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Van de Ven named captain
Tottenham Hotspur appointed Micky van de Ven as the club’s new captain, with the 25-year-old taking responsibility for the captain’s armband after Cristian Romero left Tottenham for Atlético Madrid earlier this month.
“"The new captain is Van de Ven"”
OSEN reported that manager Roberto De Zerbi said, "The new captain is Van de Ven," and that the leadership group also includes Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray.
Tottenham’s first Premier League test under the new captain is set for the 2026-2027 opening match against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in London, England, at 1:30 a.m. on the 23rd.
The Tottenham Hotspur announcement said van de Ven is "first captain of five named by Roberto De Zerbi on Friday," and it also stated he signed a new, long-term deal this summer.
The club’s note added that van de Ven has "up to 96 appearances in all competitions for us" and that he took his tally of caps for the Netherlands to 24 at the World Cup.
De Zerbi’s system and absences
Sky Sports framed the appointment as part of Roberto De Zerbi’s approach, arguing that Jan Paul van Hecke is the "central defender" who can help unlock De Zerbi’s style of play in his first full season at Spurs.
In the same Sky Sports report, Anatoliy Trubin said, "He opened a new way of playing," describing how De Zerbi’s coaching required players to unlearn what they had learned before.
The London Evening Standard said De Zerbi’s tactics are intricate and that he needs to relate to his players on a tactical level as he tries to implement his style and personality.
That preview also said Spurs will be without the newly announced captain Micky van de Ven and his second in command, Pedro Porro, against Brentford, and it quoted De Zerbi saying, "He suffered a problem during the pre-season (tour) of Australia."
It further reported that Porro has only recently returned to training after lifting the World Cup with Spain over the summer, while Pape Matar Sarr misses out with a small hamstring problem.
Spending, targets, and pressure
ESPN reported that De Zerbi defended Tottenham’s summer spending spree and said Spurs are ready to set "big ambitions" for their new-look team after only a final-day victory over Everton in May ensured Premier League survival.
“"If you want to compete in the Premier League now, you have to adapt."”
France 24 (AFP) said Tottenham’s spending has taken them beyond the £300 million mark in the close-season, with £100 million paid for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes costing £85 million, and it quoted De Zerbi telling reporters on Friday, "If you want to compete in the Premier League now, you have to adapt."
The ESPN piece also said Tottenham’s spending will pass the £300 million ($409m) mark when Savinho joins from Manchester City, while it noted ESPN reported Spurs agreed on a deal worth up to £85 million ($116m) to sign Savinho.
In the Tottenham captain announcement, De Zerbi’s leadership plan was tied directly to roles on the pitch, with the club stating, "I want as many captains as possible to clarify each role," and it listed Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray alongside van de Ven.
Looking ahead to the Brentford opener, Flashscore said De Zerbi admitted van de Ven is "not on the list tomorrow" and that the other crucial defender missing is Pedro Porro, while it quoted De Zerbi on transfer talk: "It's not right to speak about players until they are official."