Arsenal look to be plotting a move for Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven this summer as Mikel Arteta aims to strengthen his defensive options ahead of another Premier League title challenge next term.
What’s the latest on Micky van de Ven to Arsenal?
According to one recent report, the Gunners have been watching the Dutch defender ahead of a potential move, although it looks as though Tottenham Hotspur appear to be in the driving seat when it comes to signing him.
The north Londoners could secure themselves a bargain however if they were to make their interest concrete, with the Bundesliga outfit looking for a fee of around €30m (£26m) and this may tempt Arteta in making a swoop.
Could Arsenal sign Micky van de Ven?
Although Spurs do hold the upper hand, the Gunners could offer him Champions League football and this could be a major incentive with regard to any potential deal.
Arsenal conceded just 43 goals in the Premier League last term, the joint second lowest in the top flight, however, when they lost William Saliba to injury in March, they conceded 18 goals in just 11 matches, missing the presence of the Frenchman, and it is vital Arteta improves the depth at centre-back.
The 22-year-old was a positive influence last season for Wolfsburg, ranking first for accurate passes per game (44.6), sixth for tackles per game (1.4) and third for clearances per game (3.1), and throughout the whole Arsenal squad, only four players completed more accurate passes and only one made more clearances, suggesting that he could shine in their first team.
What could convince Arteta to make a move for the defender however is his forward-thinking mentality, as across Europe’s top five leagues, Van de Ven ranked in the top 10% for progressive carries per 90 (1.30) and in the top 7% for successful take ons per 90 (0.58) showing that he likes to bring the ball forward as often as possible and has the confidence to take players on regularly.
He was lauded by journalist Ronan Murphy at the start of the year, who tweeted: “Van de Ven’s performances for Wolfsburg this season have him knocking on the door of the Netherlands international team. A giant on the pitch, he’s flourishing under head coach Niko Kovac.”
With 11 appearances for the Netherlands U21 side, a step-up to the senior team surely isn’t far away and given Arteta’s penchant for developing young players, signing the Dutchman this summer could give the club another potentially world-class option over the next few years.
Having clearly been 'flourishing' in Germany of late, Van de Ven could well continue that stellar rise at the Emirates next season.