[Official] Arriving at Tottenham with a bruised eye, "Did Van Dijk hit him?" Fans also welcome him with good humor... '100 billion won defender' Van Hecke has arrived

*This content was translated by AI.

England's Tottenham has signed Dutch national team center-back Jan Paul Van Hecke (26). He will now form a "Dutch connection" alongside existing center-back Mickey Van de Ven (25). Tottenham fans also welcomed Van Hecke's arrival with lighthearted jokes.

Tottenham announced on the 20th (Korean time) via its official website and social media that it had signed Van Hecke. Van Hecke is currently participating in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup as a member of the Dutch national team. However, Tottenham quickly finalized the signing even during the tournament period. This was a reinforcement effort that received significant attention.

According to UK TalkSport, Tottenham had been pursuing Van Hecke's signing for some time but had not succeeded. However, after several attempts, it finally reached an agreement with Brighton.

The transfer fee is also substantial. It is reported that Tottenham paid 52 million pounds (approximately 100 billion won) to sign Van Hecke. A sell-on clause was also included. If Van Hecke leaves Tottenham in the future, Tottenham will have to pay a portion of the transfer fee to Brighton. According to reports, the sell-on percentage is 20%.

For Brighton, this is a transaction that generated enormous profits. Brighton signed Van Hecke from Dutch club NAC Breda in 2020. The transfer fee at the time was around 1.7 million pounds (approximately 3.5 billion won). Since then, Van Hecke has grown into a key center-back for the team, and this summer he joined Tottenham for an amount nearly 30 times higher than the original transfer fee. With one year remaining on his contract, Brighton seized the best possible selling timing.

Van Hecke is Tottenham's third signing this summer. Previously, Tottenham brought in Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. All three players are defensive resources. Amid continuing rumors of captain Cristian Romero's departure, Van Hecke's signing can also be seen as a move to prepare for the worst-case scenario. At the same time, Van Hecke will now play alongside Van de Ven, his Dutch national team teammate, at the club level.

Van Hecke stated through the club, "Hello Tottenham fans, I am saying hello from Kansas, USA. I am truly happy to join Tottenham. It is a great honor for me, and I am looking forward to the moment I play for Tottenham. It feels like a big dream has come true."

He also mentioned Van de Ven's advice. Van Hecke said, "Van de Ven has already told me many good things about Tottenham, the fans, and the club people. He also gave me his jersey, which was really nice. I am looking forward to my first match playing for Tottenham."

Van Hecke, who holds Dutch nationality, is a center-back with excellent physical attributes, standing 189cm tall. He is known for his strong aerial ability and tough defending. Last season, he played 36 Premier League matches, averaging 3.2 aerial duels won per game. He also recorded an average of 1.5 tackles and 5.3 clearances per game, playing a key role in Brighton's defense.

Notably, Van Hecke is also a protégé of Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi. When De Zerbi was managing Brighton, Van Hecke established himself as a starting center-back. This summer, it was reported that Liverpool and Newcastle also showed interest in Van Hecke, but he chose to join Tottenham, where his mentor is.

Van Hecke is also expanding his presence with the Dutch national team. After making his A-team debut in 2024, he has consistently been included in the national squad. He started in the first match of this North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup against Japan.

There was also an interesting scene. Van Hecke suffered a facial injury during the match against Japan. As a result, he left a statement on joining Tottenham with a dark bruise under his eye, drawing fans' attention.

According to the UK The Sun, some Tottenham fans reacted with humor. One fan joked, "Did Van de Ven hit him to force him into wearing the Tottenham jersey?" Other fans, referencing Tottenham's recent situation with many injured players, responded with comments such as, "Van Hecke is already injured. He will fit in very well with our team," and "He got injured as soon as he put on the Tottenham jersey."

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*This content was translated by AI.