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De Zerbi Names Van de Ven Tottenham Captain

8/21/2026

36 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Roberto De Zerbi appointed Micky van de Ven as Tottenham captain after Cristian Romero transferred to Atlético Madrid.
He also created a five-player leadership group with Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray.
Van de Ven and Porro will miss Tottenham's opening Premier League match at Brentford on Saturday.
Tottenham broke its transfer record twice, paying £185 million for midfielders Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.

History

Historical Context

The £80 million fee that Manchester United received for Cristiano Ronaldo in summer 2009 set a new world-record, eclipsing Real Madrid’s previous £56 million purchase of Kaká. This followed a century-long escalation from the first £100 transfer in 1893 to the £500 k milestone in 1968, illustrating how Premier League clubs now routinely spend hundreds of millions, prompting tighter UEFA Financial Fair Play scrutiny.

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Story summary

Roberto De Zerbi appointed Micky van de Ven as Tottenham captain after Cristian Romero transferred to Atlético Madrid.
He also created a five-player leadership group with Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray.
Van de Ven and Porro will miss Tottenham's opening Premier League match at Brentford on Saturday.
Tottenham broke its transfer record twice, paying £185 million for midfielders Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.

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