Liverpool are interested in signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton this summer, according to a report from the Netherlands.
Despite Liverpool having already agreed to sign fellow defender Jeremey Jacquet for £55 million this summer, the Reds are also claimed to be targeting Netherlands international Van Hecke.
Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof wrote for Voetbal International: “Liverpool have joined the race for Jan Paul van Hecke.
“Arne Slot sees the Netherlands international defender as an interesting addition for the upcoming season. Liverpool recently made contact with the Oranje international.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, November 2, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot (R) with Brighton & Hove Albion's Jan Paul van Hecke during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Blaauwhof also added that Slot has previously tried to sign Van Hecke before when the Liverpool coach was in charge of Feyenoord.
While a move for Van Hecke would be a surprise given that the Reds already have two young centre-backs to develop in Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, this isn’t the first time Liverpool have been mentioned in connection to the defender.
Alex Crook of talkSPORT, who has linked to sporting director Richard Hughes, reported two weeks ago that Brighton are “braced for a summer battle to keep” the 25-year-old, with Van Hecke “attracting admiring glances from the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool.”
With Virgil van Dijk set to stay another year and Ibrahima Konate admitting himself that he is “close to an agreement” over a new deal, it seems strange to spend money on another centre-half.
However, if Liverpool could get him at a cut-price due to him having just one year left on his Brighton contract, he could be a good addition to the squad.
Who is Jan Paul van Hecke?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 24, 2025: Brighton & Hove Albion's Jan Paul van Hecke during the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Bramley-Moore Dock. Everton won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
• Club:Brighton | Age: 25 | Foot: Right
• Height: 6’2″ | Usual side: Right
• 2025/26 league aerial duels won: 50.4% (as of 01.06.2026)
Having sparked the attention of Brighton‘s scouts thanks to his performances for NAC Breda in the Dutch second division, the Seagulls signed him for about £2 million in 2020 but immediately sent him back to Holland on loan.
There, he featured 31 times for Heerenveen and impressed enough to earn a loan move to Blackburn the following campaign.
In his first season of English football, Van Hecke made 32 appearances for the Lancashire outfit as they pushed for a play-off place, only to end up finishing eighth under manager Tony Mowbray.
While Blackburn may not have gained promotion, Van Hecke made the jump to Premier League level in 2022 but was eased in gradually by Roberto De Zerbi.
It would be the 2023/24 campaign when he really began to fulfil his potential for Brighton. Across the last three seasons, he has played 114 times for the south coast club, scoring four goals, providing four assists and being sent off just once.
2025/26 Premier League (Per 90)
Jan Paul van Hecke
Metric Stat per 90 Percentile
Passes Completed 60.4 Top 21%
Pass Accuracy 87.1% Bottom 48%
Interceptions 1.17 Top 32%
Tackles 1.55 Top 38%
Goals conceded while on pitch 1.17 Top 21%
Successful Dribbles 0.09 Bottom 29%
Chances created 0.38 Top 25%
Note: Percentiles compared to all Premier League Centre-Backs. Source: FotMob (01.06.2026)
An all-round defender, he has played in a back three and a back four. With a calm head, he does the basics well and has won 58.7 percent of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season.
Over the course of 2025, he averaged 6.23 progressive passes per 90 minutes domestically, placing him in the top five percent of comparable players across Europe’s top five leagues.
His performances have also seen him called up to the Netherlands squad by Ronald Koeman, for whom he now has 10 international caps and should go to the World Cup.
Van Hecke is an accomplished top-flight defender, but whether he would actually improve Liverpool is another question, especially considering the promise shown by Jacquet and Leoni.