
Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven has been in the headlines of late- for both wrong and right reasons.
Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence attracted criticism for snubbing their gaffer Thomas Frank in the Premier League defeat to Chelsea last weekend. The duo appeared to ignore Thomas Frank, who was left blanked after heading over to talk to them after the defeat and encourage them to applaud the home crowd.
Van de Ven has since put that ‘snub’ incident in the past, after scoring an incredible solo goal in Spurs’ 4-0 thrashing of FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The Dutchman stole the show in midweek, with the central defender’s run from the edge of his own box seeing him beat five players before calmly slotting the ball past FC Copenhagen goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski. It’s already drawn comparisons with former Spurs star Gareth Bale’s famous strike against Inter Milan in the Champions League and has been touted to win the Puskas Award.
It isn’t surprising to see Van de Ven attracting interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool. The 24-year-old has arguably been Tottenham’s standout performer this season, dealing with the opposition attackers effectively as well as contributing chiefly in attack. He is the club’s top scorer with six goals so far, while the Dutchman has led the team few times in the absence of Cristian Romero.
Spurs have been planning behind the scenes to hand Van de Ven a new contract for some time now. It is understood that the club bosses are set for contract talks with him next week and are expecting significant progress to be made.
Now, according to TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey, Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham has promised to put Van de Ven on level contract terms with his defensive partner and captain, Romero. The Netherlands international loves playing alongside Romero and the Argentinean penning fresh terms has influenced his decision to continue with the north London club.
“A new deal for Van de Ven is emerging as one of Tottenham’s priorities under Vinai Venkatesham’s reign, and talks have already been taking place since the summer,” Graeme Bailey told TBR Football.
“But this is both ways, Van de Ven is very happy at Tottenham, he has settled in brilliantly since he arrived, having now emerged as one of the Premier League’s best, and his partnership with Cristian Romero is on par with anything in the game.
“Romero plays a part here; his decision not to seek a move in the summer has an impact on Van de Ven, who is ready to follow in his steps and sign, and he will be rewarded with similar terms to those of his Argentine colleague.
“Yes, both Spurs and Van de Ven are aware of interest; there is no denying that. Spurs believe he is one of the best anywhere in Europe, and they are recognising this with this prospective new deal. Talks are set to accelerate this month.”
Tottenham’s long-term project under Thomas Frank is taking shape, only that is defensively sound and structurally firm. And by the looks of it, both Van de Ven and Romero are quite an integral part of his side. Romero has committed his future at N17 by penning a long-term deal, after so much speculation over his future throughout the summer.
The 2022 World Cup winner staying at Spurs and signing fresh terms has clearly had an impact on Van de Ven. Having established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, Van de Ven is now looking to take his game to the next level under Frank’s tutelage. Frank is a big admirer of the Dutchman, the club regards him extremely highly and he is loved by the fans; so the Wormer-born talent is in a great place right now.
All in all, Venkatesham planning to hand Van de Ven a lucrative contract in line with Romero proves how far he has come at Tottenham.
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