Tottenham Hotspur finally seem set to address their outstanding problem, further bolstering Ange Postecoglou's already impressive summer window…
Are Tottenham Hotspur signing Micky van de Ven?
That's according to transfer insider David Ornstein, who took to Twitter to issue an update on their pursuit of Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven. He wrote:
"Tottenham on verge of agreement with Wolfsburg to sign Micky van de Ven. Fee approaching €50m (£43m) inc add-ons. Once deal finalised, 22yo left centre-back will fly to UK to do medical + complete move on long-term contract".
Their pursuit of the Dutchman has been a longstanding one, but at last it seems they will get their man, and that all-important centre-back to boost a fragile backline.
Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…
Having fought off rival interest from Liverpool, the 22-year-old stalwart would mark an important signing, should the positive talks from earlier in the week transform into a tangible acquisition.
Is Micky van de Ven any good?
Despite only enjoying his breakout year in European football last term, such was the quality of the hulking speedster, he has already drawn an impressive level of interest.
Scouts likely see the 6 foot 4 frame of Van de Ven, and are subsequently stunned when his blistering pace is then showcased. Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, even sought to outline it:
"Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."
Given his preference to play from the left, which is a unique and important asset to have in any top side, it is thought that his signing will spell the end of Spurs' permanent pursuit of Clement Lenglet.
After the torrid season he has just endured in north London, perhaps that is a blessing.
Having joined on loan from the mighty Barcelona, many assumed Antonio Conte had earned a coup by tempting the Frenchman on loan. However, having played 26 Premier League games, it quickly became clear he was not cut out for this level.
He maintained a 6.65 average rating during that period, but journalist Muhammad Butt had predicted such a failure whilst lambasting the Catalonian giants' poor squad depth in April 2022:
"Garcia and Lenglet are both just terrible."
Meanwhile, the Wolfsburg star has been shining in the Bundesliga, having featured 36 times across all competitions and earned deserved praise.
His 6.85 average rating in the league perhaps even belies his influence, as he maintained an 88% pass accuracy, a 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
For comparison, Lenglet would only offer an improvement on one of those figures, with his 1.5 tackles per game hardly an outstanding upgrade on his potential successor.
At six years his junior and already past the level of the former Sevilla man, Postecoglou seems set to avoid his first big blunder by opting for Van de Ven over last season's loanee.
Even if FBref seek to outline a potential comparison between the two, including the Catalan dud on his 'similar players' list, it is clear that this is solely regarding play style rather than quality.
The young defender could underpin a long-lasting reign in north London, with Postecoglou using his impressive assets as the foundation for a brighter future. Lenglet would have instead just been a reminder of one of the worst campaigns in Spurs' recent history, without nearly as much talent.
