Newcastle move for Jan Paul van Hecke - Big claims from journalist on Tuesday night

Eddie Howe’s planned raid of his domestic rivals for Premier League-proven players doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.

Joao Pedro and Anthony Elanga are the names most prominently linked with a move to the North East this summer, with the Brighton and Nottingham Forest stars each admired highly by Newcastle.

But according to a new report, Pedro may not be the only player making the switch from the South Coast in the coming weeks, with a teammate of the Brazilian's also thought to be in talks...

Newcastle initiate van Hecke talks

Newcastle United have reportedly begun talks with the agents of Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke over a possible move this summer.

Coming courtesy of an 'exclusive' from Charlie Haffenden of 3 Added Minutes, van Hecke is said to have attracted our interest after the club have been keeping tabs on the centre-back over the 2024/25 season.

Highly regarded as one of the best ball-carrying defenders in the league and across, the 25-year-old has previously been on Liverpool’s radar and has enjoyed spells in the Dutch National Team, picking up five caps.

According to Transfermarkt, van Hecke is valued at approximately £27m, although we'd expect Brighton to demand significantly more than that figure.

What could derail any deal?

Having just been named as the Seagulls’ Player of the Season, Brighton will most likely drive a hard bargain for van Hecke, having made 39 appearances in all competitions last season.

Integral to Fabian Hürzeler’s system, there’s also a potential off the field issue which could complicate proceedings.

It was reported early last month that Joao Pedro and van Hecke had a ‘training ground bust up’, which caused the forward to miss the final few games of Brighton’s season!