that for Tottenham as well.
He comes in knowing the ins and outs of the English top tier, and while he has that ability to play with intelligence, he wouldn’t need another six months to find his feet.
How does van Hecke fit into Tottenham under Thomas Frank?
Given how he plays, Thomas Frank will want defenders in his roster who do more than just defend. And let’s face it, we have seen enough from Van Hecke during his time at Brighton to tell us that he is quite calm when he is facing intense press, and then he is brave on the ball and quite used to building in the first phase under Fabian Hürzeler.
And it is not like Brighton tolerates him; the Seagulls rely on him for multiple roles in that first phase. Be it about getting the better of the press with a pass or if it is about shifting the play. Generally they do turn to him to absorb the press.
And whether the North Londoners play in a 4-3-3, a 4-2-3-1, or even in a back three (3-5-2), Van Hecke ends up ticking all the boxes given how he has that capacity to operate multiple systems and his ability to anticipate early. And even with the ball, rarely dives into trouble.
Moreover, given how Frank always favours someone who is tactically robust and physically robust, Tottenham will get the best of both in the 25-year-old.
Van Hecke won’t get you instant headlines, but he does the job…
We all can agree that he will not be celebrated as much as a Guehi transfer in the papers, but in the Brighton star you get someone who is going to give you that instant depth while having the capacity to succeed in the long term. And Thomas Frank, given how he built his Brentford defence based on structure and clarity, will like to have someone as reliable as Van Hecke in his roster.
You will not need to scream at him and babysit him about the technicalities mid-game; given his intelligence, he will take instruction and execute it on the pitch.
Author Opinion
Tottenham cannot afford to go into the season with reasonable depth in the middle of the defence given how the Lilywhites were forced into the far corner with defensive injuries in the last season. The North Londoners need someone who is reliable but experienced enough to cover the first choices and end up raising the floor of the squad. And Van Hecke gives you that.
Would you take Jan Paul van Hecke at Tottenham? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
