Micky van de Ven signs long-term contract with Tottenham

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven signed a new long-term deal with Spurs on 10 August 2026 and said it is "clear the direction the club wants to go in" after putting pen to paper. BBC Sport understands the appointment of Roberto de Zerbi in March was crucial to the 25-year-old's decision to extend his stay in north London.

Van de Ven joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg in 2023 on an original six-year agreement running until 2029 and has made 96 appearances in all competitions since his arrival. He helped Spurs win the Europa League in 2025 and captained the side during the final six matches of last season as they escaped relegation. The defender has won 24 caps for the Netherlands and represented his country at the World Cup this summer.

Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi described Van de Ven as "one of the best centre-backs in Europe and an important player for us" and added, "We are building something strong here, and players like Micky are an important part of that future."

Van de Ven spoke about his affinity with the club after signing, saying: "I've always loved Spurs, from the first day I stepped in here. I love the club, I love the fans and I've developed really well here. It's clear the direction the club wants to go in and I want to be a part of it. I'm excited about what's to come."

Tottenham have finished 17th in back-to-back seasons and narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of 2025-26, but have spent £237m this summer, including a club-record £100m to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.

James Maddison has allayed concerns over a fresh setback after posting on Instagram that he is "Feeling good after another good session today with the team," and adding, "Working so hard to be healthy and have a great year. Definitely haven't had any recurrence of any injury I've had before." Maddison has not featured in any pre-season matches after missing most of the 2025-26 campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last August; he returned against Leeds on May 11 and made substitute appearances against Chelsea and Everton. Confirming Maddison's absence from the pre-season tour in July, De Zerbi said it was "not the right moment to take risks" and Maddison had been part of a 35-man squad for Spurs' pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia.

Tottenham will open their Premier League campaign at Brentford on Saturday, 22 August (17:30 BST).