Whisper it, but are Tottenham actually doing some smart things this summer?
Optimism is unsettlingly increasing among the fanbase following the appointment of Ange Postecoglou and the subsequent arrivals of a new number one in Guglielmo Vicario and England international James Maddison.
The club have so far worked shrewdly and efficiently to kick off Ange's mammoth rebuild, but a glaring issue still needs to be fixed. In 2022/23, Spurs became just the second Premier League team ever to both score and concede 60 goals (they became the first in 2007/08). While Harry Kane kept his side afloat at one end of the pitch, their defence was cripplingly poor last season and centre-back remains a distinct area of need this summer.
Spurs, though, have identified two leading targets to aid their defensive woes. The club are working on deals for both Micky van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba, although it's believed that only one of these Bundesliga stars will be strutting their stuff in north London next season and beyond.
So, which centre-half should Tottenham sign?
Ball playing
Cuti Romero is more than comfortable in possession, but Spurs aren't and haven't been blessed with defenders and goalkeepers that are adept at playing out from the back. The arrival of Vicario is a massive upgrade over Hugo Lloris in this regard, and Ange now requires centre-backs capable of fulfilling his high-risk demands with the ball.
Both Tapsoba and Van de Ven are fine ball players, but they excel at different things. Tapsoba, for example, is a gifted passer who loves to take risks in possession. Compared to centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues, the Bayer Leverkusen star ranked in the 95th percentile (per FBRef) for progressive passes per 90 minutes (5.76) and 92nd for progressive carries (1.46). However, the risks he takes with the ball meant his pass completion was a little lower at 86.4% (63rd percentile).
In comparison, Van de Ven isn't much of a risk-taker in terms of pass selection and he appears to value retention over progression. The Dutchman's pass completion last season was 87.7% and he recorded just 3.56 progressive passes per 90. Although, he loves to drive out of defence with the ball at his feet. He registered 1.3 progressive carries and 0.58 successful take-ons per 90 last season.
Overall, while both impress in possession, Tapsoba is, without question, the more natural ball player. The 24-year-old is a classy customer who has proven to be a progressive machine in the Bundesliga.
Defending
While the concept of a modern-day centre-half has become more abstract, they've still got to be able to defend.
While statistics are useful for gauging a player's proficiency in possession, defensive metrics (unless they're possession adjusted) can be misleading. These two defenders, for example, don't excel in any regard statistically.
So, what does the eye test say? Well, Van de Ven is an outstanding athlete who would be perfect in an aggressive defensive line. The Dutchman's top speed of 35.97 km/h was the joint ninth-highest in the Bundesliga last season according to league officials, and the fastest among defenders. Tapsoba's top speed of 33.68 km/h ranked 150th in the division. The Bayer man is no slouch, but Van de Ven is a more impressive athlete.
In terms of their styles, neither are overly aggressive defenders, although Van de Ven's overeagerness can catch him out on occasion. There are times when he needs to be more patient because he could be the perfect foil for Romero. Nevertheless, both players are fine one-v-one defenders that are comfortable defending big spaces. The two men tackled 72% of the dribblers they faced in the Bundesliga last season.
Tapsoba has similar defensive flaws to Van de Ven in that he's not super aggressive but he can get caught out lunging and trying to win back possession high up the pitch when he perhaps doesn't need to. Despite their towering frames, neither centre-back is particularly good in the air.
Versatility
Versatility will be key for Ange at the start of his rebuild, especially in defence. He deployed a 2-3-5 possession structure at Celtic with two inverted full-backs, but it remains to be seen whether he'll implement this right away in north London.
With the personnel he's inheriting, we could see a structure not too dissimilar from the early days of Jose Mourinho's tenure which saw one full-back bomb on and the other slide across to create a back three.
While both Tapsoba and Van de Ven are expected to operate as Spurs' left centre-back should they join, Van de Ven seems like an especially good fit for the conservative left-back role given his athleticism and proficiency in one-on-one situations. The Dutchman was occasionally utilised as a full-back during his time at FC Volendam.
Tapsoba could perform this role in possession, but he may struggle to operate as a left-back without the ball.
Nevertheless, Tapsoba has proven his competence in a back three and four at Leverkusen, while he's also played in more aggressive and conservative defensive lines. He's grown accustomed to playing in the latter with the national team and in Germany post-Peter Bosz.
Price
Tottenham are believed to be negotiating fees for both and are closer to striking a deal with Wolfsburg for Van de Ven. Spurs have agreed personal terms with the Dutch U21 international, who could set the club back £30m.
Tapsoba, however, is believed to be their priority target. Although, Leverkusen are demanding more money than Wolfsburg are for Van de Ven which is delaying Tottenham's decision should they decide to only sign one.
90min understands the German club want a fee in the region of £42.5m for the Burkina Faso international this summer.
Many Tottenham supporters, however, believe it's worth the club opting for the more expensive Tapsoba, who's undoubtedly the bigger name out of the two.
Conclusion
Tapsoba and Van de Ven don't drastically differ in profile, with the two defenders possessing similar strengths and weaknesses.
Tapsoba is perhaps the safer option even though he is more expensive, but you might argue that Van de Ven, while still raw and a riskier move, boasts a higher ceiling than his Bundesliga counterpart. The Dutchman is a player Ange reportedly tried to sign at Celtic, and there's no doubt he'd be an excellent fit for the start of the Australian's project in north London.
While he's bound to make mistakes early on, Van de Ven could eventually emerge as one of the Premier League's best under Ange given his talent. He's an impressive leader for someone so young, and his capacity to defend in a high defensive line will aid Spurs' ability to press from the front.
Tapsoba is a very good option and the club wouldn't be signing a dud if they opted for him, but Van de Ven seems to have greater upside under Tottenham's new boss.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Micky van de Ven or Edmond Tapsoba: Who should Tottenham sign?.
