Tottenham's resolve regarding standout centre-back Micky van de Ven is set to be tested by Liverpool, who reportedly have a keen interest in signing the Dutchman.
Van de Ven has been nothing short of a revelation since joining the club from Wolfsburg in 2023. He initially shone in Ange Postecoglou's aggressive defensive line, where his remarkable recovery speed came to the fore.
However, the demands thrust upon him undoubtedly contributed to his injury woes under the previous boss, whose adoption of a more pragmatic setup during the club's Europa League run last season ultimately led to the conclusion of a 17-year wait for a major piece of silverware.
Van de Ven produced the second standout moment in the final, sparing Guglielmo Vicario's blushes with an extraordinary goal-line clearance. The Dutch international is a freak athlete who's scored more goals than any Premier League defender in all competitions this season.
He is, in short, a bit of a superhero, and Spurs, given their current domestic woes, must expect clubs to begin snooping around for their potentially disgruntled best.
Tottenham aiming to rebuff Micky van de Ven transfer pursuits
While Van de Ven has thrived as an attacking threat under new manager Thomas Frank, he also showed dissent towards the current boss after a 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea in November. Van de Ven walked straight past Frank, off the pitch and into the tunnel after the Dane had tried to encourage the defender to show appreciation for the home support.
That situation was quickly brushed under the carpet by the manager, but Spurs supporters can look back upon such moments with hints of concern when transfer talk starts to arise.
Van de Ven hasn't yet stated any desire to leave the club, but reports suggest that Spurs are struggling to convince the centre-back to sign a new deal—supposedly one of their current priorities. A poor domestic campaign means his hesitance is understandable, especially when his current deal doesn't expire until 2029. Spurs, though, would surely be willing to make the 24-year-old one of their highest earners.
"Micky [Van de Ven] is a Tottenham player for us now and the future."Thomas Frank
To complicate matters, TeamTalk are one of several outlets to report Liverpool's interest in signing Van de Ven. The Reds are believed to be considering a summer transfer after missing out on Marc Guéhi.
They desperately need to revamp their centre-back depth chart, given that Ibrahima Konaté is set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season. Virgil van Dijk isn't getting any younger either, and first reserve Joe Gomez is as injury-prone as they come.
However, with Van de Ven tied down for another three years, Spurs have enough leverage to demand the world. It's been reported by Ben Jacobs (via Spurs Zone on X) that it'd take a British record transfer fee (£130m+) to tempt the Lilywhites into a sale.
So, yeah, unless Van de Ven goes on strike, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon.