United must seize Van de Ven chance, warns Sherwood, as Liverpool circle £100m Spurs defender

Tim Sherwood has sounded an alarm bell at Old Trafford, urging Manchester United to make their move for Tottenham's Micky van de Ven rather than watch another top target walk through the door elsewhere.

The Dutch centre-back has emerged as a prime target for Liverpool, who view him as a potential long-term successor to countryman Virgil van Dijk. The Merseysiders have already brought in French defender Jeremy Jacquet for £60m—a deal that will be completed at the end of the season—but with Ibrahima Konate's contract expiring next summer, Arne Slot's side are casting their net wider for reinforcements.

Since arriving at Spurs in 2023 for £35m, van de Ven has established himself as a cornerstone of the north London outfit's defence. Tottenham have made their stance crystal clear by slapping a £100m price tag on the 25-year-old, whose deal runs through to 2029.

Yet Sherwood believes the Red Devils cannot afford to sit idle. The former Spurs manager has pointed to United's previous missteps in the transfer market—specifically the departures of Declan Rice to Arsenal and Harry Kane to Bayern Munich—as cautionary tales.

"If he proves his fitness, I think there will be a queue around the block for him," Sherwood told CasinoStugan. "Hopefully Tottenham can keep hold of him but you know what it's like when a player decides he wants to leave. Unfortunately, if you don't let him go, you're left without the money and the player in the end."

The pundit acknowledged that Spurs' current predicament—languishing 14th in the Premier League and knocked out of both domestic cup competitions—hardly presents an enticing proposition, even with their impressive Champions League campaign providing some silverware hope.

"United are a club that can go from where they have been to the top quicker than most because they've got the brand power, the money to do it. They can pay the big wages for the big players," Sherwood added.

"They missed the boat before. They could have signed Declan Rice and Harry Kane. Instead, they ended up with seven or eight signings who were alright but mostly very poor. They won't want to miss the boat this time on Van de Ven. He will certainly be at the top of a lot of lists at any number of clubs and Tottenham will have to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of him."

Spurs manager Thomas Frank has previously insisted van de Ven remains integral to the club's plans. "He's very important for us, so Micky's a Tottenham player now and for the future," Frank said last month. "He's having potentially his best season so far. He's fit, he's strong, good defensively, he's growing as a leader, scoring goals as well, and he's a very important player for us this season and for the future."

Whether such assurances prove sufficient to fend off the advances of England's heavyweight clubs remains to be seen.