Sunderland may have to part with £500k loan fee to secure highly-rated defender

Sunderland will have to part with a loan fee of £500,000 if they are to sign defender Jean Paul van Hecke from Brighton.
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Sunderland are in the market for another defender after ex-Arsenal man Dan Ballard suffered a fractured foot against QPR and could be missing for eight weeks.

Van Hecke, who is right-footed and can also play at full-back, would certainly help fill the gap left after Ballard’s injury with Brighton manager Graham Potter stating recently that he wants to play football this season.

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Luke O’Nien has been utilised on the right side of Sunderland’s three centre-backs since Ballard’s injury with new signing Aji Alese behind Dennis Cirkin in the pecking order on the left, whilst Bailey Wright and Danny Batth are seen as better in the middle of a trio.

BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - MARCH 08: Jan Paul van Hecke of Blackburn Rovers looks dejected at full-time after the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Millwall at Ewood Park on March 08, 2022 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - MARCH 08: Jan Paul van Hecke of Blackburn Rovers looks dejected at full-time after the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Millwall at Ewood Park on March 08, 2022 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
BLACKBURN, ENGLAND - MARCH 08: Jan Paul van Hecke of Blackburn Rovers looks dejected at full-time after the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Millwall at Ewood Park on March 08, 2022 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Recent reports from Sussex World recently stated that van Hecke’s move to Sunderland is now in doubt following the news that head coach Alex Neil is set to leave his post at the Academy of Light.

If Sunderland were to sign van Hecke, however, Brighton would require a loan fee of £500,000 to allow the defender to move on loan to the Championship once again after a successful stint at Blackburn Rovers last season.

The 22-year-old Dutchman is expected to put pen to paper on a new deal at Brighton before heading out on loan. Interestingly, van Hecke worked with Tony Mowbray at Ewood Park last season, with the former Middlesbrough boss now one of the front-runners to replace Neil at the Academy of Light.