Spurs are said to be accelerating a move for Van Hecke once the summer transfer window opens, as long as they avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders in England's top-flight, producing relentlessly consistent performances under Fabian Hurzeler.
Van Hecke has made 37 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26, with his leadership and defensive expertise helping the Seagulls mount a European charge.
Hurzeler's men are currently two points behind sixth place Bournemouth following their 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United. However, even if they qualify for Europe, Van Hecke could still leave the AMEX Stadium.
De Zerbi - who managed the Dutchman 50 times at Brighton between 2022 and 2024 - is reportedly pushing for Spurs to capture the talented centre half.
And there's no surprise that the Italian wants to reunite with him, too, as he once labelled the defender's leadership and personality as 'incredible' in December 2023.
"I think the most important quality of JP is the balance between the arrogance and the confidence in himself. He is not arrogant but his confidence in himself is high, high, high,” De Zerbi explained to Brighton's official website.
"It is his secret to keep this level because he has an incredible personality, shows incredible leadership and he is so young. It's not common to see one young player with that level of personality.”
Spurs are in a dire position towards the bottom of the table due to lacking players with leadership, and landing Van Hecke would go a long way to fixing that problem.