Tottenham have had a difficult start to the season under Thomas Frank, and it could already lead to some big changes next summer.
Frank himself is under sack threat, with Spurs sitting 11th in the Premier League table after 16 games.
The speculation around the Dane’s future has only grown after Tottenham were beaten 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon.
Pedro Porro was slammed by fans for an interview after the game, and the atmosphere around the North London club is now turning from bad to worse.
Tottenham set to lose one of their best players
Despite Tottenham putting in some abysmal performances at times this season, Frank still has several exciting players in his squad.
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One of those is centre-back Micky van de Ven, who has been a shining light for Spurs as the results continue to underwhelm.
The Netherlands international has started all bar one of the North London side’s Premier League games this term, evidencing his importance to the team.
However, according to former Manchester United defender Phil Jones, Van de Ven is unlikely to still be at Tottenham by the start of next season.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Jones said: “They’ve got Micky van de Ven who, if he keeps performing how he’s been performing, he won’t be at Spurs next season”
Micky van de Ven is too good for Tottenham
Even with the quality of Van de Ven, Tottenham have struggled defensively in recent times, conceding 11 goals in their last five Premier League games.
Despite that, he is still making over three clearances and recoveries per game at this stage, with others around him letting Spurs down.
The Dutch centre-back is clearly a level above a lot of his Spurs teammates, and his ability to drive the team forward is what makes him stand out from the crowd.
Earlier this season, Van de Ven scored one of the goals of the season against Copenhagen in the Champions League, dribbling the whole length of the pitch before slotting the ball past the keeper.
Van de Ven has had an eye for goal in the Premier League as well, and as per FBref, is in the top three per cent of all centre-backs in the top-flight this season for goals scored per 90 (0.2).
He also has an overall pass completion rate of 90.6 per cent, and has showcased his calmness on the ball throughout his time in North London.
If Tottenham continue to struggle, it will be difficult for them to keep hold of Van de Ven, who will surely have ambitions of playing at the highest level.