Tottenham Retain Van de Ven Amid De Zerbi's Revival Plans
Back-to-back 17th-place finishes. Four managers in and out of the same office. A fanbase that has lurched from disbelief to anger to something closer to numbness.
Tottenham Hotspur have spent two seasons staring over the cliff edge. They survived, just. Now they are throwing money – and their faith – at the idea that it will not happen again.
Spurs spend, but hold tight to one of the few successes
The club’s response has been blunt: spend their way out of trouble. More than £200 million has already gone on Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke, while Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have walked through the door on free transfers. Premier League know-how, battle scars and all, has clearly been the brief.
What they have not done is cash in on one of the few players whose reputation survived the chaos. Micky van de Ven, the rapid Dutch centre-back who has just come off World Cup duty with the Netherlands, remains in north London and tied to a contract that runs until 2029.
There were fears he would be the one sacrificed. Clubs with serious weight behind them have been circling, with defensive reinforcements needed at Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge. Yet no bid has been pushed over the line. No negotiations have advanced. There is no sign of a deal lurking in the background.
Tottenham, for once, look ready to say no.
Alderweireld’s blunt reminder
From the outside, the logic is easy: elite pace, top-flight experience, room to grow at 25. Inside the game, the assessment is a little harsher.
Toby Alderweireld, who knows the demands of the Spurs back line better than most, has watched Van de Ven’s progress with interest. Speaking to GOAL in association with Hajper, he cut through the hype.
“Everyone talks about Micky van de Ven and his speed but he's a very good defender. I wish I was as quick as him!” he said.
Then came the sting.
“But don’t forget that Tottenham Hotspur almost got relegated and he was part of that. That’s the reality. Regardless of how good he is, that’s the reality. Maybe clubs are looking at that and thinking he should have done better to help the club last season.”
It is the uncomfortable truth Spurs have been trying to outrun. Van de Ven shone in moments, but the collective collapse drags every defender’s reputation down with it. Recruiters at the biggest clubs will not ignore that context.
Yet Alderweireld also sees opportunity in the standstill.
“On the other hand, if he stays at Spurs, it’s not a bad situation for him because you can see the signings they are making. The vibe around the club is changing. He’s playing for a very good manager in Roberto De Zerbi. Maybe it’s now a good thing to stay and show everyone that now you’re going to see the real us after what happened last year. I think there are even bigger opportunities and challenges for him to take on at Spurs.”
De Zerbi’s project needs a pillar
That is the bet Tottenham are making. Roberto De Zerbi has been handed a squad that suddenly looks more heavyweight, at least on paper, and he will build from the back. In that plan, Van de Ven is not a luxury. He is a cornerstone.
With Cristian Romero – the club captain – seeing his own future openly discussed and a move elsewhere mooted, Spurs cannot afford to lose another starting centre-half. Van de Ven’s contract length gives them leverage. The market gives them temptation. Right now, the club are choosing certainty over another rebuild. Offers are not being invited.
Alderweireld believes that decision aligns with the defender’s own trajectory. At 25, Van de Ven is still climbing.
He has already told GOAL he thinks the Dutchman can go far: “I think he has the right mentality. Of course, it's not easy when all the team is not playing well to get to the same level because he wants to help and stuff like that. I don’t think he had the best season because of the club, but I think he has the potential to become one of the best centre-backs in the world.
“Of course, he needs to level up as well, but sometimes it's part of the team. He has the attributes to become very, very good. He's still not that old, so he can improve and hopefully he wants to stay and improve himself in the club.”
That “hopefully” matters. Individual ambition and club direction have not always aligned at Tottenham.
From survival to statement
For now, though, the rare success story is prepared to stay put. One more season in the English capital, at least, to see whether this version of Spurs can finally match his own ceiling.
The club have spent heavily, hired aggressively and held firm on a defender others expected them to lose. After two years of scrambling just to stay in the division, the question is no longer whether Tottenham can survive.
It is whether Van de Ven and De Zerbi can turn survival into something far more dangerous for the rest of the Premier League.
