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 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](https://www.3addedminutes.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/exclusive-newcastle-united-brighton-van-hecke-liverpool-5181738), 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.
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!