Tottenham Hotspur are seeking for a fast defender this summer.
If there is one area of the Tottenham Hotspur squad that Ange Postecoglou has to improve, it is the defense.
Fortunately, the Australian and Daniel Levy are making headway in their efforts.
Tottenham are interested in signing Micky van de Ven.
Spurs have been looking for a new center-back all summer, and Micky van de Ven of Wolfsburg is top on their list.
Ange Postecoglou urged Tottenham Hotspur to sign £30m who is the next Kyle Walker by all cost
The north Londoners appear to have been in talks to sign the 22-year-old recently, as Fabrizio Romano disclosed this weekend.
The journalist wrote in his column for Caught Offside, ‘They keep bargaining also for van de Ven because, in the end, price is the main element for them when signing a new centre-back.’
That was followed by a statement that said, ‘I’m told Tapsoba remains the top objective, and he has always been highly regarded.’
If the speedster leaves the Bundesliga, a move may cost around £30 million.
The Dutchman’s explosive pace is perhaps his most enticing characteristic. Indeed, he was the fastest centre-back in the German top flight, clocking in at 22.3mph.
To put that figure in context, it is the same as Erling Haaland’s top speed and faster than former Spurs player Kyle Walker, who has clocked 21.13.
This fact could lead to the young defender replicating Walker’s own achievements in the Premier League, with the Premier League Panel, run by BBC journalist Raj Chohan, previously highlighting the similarities.
One famous tweet read: “Van de Ven can become a Kyle Walker-esque monster in terms of transition & 1v1 defending and carries well, but the issue is his distribution.” Under pressure, limited ball manipulation, limited pass execution, and timing of when to pass can all be detrimental to the receiver.”
A limited ability to transfer possession around may harm him in the short term, but that pace will always get him out of danger and blunders if they occur.
Van de Ven’s skill set is exceptional given his height of 6 feet 4 inches. Over the last year, he has ranked among the top 7% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, illuminating his modern and ‘Cruyffian’ style of play, which includes a lot of ‘risk-taking,’ as Volendam director Ruben Jongkind, Ajax’s former head of talent development, put it.
His ability to move the ball out from the back is second to none in the game, and he is ranked in the top 10% for progressive carries.
He ranks higher than Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez (both worst 22%) for ball recoveries, placing in the top 35%. To be clear, this is lower than Cristian Romero’s (top 20% in Europe), but it highlights the need for improvement within Tottenham’s roster.
Walker’s speed allows him to be in the top 35% for ball recoveries, albeit for full-backs, highlighting the similarities in style between the two quick defenders.
Spurs have had a defensive problem for far too long, but signing Van de Ven, a player who can keep up with a certain Haaland, would be a huge boost.
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