Jan Paul van Hecke is having himself quite the start to the 2026/27 Premier League season under his father figure Roberto De Zerbi, and he has really emerged as a leader at the back for Tottenham Hotspur, shedding some early season criticism to produce a few monstrous displays in the last weeks. From the beginning, Van Hecke has been, as De Zerbi himself advertised, the absolute best passing center back in the Premier League, and now he has become even better in that regard while stepping up defensively, too.
Van Hecke is fresh off his best game yet, setting a club record with 143 completed passes against 10 man rivals Crystal Palace last weekend, breaking Cristian Romero's record of 141 passes before him. The Dutchman, of course, replaced Romero this past summer transfer window, with a disgruntled Cuti heading to the club he had been flirting with for years, Atletico Madrid, for a lower fee than what Spurs paid to Brighton for JPVH.
Jan Paul van Hecke suits the squad better
But far from regretting the cost differential, Tottenham Hotspur have to be beyond overjoyed with what Van Hecke has brought to the table. He makes fewer mistakes out of possession than Romero, he has much better chemistry with Micky van de Ven who looks far more motivated, he is a better leader and less mopey, and he is statistically blowing Romero out of the water as a passer.
The big claim to fame for Cristian Romero at N17 was that for as many negative plays as he could have, he would make up for them by generating far more positive displays with his quality on the ball and athleticism. Well, Van Hecke is even better, suiting the Roberto De Zerbi system better, and by far leading the league in line breaking passes. He even had three key passes and a goal against Crystal Palace in his last game.