Tottenham Hotspur will begin their summer preseason with a behind closed doors friendly against MK Dons on July 22. And as we just learned, earlier today, Tottenham will open the Premier League season at Brentford on Saturday, August 22nd. Until then, it’s the silly season, so let’s talk about where central defender Micky van de Ven could be going, if he is headed out the exit door. We’ll also touch on Tottenham’s reported interest in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Let’s start with Van de Ven, who started and played all 90 minutes for the Netherlands, in their World Cup opener, a 2-2 draw with Japan. The central defender is receiving interest this summer, with both Liverpool and FC Barcelona reportedly keen. That’s according to De Telegraaf (paywalled $ article).
The 25-year-old, who was once recorded to be the fastest player in the Premier League, is at a contract impasse with Spurs.
Elsewhere Tottenham are looking to add to their summer transfer window haul by really beefing up the middle of the park. According to The Athletic/New York Times (also paywalled $), the top targets are West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.
Tottenham have already revamped their back line this summer, signing both Andy Robertson (from Liverpool) and Marcos Senesi (from AFC Bournemouth) on a free, as well as Jan Paul van Hecke (from Brighton) for £52 million.
Now they’ll try to upgrade the midfield, and Fernandes may want out, and to a club that is still in the top flight. With West Ham United having been relegated, he’ll obviously need to switch teams in order to play Premier League football this upcoming season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.