TTLB Opinion: Should Tottenham be worried about Van de Ven to Real Madrid or is it all agent talk?

Tottenham Hotspur have a defensive duo that has a lot of potential, with both of them individually standing as two of the better centre-backs in the English top tier, and those credentials have come with links to a move away from Hotspur Way as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been subject to interest from Real Madrid, and given that the former has his eyes firmly set on a move away from N17, where does the latter stand?

If we are speaking about potential, we all know that the Dutchman possesses high potential and is maybe the best central defender when it comes to recovery pace, but the North Londoners should not be panicking about his situation and instead start acting proactively to secure his long-term future emotionally and financially.

Madrid interest

The interest from Spanish giants would be real, but at the moment it is at a very early opportunistic stage and not a full-fledged pursuit yet. You could also think that Van de Ven’s agent is publicly floating interest to raise his client’s profile (something that a lot of agents do to trigger future negotiations with current employers so that would give him a new contract at Tottenham with a skimming salary or maybe an eventual mega-move). Football commentator Ian Drake lies in this chain of thought given his latest interview with Tottenham News, where he said:

“Van de Ven I wouldn’t imagine is high on Real Madrid’s list – it’s probably just agent talk. Real have had players missing and when everyone’s fit, they have options which would make it hard for van de Ven to get regular games.

“The consequence of having the season they’re having is potentially losing their best players. But with Real Madrid in terms of defensive options, I don’t see them in a tearing rush for centre-halves like those two.”

At the moment, the North Londoners control the situation entirely, given that Van de Ven is tied up to a contract at Hotspur Way until 2029 and has no release clause. He is genuinely happy at the club and is a central figure in the project at N17. More importantly, he is a highly respected figure in the dressing room and is highly valued by the supporters.

Tactical Analysis

At the moment Micky van de Ven is irreplaceable in the current defensive system that Ange Postecoglou has deployed at N17, given that he enables a high defensive line with elite recovery speed. And if you think pressing, without his presence, the North Londoners pressing game also suffers big time, as no other defender in the squad offers his speed-distance-covering ability.

Then, Micky van de Ven is still in his development curve; he is still improving and has not peaked yet. He is also emerging as a leader who is professional with no off-pitch issues.

So Micky is not just important for the North Londoners; he is more of a foundation to the system that Tottenham will play for the next three to five years, whether with Ange or without.

Real Madrid Interest: Reality vs Noise

As stated at the start, there is interest from Madrid, but it is still at a very budding stage. The Spanish giants are looking for defensive options after injuries to Militao and Alaba. And, the Los Blancos are highly interested in the likes of Cristian Romero and William Saliba (of Arsenal), making the rush of an immediate bid for Van de Ven really low. At the moment you would think that Daniel Levy and Tottenham have complete control over Micky unless he forces an exit (which, currently, there is no indication he desires).

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• TTLB Opinion: Tottenham could find it difficult to retain Dejan Kulusevski

Author Opinion

It is important that the chiefs at Hotspur Way sit down with Micky at the end of the season and remind him how important he is to the club and clarify how the Lilywhites are looking to strengthen with and around him. And without any rush, Spurs can start to put the basis into place for a new contract later this year.