Spurs: Micky van de Ven could revive Bissouma

The “flourishing” Bundesliga defender would provide a new dimension to Postecoglou’s side…

Tottenham Hotspur have been confirmed to have opened direct contacts with Wolfsburg for centre-back Micky van de Ven, who is attracting Premier League attention after a stellar season in Germany.

What’s the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who has exclusively revealed that the Lilywhites have commenced negotiations for the Dutch centre-back.

Taking to Twitter, the Italian journalist said: “EXCL: Tottenham have opened direct talks with Wolfsburg for Micky van de Ven. Dutch centre back is among top targets.

“Verbal proposal set to be submitted as van de Ven is keen on the move.”

Van de Ven is expected to be available for around €30m (£26m), which could prove to be an affordable deal as manager Ange Postecoglou turns his attention to the backline following the £40m acquisition of playmaker James Maddison.

Should Tottenham sign Micky van de Ven?

While Tottenham maintained flashes of brilliance last term, traces of the former cohesive unity, it was by-and-large a discordant campaign that was underscored by a growing discontent under Antonio Conte, who was dismissed earlier this year.

Defensively, Tottenham were inexcusably shocking, with the 63 Premier League goals conceded a tally better than just Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and the three relegated sides.

Which is why Micky van de Ven could be such a shrewd signing; despite only being 22-years-old, the ace has been “flourishing under Niko Kovac” for Wolfsburg of late, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.86 in the German Bundesliga, keeping 11 clean sheets from 33 outings, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 3.1 clearances per game.

Given his blistering pace – Van de Ven recorded a top speed of 35.87 km/h last term – and his athleticism on the pitch, the £7k-per-week “giant” – as he has been hailed by journalist Ronan Murphy – ranks among the top 10% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Which leads to Yves Bissouma, who has suffered an indifferent spell at Tottenham since completing a £25m plus add-ons transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer, starting just 11 times in the top-flight and recording an average Sofascore rating of just 6.68.

The 26-year-old recorded successive 7.07 ratings in his final two seasons with the Seagulls, however, completing 89% of his passes in the latter campaign and making 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per outing.

Van de Ven’s pace and progressive presence from the defensive third could finally allow Bissouma to thrive if he can capture his former form next term.

Such a stellar defensive outlet would likely see him given more protection, allowing him to thrive from the middle of the park, something he couldn’t do with the likes of Eric Dier and Ben Davies behind him.

Indeed, given that the Wolfsburg star maintains his defensive acumen by making a raft of clearances per game, it could restrore the equilibrium to a Tottenham side that fell by the wayside.