Micky van de Ven is not leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer, with Roberto De Zerbi drawing a firm line on the Dutch defender despite reported interest from Liverpool and Barcelona.
According to Yahoo Sports, Van de Ven is considered a cornerstone of De Zerbi’s project and no exit is planned. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has also reported that Spurs have no intention of selling the 25-year-old this window.
Liverpool’s interest follows Ibrahima Konaté’s departure to Real Madrid, which has left them short of proven options at centre-back. Barcelona, meanwhile, want a long-term partner for Pau Cubrasi. Both are serious clubs with genuine need – which makes Spurs’ position worth taking seriously, though the club has a reasonable history of saying no right up until the point it says yes.
The Leverage Spurs Actually Have
Van de Ven signed from Wolfsburg for £34.5m in 2023 and has three years remaining on his contract, running until the summer of 2028, which hands Spurs genuine leverage rather than the usual desperate clinging. Reports earlier this year placed Tottenham’s asking price at around £100 million, which would make him one of the most expensive defenders ever sold – and would, frankly, be the most Spurs way imaginable to accidentally become market-setters in a position they cannot afford to weaken.
The defensive rebuild has added Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, with Luka Vuskovic returning from his loan at Hamburg. That depth exists to support Van de Ven, not replace him. De Zerbi’s system demands a ball-playing, high-line centre-back capable of covering space at pace – and Van de Ven remains the only player in the building who fits that profile without compromise.
What to Watch For
Van de Ven won Player of the Season in his debut campaign and helped Spurs to Europa League glory in 2024/25. He has been one of the few unambiguous successes through two consecutive 17th-place Premier League finishes – one place above the drop. The pattern of top clubs monitoring him is not new and will not stop until a new contract is signed.
Tottenham are reportedly working on improved terms. Until those are done, the noise will keep coming. De Zerbi’s public commitment matters, but signed paper matters more.
