da pinnacle： Tottenham Hotspur seem to finally be honing in on one much-needed signing, to continue Ange Postecoglou's impressive summer rebuild.
Who have Spurs signed?
da betsson： The latest on their pursuit for Micky van de Ven comes courtesy of Football Insider, who are suggesting that the Lilywhites have cleared a big hurdle towards bringing him in on a permanent deal.
Having now agreed personal terms, there is a confidence around north London that a deal can finally be struck despite a fee having not been agreed with VfL Wolfsburg.
It is noted that Spurs are only willing to pay around £25m for the Dutch U21 international, whilst the German club is holding out for just £30m. This narrow disparity in valuation would prove a minor stumbling block for most clubs, but with Daniel Levy likely leading the negotiations, his patented frugality could stutter a deal that is there to be completed.
This comes following the earlier signings of James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Manor Solomon, on top of the permanent acquisitions of Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski following loan spells.
Is Micky van de Ven good?
Despite being so young, Van de Ven already boasts vast top-flight experience that suggests he would be able to make an instant impact for Postecoglou.
With all the physical attributes to dominate English football, and youth on his side with regard to development, under this Australian tactician he could develop into the next big defensive icon to star in the Premier League.
It has only been six years since Liverpool unloaded a mouth-watering £75m to sign his compatriot Virgil van Dijk, who proved to be a revolutionary addition for Jurgen Klopp. The German had been slowly building towards greatness, and in tempting Southampton to sell they added one of the final pieces of the puzzle.
The 32-year-old has since featured 222 times for the Reds, playing vital roles in their Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup victories.
He was famed for his casual approach to defending, and despite standing at 6 foot 5, had a fine turn of pace as well as technical prowess beyond many in his role.
As such, when compared to other centre-backs across Europe he ranks in the top 4% for passes attempted per 90, and even clocked the fastest speed in the Champions League during the 2018/19 season.
Fortunately for Spurs, Van de Ven would arrive already boasting the foundation to emulate these attributes, which Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, Marcel Schäfer outlined: "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."
This was supplemented by Ruben Jongkind, the former Head of Talent Development of the Academy at Ajax, who noted: "I worked at Ajax with the biggest talents but the speed that this guy has for a defender? It is crazy."
To pair this with his performances in the Bundesliga last term, he would maintain a 6.85 average rating which was supported by his 88% pass accuracy, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Clearly in possession of defensive steel, but with speed and power to rival that of a prime Van Dijk, perhaps Postecoglou could also build his own dynasty on the back of this Dutch defender with the world at his feet.