Already moving quickly to improve the squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Tottenham still have plenty left to do in the transfer market. Set to depart for Australia on Friday, July 14 as their pre-season preparations start to gather pace, the hope is that one or two more new faces will be in through the door by the time they jet off to Perth.
Manor Solomon looks set to be one of them as he closes in on a free transfer move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following his year in the Premier League with Fulham. Attention will then need to quickly turn to the defence as it was very much the team's weak point last term.
Linked with a handful of centre-backs so far this summer, Micky van de Ven has been heavily tipped to sign on the dotted line in N17. Tottenham really like the Dutchman and discussions have taken place regarding a transfer but, at present, he still remains a Wolfsburg player.
So what exactly would the Bundesliga ace bring to Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team if he is to make the move to the capital? football.london takes a look at five reasons why he is the perfect transfer for the new Spurs boss.
Pace
Pace in defence is going to be a must for Postecoglou due to the tactics he deploys. Operating with a high backline, a speedy centre-back is really a necessity in order to help get the team out of trouble as there will be occasions where their defensive line is breached.
Van de Ven has been described as "lightning-fast" and a number of Tottenham fans have already been waxing lyrical about their potential new signing due to a video on social media that highlights his blistering pace. In a game against Union Berlin, the hosts had a golden opportunity to net following a swift break from a Wolfsburg corner but Van de Ven had other ideas.
On the edge of Union Berlin's area just as they counter and play the ball forward, the Dutchman somehow gets back as Jerome Roussillon takes a touch in the box which allows the centre-back to clear the ball off the line when his opponent gets his shot away. His eye-catching pace could come in very handy indeed at Tottenham.
READ MORE: Tottenham to make Micky van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba decision for Ange Postecoglou's defence
Price tag
Wolfsburg will make a very tidy profit on Van de Ven this summer if he is going to seal a move to the Premier League amid interest from Liverpool as well. Purchased for £3million from Volendam two years ago, Transfermarkt now value the 22-year-old at £26million.
For a player of Van de Ven's quality, it could prove to be quite a shrewd purchase as he has all the qualities to be a big success in the Premier League and his transfer value will only skyrocket as a result if that happens. With Tottenham needing to decide whether they push through a move for the Dutch under-21 ace or Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, some reports in Germany have suggested that the latter's value is a lot higher and closer to the £50million mark.
Although maybe cheaper, Van de Ven, who is two years younger than Tapsoba, could possibly be viewed as the better option out of the two due to the qualities in his locker and the fact that he can offer Spurs more balance as he is left footed. That leaves Spurs with a big decision to make as they gets their plans in place for the future.
Potential
Van de Ven has been tipped for big things in the game. Linked with a move to both Tottenham and Liverpool, the youngster has been likened to Reds ace Virgil van Dijk.
That is quite some comparison for someone so young and it only demonstrates that he is viewed as an excellent defender who is strong, calm and very good on the ball. Standing at 6ft 3ins, Van de Ven is physically imposing and he is someone attackers will not fancy coming up against at all due to all his attributes.
Leadership qualities
Although he is only 22 years of age, Van de Ven is a leader. Wearing the captain's armband during Netherlands' participation in the ongoing European Under-21 Championship, the player could well go on to do the same for the senior national team at some point in the future if he continues to go from strength to strength in his career.
In an interview with Wolfsburg after making the move to the Volkswagen Arena in August 2021, he discussed his leadership qualities and what he wanted to demonstrate to the team. "To be a leader, I think," he explained. "From the back, I want to be a leader, I want to - yeah I want to give the signal every time to the team to play - nobody is going to go through the defence with the player you play - and yeah, I'm ready for that."
Given Tottenham are severely lacking in leaders, it only points to another reason why Spurs should be moving for Van de Ven.
Quality on the ball
Another key component that Postecoglou's defenders need to have in their locker is quality on the ball. Wanting his backline to be confident in possession and able to get it forward quickly as they look to attack and apply pressure in the final third. Van de Ven fits the bill perfectly.
The Wormer-born star is excellent on the ball and has the passing qualities and ability to bring the ball out from the back that is required to make him a huge success in the Australian's team. Add in the aforementioned points about what he else he can offer Tottenham, Van de Ven could be some signing if Spurs wrap up a deal.
Who would you keep or sell at Spurs this summer? Have your say below!
