Albion leading defender Jan Paul van Hecke has been linked with a shock move to Newcastle this window, according to Charlie Haffenden. Reportedly holding ‘preliminary’ talks with the defender.
Newcastle also hold a strong interest in Brazilian striker, João Pedro. Not the only JP to hold Geordie links!
Van Hecke won Player of the Season for the Seagulls after another impressive season at the back.
The Player of the Season curse lives on?
Just as you think it’s all over, it could well be happening again. Van Hecke, in theory, could join the list with Ben White, Marc Cucurella, Moisés Caicedo, and Pascal Gross for leaving the club shortly after winning the Player of the Season award.
Deservingly, the Dutchman cleaned up both Player’s player and Fan’s player awards, an impressive accolade to carry.
Van Hecke was dominant all season, consistently performing in not just defensive actions, but also with the ball at his feet. Clubs now want progressive defenders who are capable of playing out from the back and starting attacks. One of the key factors behind Van Hecke’s rise as a player.
Despite being potentially ‘underrated’ as a ball player while in his Championship loan days at Blackburn, a whole new world was unlocked after Roberto De Zerbi’s influence on the squad happened in 2022. Van Hecke turned into one of the best ball-playing defenders at the club, and exceeded the progress made by Lewis Dunk in the same period.
Jan Paul Van Hecke [image via Twitter/X]
The 25-year-old ranked sixth across Europe’s top five leagues last season for the best progressive carry distance per 90 minutes and he ranked in the top eight per cent of Premier League defenders for chances created.
Last season, Van Hecke was even more significant. Albion had been used to seeing their regular captain starting every week over a number of years, and never occurred to even consider the possibility that he would no longer be playing for the club within years to come.
Of course, time doesn’t wait for anyone, and Van Hecke quickly became the ready made replacement.
Stability in the squad was hard to come by through a mixture of injuries and new tactical changes, and the player’s evidently struggled to adapt to the the intensity consistently. However, Van Hecke was one of those who adapted very quickly, and regularly repeated ‘7/10+ performances’.
What happens next?
Well, to put simply, Van Hecke is the one player in the squad who I’d look to and think of as a ‘future captain’. His leadership role has been developed incredible well, and helped carry the transition between managers.
His new song of the season “there’s nobody better, than Jan Paul Van Hecke” has become a routine go-to at both the Amex and away-days. The sad reality of losing player’s of his influence go further than just what is on the pitch. As if that wasn’t enough!
At just 25-years-old, you’d be surprised to see many players come in and have an impact at such a young age as promptly. His value both on and off the pitch would be enough to tempt the Magpies into bidding a substantial sum, which Albion will certainly look for.
