Micky van de Ven is on Manchester United’s shortlist as the club plans to add an imposing left-footed centre-back ahead of a Champions League campaign, people involved in recruitment have told The Athletic.
The Athletic quotes United staff saying: "There are people at United who believe Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro will develop to be as good a partnership as Arsenal pair Gabriel and William Saliba. But recruitment staff feel an addition is required to cope with the load of Champions League football. Ideally, they want to add an imposing, left-footed defender. Heaven is on his way to establishing himself in that way, but there are doubts over Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez after injury-hit campaigns." Leny Yoro is 20 and Ayden Heaven is 19; van de Ven is 25.
The Athletic adds: "A name being considered is Micky van de Ven. The 25-year-old is expected to attract interest whatever division Tottenham Hotspur end up in and his departure is potentially on the cards. His speed, ball-carrying, and tackling ability would be a major plus to United’s squad. Champions League revenue and transfer income will dictate how much money United can spend on enhancing their team." TribalFootball has also reported interest in van de Ven from Liverpool and Manchester United, and that he is under contract until 2029.
The man United describe as the possible missing piece would be asked to sit alongside — not replace — the club’s prized teenagers. Recruitment staff have flagged Heaven and Yoro as candidates to form a long-term centre-back partnership comparable to Arsenal’s pairing; gabriel magalhães and William Saliba are named as the benchmark in those conversations. At the same time, concerns remain over the fitness histories of Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez after injury-hit campaigns this season.
Domestic reports name van de Ven as a target regardless of Tottenham’s fate: The Manchester Evening News says he is thought to be on United’s radar whether Tottenham are relegated or not, and it notes that Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw are likely to remain the club’s first-choice full-backs. The Athletic’s reporting frames United’s planning around the extra minutes and travel that come with Champions League football and the load that will place on a thin defensive group.
Timeline and finances are decisive. United moved closer to Champions League qualification after a crucial victory at Stamford Bridge this season, and that finish will shape how much money is available in the summer window. The club’s transfer planning is reportedly tied to potential sales and departures, and recruitment sources in the reporting say the aim is to fund four major summer signings — including a centre-back — if revenue allows.
The friction in the reports is clear: club staff expect Heaven and Yoro to be the foundation, yet recruitment insistence on an experienced, imposing left-footed centre-back suggests patience alone will not satisfy the squad’s needs. A realistic conclusion from the reporting is straightforward: if United secure Champions League income — and if transfer receipts or departures free funds — van de Ven is likely to be pursued in the coming summer window, with a Tottenham relegation merely increasing the probability of a move rather than determining it.
