Liverpool is reportedly competing to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven. The situation around van de Ven's contract is becoming increasingly uncertain.
Key points
Liverpool is competing to sign Micky van de Ven.
Van de Ven plays for Tottenham Hotspur.
His contract situation is becoming uncertain.
The transfer window is approaching its deadline.
LiverpoolTottenham HotspurMicky van de Ven
Report: Liverpool are in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur star
Liverpool Transfer News: Micky van de Ven Links Raise Big Summer Question
Van de Ven situation demands attention
Micky van de Ven has become one of those names that makes a transfer window feel suddenly heavier. Not because a deal is close, nor because Tottenham are resigned to losing him, but because circumstance has a way of making even the most secure contract look fragile.
Caught Offside report that Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring the Dutch centre back, with Tottenham’s Premier League status potentially shaping what happens next. Spurs, remarkably, remain in danger, and that has created a market in uncertainty around one of their most valuable players.
The important caveat is clear. Van de Ven is not pushing for anything now. He is not, according to the report, in talks with other clubs. His immediate concern is Tottenham’s survival. That matters, because it frames this less as a rebellion and more as a footballer approaching a crossroads.
As one source told Caught Offside: “Van de Ven will meet with Tottenham at the end of the season, whether they stay up or not,”
“For now his full focus is on keeping them in the Premier League, but he’ll be aware that clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United are interested, and that could put pressure on Tottenham.”
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For Liverpool, the attraction is obvious. Van de Ven offers pace, recovery power, Premier League experience and a left sided profile that remains precious at elite level. He is not simply a defender who can run. He is a defender whose speed changes the dimensions of a team.
A high defensive line always carries risk. Liverpool know that better than most. With Van de Ven, some of that risk becomes manageable. He can defend space, cover channels and turn dangerous transitions into routine recoveries.
That is why this link feels logical, even at the reported £60m to £80m price range. His wages, potentially around £200,000 per week, would not be minor either. This would be a serious commitment, not opportunistic shopping.
Tottenham hold strong cards
Spurs will point to his contract until 2029. They will point to the absence of a release clause. They will point to his importance. All of that is valid.
Yet football rarely moves only according to contract length. It moves according to ambition, timing and the player’s sense of where his career is heading. If Tottenham survive, they have a stronger argument. If they fall, keeping Van de Ven becomes far harder.
European giants add pressure
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also mentioned, which changes the mood of the race. Madrid’s need for a centre back is well known, while Bayern’s position could shift if Kim Min-jae leaves.
Photo: IMAGO
For Tottenham, that is the concern. This may not become a negotiation with one club. It may become a contest between several heavyweights, each offering something different.
For Liverpool, patience will be essential. Van de Ven is not a simple deal. He is a premium player in a premium position, at a club that has no obvious need to sell unless the season collapses completely.
Still, as summer stories go, this one already has the feel of something significant.
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From a Liverpool fan’s perspective, this is exactly the kind of report that deserves attention, even if it does not yet deserve hysteria. Van de Ven looks built for what Liverpool should want to become again, aggressive, quick, front foot and comfortable defending huge spaces.
There is also a strategic point here. Liverpool cannot simply wait until Virgil van Dijk declines before thinking about succession planning. That would be negligent. Van de Ven would not arrive as a cheap squad option. He would arrive as someone who could reshape the defence for years.
The price is the problem, of course. £60m to £80m is centre piece money. At £200,000 per week, he would need to be more than impressive. He would need to be transformative. Supporters would rightly ask whether that money is better spent across two positions, especially if midfield balance and attacking structure remain concerns.
Still, Liverpool fans know what elite centre back recruitment can do. Van Dijk changed everything. Nobody should lazily expect the same impact, but Van de Ven has traits that fit Anfield: speed, authority, Premier League proof and room to grow.
If Tottenham stay up, this feels difficult. If they go down, Liverpool should be ready.