Tottenham Complete Signing of Rumoured Liverpool Target Van de Ven

Liverpool headed into the summer looking to sign at least two midfielders and one centre half as their top transfer priorities. They completed the first part of the equation quickly but following the unexpected departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson things haven’t gone quite as smoothly.

Those departing veterans have created a larger void than expected in midfield, and the club are scrambling to source suitable replacements—or even just one suitable replacement—with less than a week left before the season opener. In the meantime, chatter on the defensive front has gone quiet.

One centre half they’re certain not to sign now is Dutch 22-year-old Micky van de Ven, who has today officially joined Tottenham in a deal that could rise to £43M with add-ons. Early in the summer, Van de Ven had been perhaps the defender most regularly and reliably linked with Liverpool.

Those links disappeared as the player crept towards his Tottenham move, but Liverpool’s needs didn’t change despite everyone’s focus shifting to midfield, making his official removal from the market mostly interesting as it leaves us with no inkling who—if anyone—the Reds might be targeting.