Five reasons Tottenham simply cannot afford to sell Micky Van de Ven, even for £100m

Tottenham’s upcoming summer transfer window is poised to be the most significant in years, and the single most critical decision for Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuilding project is now clear: securing Micky van de Ven.

Contract negotiations are currently stalled. Liverpool is showing interest, while Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and others have all been linked with the defender.

With Cristian Romero almost certain to depart, losing both starting center-backs in one window would be devastating and could derail the club for years.

Survival is the immediate priority—three games remain until mathematical safety is secured—but the board must have a post-season plan ready. Avoiding relegation only to lose Van de Ven would replace one existential crisis with another.

Here are five reasons why keeping him must be Tottenham’s top summer priority.

1. Van de Ven is Tottenham’s best player
   There’s a case for selling him for £80–100 million and rebuilding, but it’s unconvincing. When Europe’s elite clubs are circling the same defender, he’s not easily replaced.
2. His pace, tactical awareness, and composure under pressure are rare, developed traits, not off-the-shelf purchases. Selling him for a replacement would buy a project—not equal quality.
3. Romero is leaving; losing both would be disastrous
   Romero’s exit is all but confirmed, with interest from Real Madrid, Atlético, and Barcelona.
4. His season-ending knee injury only accelerates his departure. Without him, Van de Ven becomes the defensive anchor.
5. Losing both would leave De Zerbi starting next season with 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic—talented but unproven—and reliable backup Kevin Danso. That’s not a plan; it’s a gamble.
6. De Zerbi has changed Van de Ven’s mindset
   Recent reports suggested Van de Ven was ready to leave, but De Zerbi’s arrival has shifted things.
7. The Dutchman is now reportedly “extremely open” to a new deal, enjoying his football again and performing strongly. That kind of player-manager connection is rare; breaking it before it’s had a full preseason would undermine De Zerbi’s foundation.
8. The replacement math doesn’t add up
   If Tottenham sells Van de Ven for, say, £80 million, replacing him with a defender of similar quality would cost at least that much—and the newcomer would arrive without any knowledge of De Zerbi’s system, teammates, or tactical demands. Van de Ven already has that familiarity. Selling sideways makes no sense.
9. At 25, his best years are ahead
   Van de Ven is 25, under contract until 2029, and reportedly open to extending.
10. Selling a player in his prime, who wants to stay, under a manager who wants him, simply because rivals have inquired would be exactly the reactive, short-term thinking that has held Tottenham back for years.
11. If De Zerbi is to build something, Van de Ven must be at the center.

Can Tottenham finally back their own project?
All of this depends on survival. Relegation changes everything, and Van de Ven would likely follow Romero out. But if Tottenham stays up, the conditions are right: the manager has restored the player’s belief, the player is open, and the club has leverage.

The board’s job isn’t to get clever or play hardball. It’s to close the deal quickly, before summer noise complicates matters. Tottenham has let key moments slip before. The question is whether anyone in the boardroom has finally learned.