Micky van de Ven says one Tottenham player has been “ridiculous” in training lately
While Spurs players are impressing on the training ground, Tottenham have plenty to weigh up before January, with this week’s transfer reports offering a mixture of familiar names and fresh possibilities.
Alejandro Balde is among the players being linked with a move to north London, with Spurs in the picture for the Barcelona left-back, whose agent Jorge Mendes is exploring his options.
Balde has been left waiting for his first Barcelona start of the season, and for a player seeking regular football, that makes the next window an important opportunity to assess his future.
Barcelona are reportedly looking for £34 million, although Mendes considers a loan with a buy option a more workable route, so any progress involving Tottenham is said to depend on departures.
That leaves some distance between Spurs being mentioned and a deal becoming realistic, but Balde’s situation is one worth watching as the window approaches.
Morgan Gibbs-White is another name refusing to disappear from the conversation.
Journalist Graeme Bailey reports that Roberto De Zerbi remains keen on the Nottingham Forest midfielder, with Tottenham still interested after their unsuccessful pursuit in 2025.
Forest’s stance makes that a difficult January prospect, as Bailey also says they will not consider selling him during the winter window, while Man United have also asked about his situation.
Forest’s struggles add another obstacle, and selling a key midfielder would be a sizeable gamble for Oliver Glasner’s side.
Harry Kane has also found his way back into the Tottenham headlines after signing a new Bayern Munich contract until 2029. The Telegraph, as reported in the BBC’s gossip round up, says Spurs still retain the right to match a bid for their former striker.
That keeps a possible route open further down the line, although Kane’s new commitment to Bayern makes this a different conversation from an immediate January target.
There are decisions ahead over where to strengthen, who could leave and how much space remains for younger players to make their mark.
One teenager is giving van de Ven plenty of reason to take notice.
Micky van de Ven says Luca Williams-Barnett can be a ‘special player’
Micky van de Ven has picked out Luca Williams-Barnett as a player capable of making a real impact at Tottenham.
The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace last weekend, replacing Mathys Tel in the closing stages of the 2-0 victory.
He immediately gave supporters something to talk about, creating a chance for Mohammed Kudus with a burst of skill down the left.
That moment has earned him a nomination for the Premier League’s Creative Moment of the Month award, and van de Ven sees the ability behind those flashes in training, and believes there is still plenty more to come.
“Luca Williams Barnett, he just joined the first team football player so I think a lot of like quality will come from him maybe this season maybe in upcoming years he’s so young someone with a lot of potential,” van de Ven told Sky Sports.
“You see what he brings in the training, like the quality on the ball is ridiculous. So what he can bring for us in the upcoming years.
“You always need to work for it and keep training hard, but I think he can be a special player. His ceiling can be really high.”
The teenager’s best days could still be yet to come, and going by van de Ven’s praise, the sky is the limit.
