Real Madrid determined to sign best Tottenham player for €50m in January | OneFootball

A stunning report claims Real Madrid have identified a Tottenham centre-back as their No 1 transfer target in January and believe if he agitates for a move, he can be bought for just €50m.

Real Madrid signed a plethora of new defenders (Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras) over the summer, though the injury bug has once again bitten this season. New and old signings alike are dropping like flies, with Eder Militao the latest to fall.

The Brazilian – who is arguably the best centre-back at the Bernabeu right now – will be sidelined for up to four months with a torn hamstring.

Los Blancos are weighing up whether to bring plans to sign a new centre-back forward from the summer to the January window in lieu of the injury blow.

And with Real Madrid no longer pursuing Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, a fresh report from E-Noticies claims there’s two defenders – both of whom play in the Premier League – in their sights.

The first is Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, but it’s quickly stressed a move for the Crystal Palace man does NOT have unanimous backing from the club’s key decision-makers.

Instead, the preferred choice is Micky Van de Ven, who has arguably been Spurs’ best player this season.

Despite being a centre-back, Van de Ven is remarkably the club’s second top scorer across all competitions with six goals. Only Richarlison has more, and only just with seven.

E-Noticies stated: ‘Real Madrid’s leadership has already narrowed the list of options down to two top-level defenders.

‘The first is Marc Guehi, a Crystal Palace centre-back, who  could arrive at Bernabéu for about €30 million. Guehi is especially liked by the coaching staff for his ability to anticipate and play cleanly out from the back.

‘However, this option doesn’t fully convince the board, who are already considering a much more suitable alternative for what the team needs right now.

‘This is Micky van de Ven, a Dutch international defender from Tottenham, whose signing would be around €50 million. Even though he’s more expensive, his profile fits Real Madrid’s requirements perfectly.

‘Van de Ven is fast, aggressive, and very strong in one-on-one duels, essential qualities to cover the huge gap left by Éder Militao.

‘In addition, his personality and ability to take on responsibilities in high-pressure situations make him an ideal candidate for Bernabéu. In England, they claim Tottenham would listen to offers if the player pushes to leave.’

What we’re hearing about Van de Ven

Transfer insider, Dean Jones, was recently able to verify Real Madrid’s interest in signing Van de Ven.

However, Jones was also informed Tottenham would put up the fight of all fights before selling the player and even if they did, they’ll demand much more than the Spanish media are claiming a deal can be struck for.

Jones told TEAMtalk: “Van de Ven has been mentioned in the same way that Madrid have looked at Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano and Marc Guehi, but it is different because those three players are becoming free agents and that is a market Madrid are very keen to exploit when they can.

“Van de Ven would be a much different situation as he has more than three years remaining on his current deal and the club are hoping to tie him up to a new one, on better terms over an extended period.

“Obviously, Madrid have the power to turn any player’s head, but they would have to pay big money for him as Spurs really do not want to lose him.

“They consider his experience and leadership to be absolutely vital, on top of the fact he’s a great defender and can also be a threat in terms of scoring goals.”

In other news, The Athletic stated recent discussions amongst Tottenham’s key decision-makers have yielded one conclusion – Thomas Frank needs more time.

The Dane has come under increasing pressure amid a run of seven defeats in 14 matches, but Tottenham have no intention of sacking their manager any time soon.

Elsewhere, sources have revealed Inter Milan’s stance on signing Guglielmo Vicario in the summer of 2026, while the Tottenham goalkeeper has been hammered in the Italian media for his performance against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.