12 Aug 2026 07:23 BST |
4 min read
Make us your Google favourite
Tottenham have agreed a new contract for Micky van de Ven, who is set to sign a deal that will see him committed to Spurs for the next five years in return for €75 million.
There had been serious speculation that Van de Ven would leave Spurs this summer following last season’s relegation fight.
Liverpool and Barcelona were both interested in signing the 25-year-old, yet a ‘last-ditch’ offer from Tottenham means they will retain the Dutchman’s services until 2031, according to a report from De Telegraaf, which adds that he will become the club’s best-paid player with a €15m-per-year salary.
De Zerbi: Van de Ven the best in the Premier League
Van de Ven’s decision to sign a new contract brings to an end a summer of drama, which peaked during the World Cup, when negotiations over a fresh agreement were broken off entirely.
Previously, Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi had described the Netherlands’ international in glowing terms, stating prior to the final day of last season: “I think he is the best central defender in the Premier League.
“We talk often, because I think he may have suffered too much from the situation at Tottenham this season. He is a sensitive guy, a good man, and in my time I think he played fantastically. And that is why I would say that he is the best central defender, on the left side of the centre, in the Premier League.”
Tottenham’s big-money summer signing policy only added to the frustration of Van de Ven, though. Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke both arrived in massive moves while Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes signed for a combined €207m and were rewarded with contracts reflective of their transfer fees.
Ultimately, this forced Spurs to back down and offer Van de Ven huge money to stay.
Van de Ven’s deal comes amid poor form
Van de Ven’s performance as Spurs struggled to survive in the Premier League last season was poor.
Although he scored four goals in 35 appearances, his overall level slipped badly.
This is illustrated by his dramatic fall in SciSkill – a measure created using hundreds of in-game data points by data analytics firm SciSports.
His figure dropped 7.2 over the course of the last six months in what is described as a ‘rapid decline’. Only three outfielders in the Premier League have suffered a steeper drop over the same period: Trevoh Chalobah, Tyrick Mitchell and Wataru Endo.
In terms of his overall performance in the Premier League, SciSports ranked the rapid centre-back’s performance last season as below average.
The expectation at Tottenham will be that Van de Ven will return to something like his best having been furnished with this huge new deal.
Related stories:
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Enzo Fernandez bomb, Lews-Skelly truth, Man City deals
10 huge transfers that could be completed this month
Premier League summer transfers 2026: All the Done Deals
