In less than two months, Ange Postecoglou will know the fate of his maiden campaign at the helm of Tottenham Hotspur, with the club fighting for Champions League qualification in the Premier League.
Failing to clinch top four would not be the be-all and end-all for this rebuilding Spurs side, but it would certainly be a promising indicator of the new era and direction headed in. After the dismality of the 2022/23 campaign and Harry Kane's consequent sale to Bayern Munich, it could be argued that the mere challenge at the forefront of the table has surpassed early expectations.
Still, Tottenham are in this position and thus a new forecast has been mapped out; if the fifth-placed side are to prevail against Aston Villa above them (three points ahead with a game in hand), blips like the recent 3-0 thrashing at Fulham must be avoided.
Wolves (H)
Luton (H)
Brentford (A)
Manchester City (A)
West Ham (A)
Chelsea (A)
Brentford (H)
Nottingham Forest (H)
Liverpool (H)
Arsenal (A)
Newcastle (A)
Bournemouth (A)
Chelsea (H)
Arsenal (H)
Burnley (H)
Micky van de Ven was out injured for that one, underscoring his importance in this exciting Tottenham team once again.
Why Spurs signed Micky van de Ven
It could be said that Tottenham's spiral from form throughout November and December was a by-product of Van de Ven's injury, hamstrung in a calamitous evening clash against Chelsea that ended an emphatic unbeaten start to the term.
James Maddison, fellow influential summer signing, was also sent to the sidelines with an ankle injury that day, and while the England international is an elite playmaker, it could be argued that Van de Ven was tasked with the weightier role after Tottenham's abject defensive displays last year.
63 goals conceded during the 2022/23 season was a concession rate higher than all in the Premier League barring the relegated trio and newly-promoted survivors Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Van de Ven had impressed in Germany with Wolfsburg and while he is young, still only 22 years old, the Dutchman has proved to be a factory-built fit for Premier League football, blending athleticism and blistering speed with sharp defensive skills that bespeak his quality as a high-class player.
As per FBref, Van de Ven ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90.
His agility and loose-limbed grace belies his hulking 6 foot 4 frame; his pinpoint passing keeps Postecoglou's system purring, steadily loosing balls toward his forward-positioned peers.
In the Premier League, the left-footed Van de Ven has completed 95% of his passes, averaging 1.7 tackles, 5.8 ball recoveries, 2.8 clearances and 0.6 dribbles per game, also succeeding with 66% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
He's immensely talented and will likely keep his starring role for years to come, but he is still young and this is reflected through his current market value, with Football Transfers marking the Netherlands international with a £22m price tag.
Of course, Spurs paid in excess of this fee to land the talented defender, and no doubt such a valuation will skyrocket in the months and years to come, though for now, there's a fellow Dutchman who used to thrive at Tottenham who would have been worth more in 2024 money. The man in question is Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart's market valuation in 2024
Van der Vaart amassed 77 appearances for Tottenham, posting 28 goals and 18 assists, with his one-time Lilywhites teammate Peter Crouch remarking that he was “different class” at the club.
Spurs signed the attacking midfielder from Real Madrid way back in 2010 for a reasonable £8m figure, enjoying some of his finest football across two campaigns before re-signing for former outfit Hamburg for around £10m in 2012.
These weren't exactly figures that lifted the roof within transfer discourse over a decade ago, but how might they have looked in the modern market?
Well, thanks to the number-crunching people over at Totally Money, footballing fanatics can find the answer to these abstract questions.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
Totally Money deduced that Van der Vaart's £11m exit fee when German suitors came prowling at the end of his Tottenham career would have been worth £31m in today's market.
29 years old at the time, the former Netherlands star was immense for Spurs, completing 84% of his passes during his first Premier League term and raising that average to 88% across the 2011/12 campaign, racking up 24 goals and 15 assists in the top-flight during this time, as per WhoScored.
To put that in perspective, Christian Eriksen bagged 18 goals and added 23 assists across his two final full seasons at Tottenham, so Van der Vaart is in fine company there.
It's clear that Van de Ven is going to shoot up to the upper echelon of the defensive scene on the continent, barring any dramatic unforeseen circumstances, and if a team like Real Madrid or Manchester City were to come lurking with sights on the dynamic defender's signature, you can bet your bottom dollar that Daniel Levy would demand a gargantuan figure.
Actually, that begs the question: just how much will Van de Ven be worth in 2030's money?
Spurs hit the jackpot with £18m sale now worth even less than Forster
It’s hard to argue against Daniel Levy’s decision to ship this ace on for a sizeable figure.
ByAngus Sinclair Mar 26, 2024