Even more than VVD: Liverpool would need to stump up eye-watering fee to sign centre-back colossus

Liverpool would seemingly have to pay a gigantic fee to sign reported transfer target Micky van de Ven from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Reds had been strongly linked with the Dutch defender in the summer of 2023 when he was at Wolfsburg, and discussions had taken place between the two clubs over a potential deal, but Spurs were much more proactive in their approach and duly secured his signature.

On Wednesday morning, the Daily Mail reported that the Premier League champions are once again ‘developing a keen interest’ in the 24-year-old, who’s claimed to have ‘resisted a new contract’ in north London.

Liverpool learn price tag for Micky van de Ven

A subsequent report from talkSPORT on Thursday has indicated that Thomas Frank’s side value Van de Ven in excess of £100m, amid suggestions that the Netherlands international is ‘pushing to leave’ for a transfer to an ‘elite club in the Premier League or Europe’.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs chiefs are set to make it as difficult as possible for prospective suitors to prise the centre-back from their hands, and their hand should be strengthened by the fact that the Dutchman still has nearly three-and-a-half years remaining on his current deal.

Is Van de Ven worth £100m of Liverpool’s money?

If Liverpool are to meet Tottenham’s asking price for the 24-year-old and secure his signature, it’d make him their most expensive defensive signing of all time, surpassing the £75m they spent on Virgil van Dijk eight years ago.

Van de Ven drew scorn from the red half of Merseyside over his dangerous challenge on Alexander Isak in Spurs 1-2 defeat to the Reds last month, leaving the Swedish striker with a serious leg injury which’ll sideline him until March at the earliest.

However, the ex-Wolfsburg colossus has proven to be quite a goal threat in recent months, scoring six goals already this season, and he clocked the fastest recorded speed of any Premier League player when hitting 37.38 km/h against Brentford two years ago.

How does Van de Ven compare to Liverpool defenders?

In comparison to Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool’s primary centre-back pairing in 2025/26, Van de Ven leads the way for interceptions and ball recoveries per 90 minutes, but is either eclipsed or thoroughly surpassed for a host of other important metrics, as per the table below from Squawka.

With the 24-year-old not appearing to be a major upgrade on either of our two main central defenders, the Reds may well be reluctant to splash out £100m on him, especially after the near-£450m transfer market splurge last summer.

Considering that Marc Guehi joined Manchester City for only £20m last week (albeit with a very different contractual situation at Crystal Palace), paying five times that amount for the Spurs centre-back seems difficult to justify.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Marseille press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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