PL side’s indecision set to hand United massive boost in pursuit of Dutch speedster – Ben Jacobs

Manchester United have Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro as centre-back options. Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw can also slot into central defence if called upon, and Mazraoui was brilliant there last weekend. However, despite all these options, a centre-back signing remains firmly on the agenda this summer. Injury struggles among the more experienced defenders, combined with Yoro and Heaven not quite being ready yet, have left INEOS keen to add another seasoned centre-back to the squad. Micky van de Ven eyed A report relayed by The Peoples Person today, scrutinising the 20-time English champions’ situation and summer plans, has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven is the centre-back INEOS could be targeting. However, two obstacles have quickly emerged in the pursuit of the Dutchman. First, his move is only possible if Spurs are relegated. The North Londoners are very much at risk of dropping into the Championship. They will need to be at their absolute best to survive. But even if they were to go down, United would still have Liverpool to worry about in the race for the Premier League speedster. Ben Jacobs is claiming that if the defender were to choose between United and Liverpool, he would unquestionably pick the Reds. The transfer guru says: “If Liverpool entered the race for Micky van de Ven, the player would unquestionably choose them over Man United.”* The fact that the Premier League insider says “if Liverpool enter the race” strongly suggests the Arne Slot side are not keen. Indeed, there were reports last month that they had cooled their interest. Add to that the development of Ibrahim Konaté closing in on a new deal, alongside Jeremy Jacquet’s expected summer arrival, and Liverpool may feel no need to add another centre-back at all. With the Merseysiders seemingly out of the picture, it is now firmly up to United to capitalise on Tottenham’s misfortune, should relegation become a reality. Van de Ven’s Premier League experience, elite recovery pace, composure under pressure and quality in possession should certainly strengthen the Red Devils’ backline if they can get the deal done. Featured image George Wood via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Daniel Onguko Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.