CLUB STANCE: TOTTENHAM HIERARCHY DECLARES MICKY VAN DE VEN "NOT FOR SALE" AMID CONTRACT NEWS
Tottenham is accelerating contract talks with Micky van de Ven to make him a top earner and ward off interest from Real Madrid.
Tottenham is getting closer to locking down Micky van de Ven for the long haul. Big people at the club are pushing forward talks about a new contract. It's meant to show how important he is to what they're building in North London.
People are saying Spurs are ready to bump up his pay quite a bit. They want to hold onto one of their best players. Other teams are starting to sniff around, and Tottenham thinks Van de Ven could be a main guy in the team's future.
He's already signed up until 2029, so Tottenham doesn't have to do this right now. But the team wants to talk about his contract way before it ends. That shows how much they like him and how crucial he's become since he got here in 2023.
Tottenham isn't panicking. They're planning ahead with Van de Ven. The club sees the center-back as super important to what they want to do, especially as the team changes under Thomas Frank.
Tottenham and Van de Ven's people started talking earlier this year, and it's been going well. Now, things should speed up. They're figuring out a deal that would make the defender one of the highest-paid players there.
Right now, Van de Ven makes less than Tottenham's top earners, and the club wants to fix that. The new deal would raise his pay a lot, matching what he does as a starter and leader in the locker room.
Tottenham wants to avoid situations where key players are close to the end of their contracts without knowing what's next. With Van de Ven, Spurs want to get rid of any doubt early on.
People at Tottenham think Van de Ven is more than just a really good defender. Coaches are impressed with how he looks, how consistent he is, and how calm he is when things get tough. Plus, he's a pro off the field, which has made him even more respected in the team.
More and more, Tottenham thinks Van de Ven could become captain someday or at least be a big part of the leadership. That's a big reason why the club wants to give him a better contract.
It's worth noting that other big teams in Europe have been watching him. But Tottenham has made it clear they don't want to sell him.
The club's message is simple: Van de Ven is not for sale, and this new deal is meant to make that crystal clear.
For Tottenham, keeping Van de Ven happy is about more than just rewarding him. It's also a way to protect themselves. Good, athletic center-backs are getting harder to find and more expensive.
The club knows it would be bad if a player like him got close to the end of his contract. That would bring a lot of unwanted attention and make it harder for them to negotiate. By acting now, Spurs stay in charge and make the team more stable.
This is like what they've done with other important players recently. Tottenham is focusing on keeping things consistent and clear instead of reacting to problems later. It also tells everyone in the locker room that good work and getting better will be rewarded.
Even though talks are still going on, everyone's feeling good that they can reach an easy agreement. Van de Ven likes living in London, likes being at Tottenham, and seems open to staying longer if he gets paid more.
For Tottenham, finishing this new deal would be a big win. It would make sure one of the best defenders in the Premier League stays right where they want him during a time when the team is changing a lot.
If things go as planned, this deal will show even more that Tottenham wants to build around a group of players who can always compete at the highest level. Van de Ven is definitely one of those guys.
VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE
Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.
Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.
This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.
What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.
VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."
VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.
At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.
Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.
The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.
Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.
A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.
Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: Craig Pawson
What: VAR check for a foul in the box
When: 11th minute
BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW
Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.
Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.
This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.
Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.
Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.
Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.
After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.
It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.
“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.
“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”
About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.
“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.
“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.
“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.