Man United are reportedly monitoring Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven as Spurs continue to flirt with relegation from the Premier League.
There was a time when Manchester United could knock on the door of almost any other team in England and cherry-pick the players they wanted to bring to Old Trafford.
Take Tottenham Hotspur, for example. Teddy Sheringham, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov were lured to United having shone at White Hart Lane, with the trio all heavily involved in Premier League and Champions League triumphs in the red of United. Plenty has changed since then and not just United’s status as English football’s top dogs.
The latter of the aforementioned transfers did not run smoothly, with the Bulgarian striker only signing on the dotted line late on deadline day in 2008. Manchester City’s takeover by the Abu Dhabi Group earlier in the day saw them make a move for Berbatov, with then-Spurs chairman Daniel Levy subsequently upping the fee.
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United have avoided transfer dealings with Spurs at all costs since that day, with Sergio Reguilon’s 2023 loan move to Old Trafford the only time they have done business since. United needed a left-back and Spurs wanted to ship Reguilon out – it was a deal that suited all parties.
United’s reluctance to deal with Spurs saw them avoid a move for Harry Kane in 2023 prior to his move to Bayern Munich, despite the England captain being Erik ten Hag’s preferred pick as they searched for a centre forward. Rasmus Hojlund signed instead. The Dane scored 14 league goals in the two years he spent at United before a loan move to Napoli, 48 fewer than Kane managed in that same period.
But with Levy now gone and Spurs circling the Premier League plughole, could United make a return to a club they have been so keen to avoid for so many years?
It’s claimed Micky van de Ven is being monitored by United ahead of the summer transfer window. Into his third year in the Premier League, the Dutchman has proved himself to be a top operator and Spurs’ possible relegation could see Van de Ven leave in a cut-price deal.
Strangely, earlier this season it would have been fair to claim centre-back was United’s strongest area of the pitch. However, Matthijs de Ligt looks as though he might have played his last game of the season and various other suspension and injury setbacks have left United down to the bare bones at centre half.
With the Reds potentially set to add around another 20 games to their calendar next season, signing another centre-back is by no means a bad idea and Van de Ven would be a great option if available at the right price.
At 25 he still has his best years ahead of him, meaning he fits the profile of player Ineos look for when bolstering the squad. United would likely face competition for his signature should they firm up their interest in him, with Liverpool also said to be monitoring his situation. With Champions League football almost certainly set to be on the table at Old Trafford, there’s no reason why United can’t win the race.
On the whole, United have looked to avoid transfer dealings with Spurs. With Levy gone and Spurs potentially set for the Premier League trap door, now could be the perfect time to swoop in.
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