Tottenham sign defender for €50m - How good is Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven?

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Tottenham Hotspur have completed another huge move in the summer transfer window, after the Premier League club confirmed the signing of Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven. According to the Daily Mail, the Netherlands U21 international will join the North London club on a six-year deal after both clubs agreed a transfer fee that could reach as high as €50 million. 

Such a move makes Van de Ven Tottenham’s most expensive signing of the summer window, narrowly costing more than James Maddison who was signed from Leicester City for €46.3m. Alongside the arrival of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli and finalised permanent deals for both Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski, the arrival of the Wolfsburg talent will take Tottenham’s spending in the summer window to more than €188m. 

Why are Tottenham signing Van de Ven? 

Although Tottenham can call on a number of central defenders, the club have struggled to nail down a starting pair that are capable of taking the team forward in the Premier League. Few would doubt the talent that Cristian Romero possesses, but whether it be Eric Dier, Joe Rodon or Davinson Sánchez new manager Ange Postecoglou has been left scratching his head over a dependable partner to sit alongside the Argentina international. In fact, when we consider that Sánchez was booed by supporters for his performances last season and has been heavily linked with a move to Russia this summer, it’s quite possible that Van de Ven won’t be the only new central defender at the club next season. 

How good is Van de Ven? 

On the face of it, Van de Ven joins Tottenham as a relatively average Bundesliga central defender. According to Opta, he finished last season in 13th place for tackles won, 13th for blocked shots, 40th for interceptions and 49th for aerial duels won, among every other central defender in the German top-flight. Which may make for concerning reading to some Tottenham fans, wondering why the club are set to spend €50m on the player. 

However, while Van de Ven may not be a stereotypical central defender, he does thrive in other aspects of the game. For example, the 22-year-old talent completed more dribbles in the Bundesliga last season than any other central defender and more than three times as many as defensive partner Maxence Lacroix. Add to that the fact that he finished the season in third place among Wolfsburg players for through balls and, according to the Bundesliga, was clocked as the league’s quickest central defender and it’s easy to see why Tottenham think Van de Ven could prove to be an excellent prospect for the club.