Brighton & Hove Albion star center back Jan Paul van Hecke will discuss his future with the East Sussex side, manager Fabian Hürzeler disclosed on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Dutch international, who Chelsea are reportedly targeting, sees his contract with the Seagulls expire in June 2027. Although Van Hecke would be just the latest in a string of players to make the switch from the south coast to West London in recent years, the Seagulls have expressed interest in retaining their star defender.
“I love Jan Paul,” Hürzeler said in a press conference. “I love his attitude, how he works for the team, I love his mentality of winning. He has a big impact on his teammates; therefore I would love to continue working with him, because we have a really good relationship.”
The decision will ultimately be up to van Hecke, though, and may be made prior to his probable departure to North America with Netherlands this summer for the 2026 World Cup.
“I also like some perspective from the players regarding their future,” Hürzeler added. “We will sit together, try to make a decision that is best for the club, that is best for the player. Jan Paul knows what he has with Brighton. He’s always had the opportunity to play, to grow, to make the next step.
“We hope to make the next step together, to be successful with him. This will be our main challenge and then we see how it’s going.”
Jan Paul van Hecke’s Defensive Strengths
In the eyes of Chelsea, Van Hecke’s greatest strength will be his clean bill of health.
Chelsea’s backline has been plagued with injuries recently, including captain Reece James who suffered a hamstring injury, center back Trevoh Chalobah who is still recovering from an ankle problem and center back Levi Colwill who is out with a knee injury. Chelsea’s reinforcements, namely Wesley Fofana and Mamadou Sarr, have not proven themselves—one of many reasons for the defense’s disorganization.
Van Hecke, contrastingly, has been a stalwart on the backline for Brighton, starting 29 matches for the Seagulls this season and even scoring three goals with two assists.
“He is good at keeping a structure in defensive shape and on top of that he is a great leader,” Hürzeler said. “He is leading by performance. He is a role model for that, every training session 100 percent, every game 100 percent. Therefore, he has all the characteristics to be a future leader for this club.”
He is known for his superior passing skills in the Premier League, ranking in the top 2% of all center backs from Europe’s top five leagues with an average of 7.03 progressive passes per 90 last year.
Van Hecke appeared in both March friendlies for No. 7 world-ranked Netherlands, a 2–1 win over Norway and a 1–1 draw with Ecuador. He will likely be a key contributor to the nation as it competes in Group F against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia this June.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Target in Talks Over His Future With Brighton & Hove Albion.
