Manchester United are said to be assessing Tottenham Hotspur centre back Micky van de Ven as they look to strengthen their defence ahead of the summer window.

Since Michael Carrick took charge in mid-January, United have been focused on Premier League fixtures after exiting both domestic cups prematurely. The run of positive results has removed any hope of a lighter schedule next season, making depth across the back four a priority for the club.

The report indicates United want a left-footed centre back to help ease the burden on 19-year-old Ayden Heaven. Lisandro Martínez remains the in-house option but has battled injuries over the last two seasons and his contract runs until the summer of 2027. Injuries have also plagued Matthijs de Ligt at times, Harry Maguire is on the wrong side of 30, and pairing inexperienced talents such as Heaven and Leny Yoro to lead a return to the Champions League may be too much to ask.

Van de Ven’s season has been difficult, as it has for many at Tottenham, but his Premier League experience keeps him on United’s radar. Durability is a clear strength: the Dutchman led Spurs’ outfield players in appearances and minutes this season and reached 40 games across all competitions for the first time in his career.

At his best, Van de Ven offers notable pace, tenacity defending in space, and competence on the ball. He is able to progress play as a ball-carrier or pick passes from deep, and he has contributed offensively with seven goals this season.

Bringing Van de Ven to Old Trafford will not be straightforward. United face competition from other major clubs that have been linked with the defender. Liverpool have been mentioned previously, Chelsea have been linked amid defensive concerns, and Barcelona are expected to be active in the centre back market, with Van de Ven floated as an option if their pursuit of Alessandro Bastoni does not succeed.

At the start of last season Tottenham Hotspur were ranked by England’s leading soccer think tank as the “best run club” across the nation’s entire pyramid. Fewer than two years later the club faces the prospect of its first relegation in almost half a century and a dramatic revenue collapse.

Financial estimates put the potential shortfall between $311–372 million (£230–275 million) when comparing a 2025–26 Premier League season to a 2026–27 Championship campaign. Data estimated by BBC Sport and Swiss Ramble and converted from pounds to dollars show broadcast income falling from $173 million to $73 million, Champions League broadcast revenue dropping from $96 million to zero, matchday receipts falling from $177 million to $107 million and commercial income easing from $377 million to $303 million. The total moves from $823 million to $483 million in the projections.

Tottenham’s most exposed income stream is broadcast money. The club stands to earn around $178 million from Premier League television money this term; the Championship offers nothing like that figure. Parachute payments would offer roughly $61 million and the EFL central distribution is listed at $6.8 million, but those sums are small compared with Premier League receipts.

Commercial deals also risk reduction because sponsors such as Nike and AIA have clauses that could push payments down, potentially by about 20 percent. Matchday income could fall by about 40 percent as ticket prices and attendances adjust to a lower division.

The club reported the ninth highest revenue in its last released accounts and is set to report higher figures this season after a run to the Champions League last 16. Even after a projected drop of around 41 percent seen in recent relegations, Tottenham would still exceed the Championship record revenue posted by Leeds United in 2024–25.

“I reckon it’s going to be somewhere in the region of £250 million to £275 million compared to the current season,” soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire predicted on The Sports Agent podcast earlier this month. “That’s taking into consideration the fact that Spurs have the second highest yield in terms of how much they extract per fan, per match. It’s a very sophisticated operation they have … Then, of course, there won’t be the participation in Europe next season.”

Reports say Daniel Levy added a 50% wage cut clause in player contracts for relegation. Professor Rob Wilson warned: “Some other clubs could even have 90% relegation clauses or agreements for players to move,” Wilson told The i . “But because Spurs have been relatively stable in the Premier League, they don’t have the clause they would need in order to properly survive.

“It’s nowhere near enough. You need a minimum 75% relegation clause in order to balance your books when you go down.”

The latest round of Premier League fixtures confirmed the first team to be relegated to the Championship. Wolves have now dropped, a reality underlined by the weekend results.

Tottenham Hotspur impressed against Brighton & Hove Albion but succumbed to a 95th-minute equalizer that left them sitting 18th in the standings. Fortunately for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, West Ham United failed to take advantage on Monday. A 0–0 draw against Crystal Palace was enough to demote Wolves but it did little to ease West Ham’s relegation fears.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s Hammers are two points clear with five games to play, while even Nottingham Forest’s five-point cushion is not secure at this late stage of the season.

With five fixtures remaining, the Opta supercomputer offers a stark view of the bottom five. Wolves and Burnley are assigned a 100.00% chance of relegation. Tottenham occupy 18th on 31 points and are given a 58.33% likelihood of dropping, with an expected points total of 36.88. West Ham sit on 33 points with an expected 38.54 and a 36.90% relegation chance. Nottingham Forest sit 16th on 36 points, expected to reach 42.00 and shown a 4.38% chance of relegation.

Burnley face an unenviable test against title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday. Scott Parker’s side must avoid defeat to postpone their relegation. A loss would guarantee a spot in the Championship next season and even an unlikely draw would effectively seal it, given Burnley’s poor goal difference.

Spurs currently sit two points behind West Ham and are not predicted to close that gap over their remaining fixtures. A trip to bottom side Wolves next weekend offers Spurs a clear chance to boost morale, and a meeting with 15th-placed Leeds United looks winnable. Tricky games against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Everton remain potential pitfalls.

West Ham’s remaining schedule runs through Everton, Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle United, before a final-day meeting with Leeds. Their form — two wins and a pair of draws from their last five games — is the principal factor keeping survival realistic; a similar return over the final five matches would likely secure safety.