The 26-year-old centre-back is the club's fourth defensive arrival of the summer, joining Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and completing a thorough overhaul of a back line that conceded 122 goals across the past two Premier League campaigns and only secured survival on the final day of last season.
Brighton originally signed Van Hecke from NAC Breda for around £2m in 2020, making the deal a remarkable return for the south coast club, who have also negotiated a 20% sell-on clause.
Van Hecke came through loan spells at Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers before establishing himself as a regular at Brighton, ultimately making 106 Premier League appearances and registering a career-best three goals and three assists last season.
He started all 36 of his league games in 2025-26, recorded the second-highest pass total in the division at 2,500, and scored twice against Aston Villa in a single match. Van Hecke is currently at the 2026 World Cup, lining up alongside new club team-mate Micky van de Ven in the Netherlands defence after their opening 2-2 draw with Japan on 14 June.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi worked with Van Hecke at Brighton between 2022 and 2024 and was the driving force behind the move.
"Jan Paul is someone I know very well from our time together at Brighton, and I'm delighted to be working with him again," De Zerbi said.
"He is a strong, intelligent centre-back who is brave in possession and plays with personality — those are important qualities for the way I want my team to play.
"Off the pitch he is mature, a leader and hungry to improve every day."
Sporting director Johan Lange said the club had tracked the defender for several years before moving.
"Jan Paul is an outstanding defender who has excelled in the Premier League and at international level," Lange said. "As well as his technical qualities and strong defensive instincts, he also has the maturity, character and professionalism that we look for. Jan Paul fits that profile perfectly."
"It's a huge honour to become a Spurs player and when you join such a big club, it's a dream come true," Van Hecke said. "I already have a really strong connection with the head coach, who I'm looking forward to working with again. Micky has also told me some great things about the club, so I can't wait to get started.
"I think I'm a player who will always give everything and leave my heart out on the pitch," he said. "I try to win every game, I try to win every tackle, every duel. And on the ball it's also my strength — I can play nice passes between the lines, play forward and in behind. I can be a defender who is good on the ball, but also who really likes defending, being aggressive and playing on the front foot.
"Micky (van de Ven) was honest with me and said it's such a big club, the fans are really nice and there are really good people here," Van Hecke said. "I've played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as an opposition player and now I'm looking forward to walking out there wearing the Spurs shirt. That will be a special moment."
Spurs finished 17th in both of the past two seasons, with De Zerbi using his first weeks in charge to make the defensive rebuild his immediate priority. The £52m fee for Van Hecke, alongside the free arrivals of Robertson and Senesi, signals that the club's ownership are backing that ambition with real resources.