Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced negotiations to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven this summer, according to reports. The news arrives with Ange Postecoglou looking to add at least one more senior centre-back alongside the addition of Ashley Phillips.
What's the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham?
With Spurs looking to bring in a central defender this summer, negotiations are at an advanced stage with Wolfsburg for the signing of Van de Ven this summer, according to 90min.
The Lillywhites' top target is reportedly Edmond Tapsoba, but a deal for the Bayer Leverkusen defender could prove difficult as Spurs look to get his price-tag down to the €50m (£43.42m) mark.
If they continue to face tough negotiations with Leverkusen, the North London club may well secure the signature of Van de Ven, who reportedly has a price-tag of just €40m (£34.74m) this summer in what looks to be a far better deal than the one potentially proposed for his Bundesliga counterpart.
As per 90min, Spurs do not expect their search for a centre-back to go on for much longer, as Daniel Levy and Co are confident they can get a deal done for van de Ven once they wrap up the imminent capture of Phillips.
Should Van de Ven arrive, he would join Manor Solomon, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Phillips on the list of incomings so far under Postecoglou, as the former Celtic boss looks to rebuild in North London.
Should Tottenham sign Micky van de Ven?
Given his reported price-tag of just £34.74m, Van de Ven represents a fairly risk-free signing for Spurs this summer. He wouldn't leave a significant mark on the budget, and if all goes to plan, the Lillywhites would have the centre-back they have so desperately been looking for – if not, he's at an age where they could recoup a fair chunk of money by selling him on again.
The Wolfsburg man is just 22-years-old, so he has plenty of time to progress into a player ready to take the Premier League by storm. He attracted plenty of praise during his time in the Bundesliga, with Wolfsburg manager Niko Kovac saying, via the official league website: "Micky is a great boy [and] a really good footballer. What he's showing at the moment is extraordinary.”
The club's manager director for sport also said: "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, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances.”
Statistically speaking, the Dutchman would represent a huge upgrade in Spurs' backline. According to FBref, when compared to the likes of Eric Dier, and Cristian Romero, he made more progressive passes per 90 than Dier, and just 0.20 fewer than Romero last season – which will suit Postecoglou's attack-minded style of play.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old also made more blocks and made more tackles per 90 minutes than Dier.
The stats show that, should he make the move, Van de Ven may be best off partnering with Romero. Both defenders put up similar numbers last season, and both outplayed Dier.