Tottenham and the star player have put new contract talks on hold amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, with the player now weighing up his future, according to a report.
Igor Tudor was humbled when Tottenham lost the North London Derby
It was supposed to be a fresh start on Sunday, but for Spurs, it was more of the same.
Igor Tudor in the dugout, a full stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, and the noise that always surrounds the North London Derby. For one afternoon, at least, the hope was that the arrival of a new manager might spark something.
Instead, Arsenal came out and delivered a clinical demolition job 4-1.
The Tudor reign could not have started worse. The result was emphatic, Spurs’ performance was poor, and the club’s situation became even darker.
Reporter reveals injured Tottenham star won’t return until April as Tudor given dire review
The new manager of Spurs will be without him for another six weeks.
The Lilywhites now find themselves just four points above the relegation zone after West Ham were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth, with a previously unthinkable drop in the Championship now a real possibility.
The fan base is getting impatient fast. And now, from the collapse of the day of the derby, there are reports that the stars of Spurs have had enough and may decide to leave the N17.
Defender Micky van de Ven could be one of them, following reports late last year that both Liverpool and Real Madrid were keen on the Dutchman.
Even London rivals Chelsea could be looking to poach van de Ven from Spurs, and this has been backed up by a new report from TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey.
Micky van de Ven discusses Tottenham’s exit amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool
According to his knowledge, contract negotiations with Micky van de Ven are still on hold, with no agreement imminent and little sign of progress.
The defender has been outstanding in a campaign otherwise defined by chaos and underperformance – captaining the side on multiple occasions, scoring four goals in 25 Premier League appearances, and providing a level of quality rarely matched by his teammates.
Spurs had planned to reward that form with a new contract that would have put him among the club’s top earners, along with Cristian Romero and Conor Gallagher.
Those talks are now on hold until the summer, and survival is the club’s only priority right now.
But the delay came at a cost.
Van de Ven himself has growing doubts about his long-term future at Tottenham, with sources close to the 24-year-old indicating he is not convinced Tottenham is the right place for the next chapter of his career.
His immediate focus remains on helping Spurs stay up, but beyond that, everything is up in the air.
And when there is uncertainty, Real Madrid will always come around.
The Spanish giants are in the market for a left-back this summer, with David Alaba expected to leave and Antonio Rudiger’s future also unclear.
Van de Ven fits the profile perfectly, and Madrid are believed to have been informed of his contract situation and are keeping a close eye on developments.
They are not alone. Chelsea and Liverpool are also monitoring the situation, and the latter see Van de Ven as a potential replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who could leave Anfield as a free agent at the end of the season.
For Tottenham, the prospect of losing their star player – be it this summer or beyond – would be a hammer blow on top of everything else they are dealing with.
Tudor has a team that he himself described as full of problems. Losing Van de Ven would make an already difficult task feel completely insurmountable.
The Tottenham player is on his way back from injury and could return to Spurs training next week
He is closing in on his return.
