Tottenham centre-back transfer update: Comparing targets

Micky van de Ven

No. 2 on Tottenham’s list of central defenders is Wolfsburg’s highly touted 22-year-old.

He enjoyed a superb breakout season in the Bundesliga, appearing in 33 league matches and securing his place as one of the first players on Wolfsberg’s team sheet.

A left-footed centre-back, van de Ven plays on the left side of the central defensive partnership. He can also slide to the left side of a flat-back four. That’s not much help for Ange’s formation, though, as an inverted full-back, he is not.

van de Ven is currently making less than €10,000 weekly (about €8,000), the sixth-lowest salary on Wolfsburg’s books. He’s a more affordable option every way you look at it and will probably cost between £25 and £35 million.

The lower price comes with correlating shortcomings.

He might not be ready to jump into Spurs’ starting 11. Way more raw and inexperienced than Tapsoba, van de Ven might need some time to adapt and grow before he can flourish in the starting side.

He’s lightning quick, though, which will appeal greatly to Ange. Fabrizio Romano reported yesterday that direct talks with Wolfsburg and van de Ven are ongoing.

Personal terms shouldn’t be an issue, and Tottenham will ramp up discussions with the Bundesliga club if negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen regarding Tapsoba go wayward.

Van de Ven is also on Liverpool and Arsenal’s lists. Arsenal just blew their entire load on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, so landing on the wrong side of north London is unfeasible. However, Liverpool’s interest could present a problem for Spurs.