Liverpool should push to sign elite Premier League star this summer – Opinion | OneFootball

Financial Turbulence in North London could open door to Liverpool signing

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024/25 pre-tax losses have landed at the worst possible time. £129m is a huge number and sadly for the Lily whites, it’s a number that sits in the red and could entice a team of the same colour to turn their heads.

A season already defined by instability has now been compounded by financial strain. Spurs’ campaign has unravelled to such an extent that even Liverpool’s stuttering year appears comparatively serene. Managerial upheaval has become routine, as they fight to sustain their tag of joke makers. Ange Postecoglou’s departure was followed by Thomas Frank’s brief and underwhelming tenure, before Igor Tudor arrived under Daniel Levy’s watch to steady a listing ship until season’s end.

The churn has reflected what the table confirms — a North London club drifting in the bottom half, almost certainly without European football next season and perhaps not even certain of their top-level status.

For a club that has spent aggressively in recent years, the absence from continental competition tightens margins significantly. Broadcast revenue drops. Commercial incentives soften. Wage structures feel heavier and are harder to extend. Profit and Sustainability calculations become far less forgiving.

And when that pressure builds, sales follow.

Tottenham are not in crisis, but they are in correction. One or two prominent departures would not surprise anyone who understands the modern financial ecosystem of elite football. Balancing ambition with compliance is no longer optional.

For Liverpool, that matters and could be the reason why links to a certain powerhouse have not died away

Because financial fragility elsewhere often presents a strategic opportunity at Anfield.

Van de Ven: The Perfect Alonso Hybrid?

If, as I expect, Xabi Alonso takes charge at Liverpool this summer, structural evolution will follow. His preference for a back three is well established — a shape that creates width through wing-backs while maintaining central overloads in build-up.

That system demands a very specific profile on the left side of defence: a progressive, athletic, left-footed centre-back capable of stepping into midfield while retaining recovery pace against transitions.

Enter Micky van de Ven.

Previously admired by Liverpool before his move to Tottenham, the Dutch international suddenly feels attainable in a way he did not twelve months ago. Signed for approximately £50 million, it is reasonable to believe a fee in the region of £65 million would test Spurs’ resolve in a summer of recalibration.

At 6’4”, Van de Ven offers physical dominance without sacrificing agility. His recovery speed is elite. His capacity to carry the ball through lines aligns perfectly with a possession-heavy system that often leaves space behind it. He is comfortable defending wide channels — an essential attribute in a back three where spacing shifts dynamically.

Picture the configuration.

Virgil van Dijk is central, orchestrating and commanding. Micky van de Ven to his left, progressive and expansive. Ibrahima Konaté to the right, aggressive and explosive in recovery. The balance is obvious. Height, pace, distribution, and duel-winning presence across all three positions. It sounds remarkable.

Against direct sides, that trio absorbs aerial bombardment. Against transitional threats, they have the speed to retreat and reset. Against low blocks, Van de Ven’s willingness to advance possession becomes a weapon rather than a risk, as he tends to explode past players with ease.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool’s defensive line has relied heavily on Van Dijk and Konaté this season. Adding Van de Ven would not merely reinforce — it would future-proof.

Tottenham’s financial tightening could make the deal realistic. Liverpool’s commercial strength, under Michael Edwards’ strategic oversight, provides the flexibility to act decisively.

This is how elite clubs operate. They anticipate weakness elsewhere and move with clarity.

Tottenham may be entering a corrective phase. Liverpool may be entering a transformative one.

If both trajectories intersect, Van de Ven could become more than a rumour.

He could become the left-sided cornerstone of an Alonso back three — and the beneficiary of North London’s financial recalibration.