To parrot the Alec Guinness line from Star Wars, ‘This is not the season you are looking for’, as Tottenham descend further under a coach who is a specialist in relegation scraps. The future for this club appears to hinge, as it did last season, on clubs beneath us performing to even lower levels in the division.

Now it emerges that via SportsBoom, one of Tottenham’s best players has swerved the opportunity to extend his time in N17.

In summary, his time at Spurs has been good on a personal level; he’s developed into a top-tier talent with moments of brilliance, but not great due to injuries, team instability, and the current crisis. If the club stabilises, or he moves to a better situation, his Spurs stint will likely be remembered fondly for his raw quality rather than sustained success.

Micky van de Ven celebrates after scoring Tottenham’s first goal during the 2025 UEFA Super Cup final football match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG) at the Friuli stadium, in Udine, on August 13, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Recent reports criticise him for “shrinking” under pressure—especially when captaining in Cristian...