Despite the ongoing Barcelona presidential election, the club’s planning for the upcoming season has not been halted. The sports management department has reached a consensus with head coach Hansi Flick, and is pushing full steam ahead with their summer transfer window plans, with the clear targets of signing a centre-forward and a top-class left-footed centre-back.
Alessandro Bastoni is the club’s first-choice target, but Inter Milan have no intention of selling the player, and his high market value makes the transfer extremely difficult to complete. For this reason, Barcelona are also actively searching for alternative options, and have stepped up their interest in Tottenham Hotspur’s Dutch international Micky van de Ven, who is widely expected to leave the Premier League this summer.
Van de Ven has been on Barcelona’s transfer shortlist for several months, and fits the club’s requirements for a defensive player perfectly, even though Bastoni remains the number one target. After a string of underwhelming performances for Tottenham this season, Van de Ven has faced criticism from fans and figures within the club, which has significantly increased the likelihood of his departure. The player himself is unwilling to remain at a club mired in difficulty, and favours a move to Barcelona over other interested suitors.
While recent reports have linked Van de Ven with Real Madrid, he in fact has a strong preference for Barcelona. Unlike Nico Schlotterbeck, who Barcelona have already ruled out signing, Van de Ven has publicly expressed his admiration for the club on multiple occasions. His current Transfermarkt market value stands at €65 million, with the actual transfer fee expected to be lower.
Tottenham need to raise funds to restructure their squad this summer, and the ongoing rift between the player and the club could see the club prioritise selling Van de Ven. Liverpool are also interested in his signature, but Barcelona are confident they will hold the upper hand if they submit an official offer.
Barcelona are hugely impressed by Van de Ven’s character and passing vision on the pitch. He is capable of playing both as a left-sided centre-back and as a cover left-back. At 24 years old, he is in the perfect age bracket to join an elite club, and as a starter for the Netherlands national team, he joined Tottenham from VfL Wolfsburg in 2023 for a fee of around €40 million.
That said, there are reservations within Barcelona’s coaching staff, primarily over his recovery pace in certain scenarios. He has turned in inconsistent performances across multiple Premier League games this season, so the club want to confirm he can adapt to their system, given this would represent a major financial investment. For now, Bastoni remains the ideal target, but support for Van de Ven continues to grow, and he has become one of the final candidates for the club’s defensive reinforcement.
