Man Utd tipped to hijack Liverpool move for £100m PL star after ‘missing the boat’ on two others | OneFootball

Tim Sherwood has urged Manchester United not to “miss the boat” for a third time and fight Liverpool for Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven has been a key player for Spurs since joining in 2023 for £35m, with his performances catching the eye of Liverpool, who are thought to be considering a move for the Dutchman as a long-term replacement for compatriot Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds have completed the £60m signing of young French defender Jeremy Jacquet, who will join up with the squad at the end of the season, but with Ibrahima Konate set to leave in the summer when his contract expires, Arne Slot’s side are likely to still be in the market for further defensive additions.

Van de Ven is under contract at Spurs until 2029, which has emboldened the north London club to slap a £100m price tag on his head to ward off suitors.

But Sherwood believes the Red Devils should still battle Liverpool for his signature after regretting “missing the boat” with Declan Rice and Harry Kane, who moved to Arsenal and Bayern Munch respectively despite keen interest from United.

“If he proves his fitness, I think there will be a queue around the block for himm,” Sherwood told CasinoStugan.

“Hopefully Tottenham can keep hold of him but you know what it’s like when a player decides he wants to leave. Unfortunately, if you don’t let him go, you’re left without the money and the player in the end.

“People may be shocked by that but it all depends on who they have as manager in the summer because they’ve got it wrong so many times before and it looks like they have got it right at the moment.”

Sherwood continued: “United are a club that can go from where they have been to the top quicker than most because they’ve got the brand power, the money to do it. They can pay the big wages for the big players.

“They missed the boat before. They could have signed Declan Rice and Harry Kane. Instead, they ended up with seven or eight signings who were alright but mostly very poor.

“They won’t want to miss the boat this time on Van de Ven. He will certainly be at the top of a lot of lists at any number of clubs and Tottenham will have to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of him.

“I think the only real way they keep hold of him is if Micky decides that there might be a bright future ahead at Tottenham, and right now they’re down in 14th in the Premier League and out of the running for the two domestic cups. They’re flying high in the Champions League but there are stiffer tests to come in that competition.”

Speaking last month on speculation surrounding Van de Ven, Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: “He’s very important for us, so Micky’s a Tottenham player now and for the future.

“Micky’s an excellent player; he’s a fantastic ambassador for this club.

“He’s having potentially his best season so far. He’s fit, he’s strong, good defensively, he’s growing as a leader, scoring goals as well, and he’s a very important player for us this season and for the future.”