If there is one area of the squad that Ange Postecoglou needs to bolster at Tottenham Hotspur, it is the defence.
Fortunately, the Australian and Daniel Levy are making progress in their bid to do just that.
Are Tottenham signing Micky van de Ven?
Spurs have been hot on the trail of a new centre-back so far this summer and high on their priority list is Wolfsburg man Micky van de Ven.
The north Londoners have seemingly been in talks to sign the 22-year-old in recent times, a fact that Fabrizio Romano confirmed this weekend.
Writing in his column for Caught Offside, the journalist noted: ‘They keep negotiating also for van de Ven because, in the end, the price is the crucial point for them when signing a new centre-back.’
That followed a statement which read: ‘I’m told Tapsoba remains the top target, and he has always been super appreciated.'
It's thought a move could cost around the £30m mark should the speedster leave the Bundesliga.
How fast is Micky van de Ven?
Perhaps the most exciting trait about the Dutchman is his scintillating pace. Indeed, he was clocked as the fastest centre-back in the German top flight, posting a speed of 22.3mph.
To put that number into context, it is the same as Erling Haaland's top speed and quicker even than former Spurs man Kyle Walker, who has posted 21.13.
Such a fact could well see the young defender replicate Walker's own feats in the top flight, with Premier League Panel, ran by BBC journalist Raj Chohan previously noting the similarities.
Taking to Twitter, one notable tweet read: "Van de Ven can become a Kyle Walker-esque monster in terms of defending transitions & 1v1 defending and carries well, but the issue is his distribution. Limited ball manipulation under pressure, limited pass execution and timing of when to pass can be sub-optimal for the receiver."
A limited ability to move possession around could well hinder him in the immediate future but that pace is always likely to get him out of danger and mistakes if they appear.
Standing at 6 foot 4, the range of Van de Ven's skill set is remarkably impressive. Over the last year, he ranks inside the best 7% of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues for successful take-ons, illuminating his modern and 'Cruyffian' style of play that involves plenty of 'risk-taking', as Volendam director Ruben Jongkind, Ajax's former head of talent development best put it.
Also sat in the top 10% for progressive carries, his ability to move the ball out from the back is like very few others in the game, but the Netherlands man is far from just a technically gifted footballer.
Pivotally, he ranks higher than Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez (both worst 22%) for ball recoveries, sitting in the best 35% for that metric. For clarity, that does fall below Cristian Romero (best 20% in Europe) but it illuminates the need for improvement within Tottenham's squad.
Walker's own speed allows him to sit equally in the top 35% for ball recoveries, albeit for full-backs, but it once again highlights the similarity in style between the two rapid defenders.
For far too long Spurs have had a problem at the back but the signing of Van de Ven, a man who could keep up with a certain Haaland, would help a great deal.
