Tottenham Hotspur are "really close" to completing a deal to sign Wolfsburg's exciting young centre-back Micky van de Ven, with personal terms being "okay" on the player's side, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Are Tottenham Hotspur signing Micky van de Ven?
Things have been going reasonably well for Spurs so far this window. Not only have they kept hold of Harry Kane – for now – but they have also added some genuine quality to the side with the acquisitions of James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario, and Manor Solomon.
That said, there is still one major issue that needs to be addressed in this window to give new boss Ange Postecoglou the best chance possible at delivering European football to N17 come the end of next season – defence.
There is no getting away from the fact that last season was a bit of a disaster for Tottenham, as despite having Antonio Conte at the helm for much of the year and possessing superstar attackers like Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski, they managed to finish eighth and miss out on European football for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
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However, the blame for their failings has to be primarily thrown at the feet of their defence as they managed to concede a staggering 63 goals across their 38 games, with only five teams succeeding more than that.
It's not been too surprising then to see the team heavily linked with several new centre-backs over the last few weeks, with Wolfsburg's Van de Ven one of the leading names touted for a move to north London.
The good news is that a deal to sign the Dutchman looks to be nearing completion, with everything being "okay" on the player's side, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:
"Tottenham are close to completing a deal with Wolfsburg for Mickey van de Ven. The agreement is really close. [It's] is not done yet, so they're still discussing some details, but the agreement is really close.
"I'm still checking on the fee. I'm still checking on the details missing, especially on the payment terms [and] structure, but the agreement is close. With the player, everything is okay, so Tottenham are getting closer to Mickey van de Ven.
"[I'm] waiting for the final details of the story they are negotiating while I am speaking and recording this video."
How good is Micky van de Ven?
While even the most average of centre-backs would likely improve Spurs' defence, Van de Ven certainly looks to be better than just average.
In his 33 Bundesliga appearances last season, the 22-year-old scored one goal, maintained a passing accuracy of 88.3% – the highest in the squad for anyone with at least one start – and averaged a match rating of 6.66, per WhoScored.
Some of his underlying numbers are also quite impressive and paint a picture of a defender who could be beneficial to the side's attacking threat as well as helping out at the back.
According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Netherlands under-21 star sits in the top 7% for successful take-ons, the top 10% for progressive carries, the top 15% for progressive passes received, and the top 16% for expected assists, all per 90.
One element of his game that has won him plaudits in Germany has been his immense speed, with Reuben Jongkind describing it as "crazy."
With the Wormer-born gem able to reach speeds of up to 35.97 km/h – faster than the likes of Vinicius Junior and Jadon Sancho – he could prove to be essential in the high intensity and attacking style of play Postecoglou is known for employing.
If Spurs can get this over the line, they will be one step closer to addressing their most significant problem from last season.
