Tottenham and a star player have put new contract talks on ice amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, with the player now weighing up his future, according to a report.
Igor Tudor humbled as Tottenham suffer North London Derby defeat
It was supposed to be a new beginning on Sunday, but for Spurs, it was more of the same.
Igor Tudor in the dugout, a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the buzz that always surrounds a North London Derby. For one afternoon, at least, the hope was that the arrival of a new manager might spark something.
Instead, Arsenal turned up and delivered a clinical 4-1 demolition job.
Tudor's reign could hardly have started worse. The scoreline was emphatic, the performance from Spurs was dismal, and the mood around the club has darkened even more.
The Lilywhites now find themselves just four points above the relegation zone after West Ham's 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, with a previously unthinkable drop to the Championship now a genuine possibility.
The fanbase is quickly running out of patience. And now, emerging from the wreckage of derby day, come reports that Spurs stars have had enough and could decide to leave N17.
Star defender Micky van de Ven may well be among them too, following reports late last year that both Liverpool and Real Madrid are pretty keen on the Dutchman.
Even London rivals Chelsea could look to poach van de Ven from Spurs, and this is backed up by a new report from TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey.
Micky van de Ven debating Tottenham exit amid Chelsea and Liverpool interest
According to his information, contract talks with Micky van de Ven have been placed on hold, with no agreement close and little sign of progress on the horizon.
The defender has been outstanding throughout a campaign that has otherwise been defined by chaos and underperformance — captaining the side on multiple occasions, scoring four goals in 25 Premier League appearances, and providing a level of quality that his teammates have rarely matched.
Spurs had planned to reward that form with a bumper new deal that would have placed him among the club's highest earners, alongside Cristian Romero and Conor Gallagher.
Those negotiations have now been shelved until the summer, with survival the only priority consuming the club right now.
But the delay has come at a cost.
Van de Ven himself has growing doubts about his long-term future at Tottenham, with sources close to the 24-year-old indicating he is not convinced that Tottenham is the right place for the next chapter of his career.
His immediate focus remains on helping Spurs stay up, but beyond that, everything is up in the air.
And where there is uncertainty, Real Madrid will always come circling.
The Spanish giants are in the market for a left-sided centre-back this summer, with David Alaba's departure expected and Antonio Rudiger's future also unclear.
Van de Ven fits the profile perfectly, and it is believed that Madrid have been alerted to his contract situation and are keeping a very close eye on developments.
They are not alone. Chelsea and Liverpool are also monitoring the situation, with the latter viewing Van de Ven as a potential long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who could leave Anfield as a free agent at the end of the season.
For Tottenham, the prospect of losing their standout performer — either this summer or beyond — would be a hammer blow on top of everything else they are dealing with.
Tudor has a squad he himself has described as full of problems. Losing Van de Ven would make an already daunting task feel completely insurmountable.