Tottenham and Brighton could engage in a stand-out swap deal in the winter window
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Tottenham Hotspur might be one of the more active sides in the top flight in the January transfer window, as Thomas Frank’s men look to improve on an inconsistent first half of their Premier League season.
The Lilywhites currently sit not-so-pretty in the bottom half of the league table – a zone in which they will have hoped never to find themselves again after the domestic horrors of last term – though they are just a couple of good results away from beginning a charge for the Champions League spots once again.
All is not lost, therefore, and a couple of key reinforcements in the winter window could make all the difference as Spurs hope to take their campaign to the next level.
One of Brighton & Hove Albion’s top players has been linked with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and that could open the door for a headline-grabbing swap deal which could see both sides gain an intriguing new face for the latter half of the campaign.
Tottenham links with Jan-Paul van Hecke emerge
As per reports by TEAMtalk, Tottenham have been linked with Brighton centre-back Jan-Paul van Hecke, who has quietly become one of the first names on the Seagulls’ team-sheet in recent years.
The 25-year-old has not missed a single minute in the league this term and almost reached the same fate when available last season, becoming an irreplaceable part of Fabian Hurzeler’s impressive Seagulls outfit. This has, therefore, caught the attention of some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, and Spurs are reportedly ready to bid £40 million for the player as part of a transfer ‘splurge’ in 2026.
Considering Brighton bought the Netherlands international for just £3m in 2020, this would represent a significant profit – but the Seagulls have European ambitions of their own and so will be reluctant to sell one of their key players. But Spurs may be able to get their own way if they include one of their own stars as part of a deal for Van Hecke.
Van Hecke could sign for Tottenham as part of major swap deal
As a player who is believed to be surplus to requirements at Tottenham but still fondly remembered at the Amex, Spurs could decide to offer Yves Bissouma as part of a deal in exchange for Van Hecke.
The 29-year-old Mali international has not played a single competitive minute under Frank and is believed to be on the transfer list for January, as long as he can shake off an ankle injury which required surgery in the autumn. While a return to former club Brighton would be an unorthodox step, it could represent a heart-warming homecoming for a player who needs the right surroundings to get his career back on track.
The quality still possessed by Bissouma when fit is undeniable, as he featured 44 times under Ange Postecoglou last season and was key on the way to winning the Europa League. But he is evidently not fancied by Frank due to reported off-field issues, and so he could return to the club which he called home for four years and 124 matches.
A straight swap between the two players would be unlikely due to Bissouma’s lack of recent action and injury record, in addition to the fact that he is in the last year of his contract and set to walk away for nothing next summer.
A price tag of €15m (£13m) was previously touted in the summer, with this likely to drop down towards £10m in the final six months of his deal. Therefore, a bid by Spurs of Bissouma plus around £30m could be enough to secure the signature of Van Hecke, in what would be one of the biggest moves of the window.