Micky van de Ven and his future at Tottenham has been a largely debated one over the last few months.
A month ago, Micky van de Ven and his future at Tottenham looked as bleak as the club’s league position. TEAMtalk had reported in April that the 25-year-old had told Spurs he wanted to leave regardless of whether they were relegated, contract talks had been shelved, and Real Madrid were being kept informed of his situation as they looked to replace David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger at the back. The picture painted was of a player who had mentally checked out.
According to GMS senior correspondent Ben Jacobs, that picture was wrong. Jacobs, speaking to GiveMeSport, says the reality is very different, and that Van de Ven is now open to signing a new deal at Tottenham if they preserve their Premier League status. The crucial variable, Jacobs reports, is Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian’s arrival in late March has changed the mood in the building, and Van de Ven is said to be very happy working under him. The implication is clear enough: the manager Spurs appointed to keep them up may also be the reason their most valuable player stays.
He said: “You have a profile like Micky Van de ven that Spurs really want to fight to keep if they go down. That’s going to be very difficult, but I tell you something, if Tottenham stay up, my information is that Micky Van de Ven is extremely open to signing a new deal.”
The timing of that update matters, because Manchester United have not been standing still. Reports this week confirmed that United are ready to pay £60 million for Van de Ven in the summer, with the centre-back fitting exactly the profile Michael Carrick wants as he builds his squad. Van de Ven joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg for £43 million in August 2023 and his contract runs until the summer of 2029, so Spurs hold all the leverage in any negotiation. But leverage only means something if the player wants to stay.
Micky van de Ven aside, Cristian Romero to still leave Tottenham?
Jacobs added one notable detail: even if Van de Ven signs an extension, Cristian Romero is still expected to leave. He added:
“Now he’s very happy with Roberto De Zerbi as manager, and De Zerbi coming in has enhanced the chances of Tottenham staying up, that Van de Ven signs a new deal, and [Cristian] Romero still goes.”
The Argentine centre-back has been linked with a move away for the best part of a year, and De Zerbi’s arrival has apparently done little to change that particular calculation. For Spurs, the priority is Van de Ven first, and everything else comes after. Three league games remain to settle the question of whether any of it matters.