Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Paul van Hecke says the London club must “return to the top” after finishing 17th in the 2025-26 English league table.
The Netherlands international joined Tottenham Hotspur during the current transfer window, with the club paying Brighton €60m for his services. He arrives after a campaign in which he played 36 matches across all competitions and scored three goals.
Van Hecke’s comments underline the scale of the challenge facing Tottenham Hotspur in the new season. The club’s 17th-place finish in the 2025-26 English championship left them well down the standings, and the defender has now made clear that their ambition is to move back towards the top of the game.
“Tottenham must return to the top,” Van Hecke said.
The defender is the latest major addition to a Tottenham Hotspur squad seeking a significant improvement on its previous league campaign. His arrival from Brighton represents a €60m investment and makes him one of the central figures in the club’s plans for the season ahead.
Van Hecke’s record last season included 36 appearances for Brighton in all competitions. He also found the net three times, adding an attacking contribution to his work in defence. Those performances helped establish his value before Tottenham Hotspur completed the move in the current transfer window.
The transfer is therefore being made against the backdrop of Tottenham’s disappointing league position. Rather than competing near the summit, the club ended the 2025-26 English championship campaign in 17th place. Van Hecke’s stated objective is for Tottenham Hotspur to restore its status at the top, making the coming season an important one for both the player and the team.
His remarks focus on the club’s ambitions rather than on individual targets. The immediate priority, according to the defender, is to help Tottenham Hotspur recover from last season’s result and challenge higher up the table.
Van Hecke will now begin his Tottenham Hotspur career with expectations attached to both his transfer fee and his experience from the previous campaign. The €60m deal with Brighton reflects the club’s belief in the defender, while his three goals in 36 matches offer an indication of the contribution he can make beyond his primary defensive duties.
For Tottenham Hotspur, the starting point is clear: the team must improve substantially on 17th place. Van Hecke has set out the destination, saying the club must return to the top.