However, the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi at the helm and the club splashing out £237million on new signings this summer, with more to come, has given a timely boost to their hopes of keeping Van de Ven and others for the long term.
Stood in front of the Sydney Opera House on Spurs' summer tour for the launch of the 2026 Sydney Super Cup, the defender reflected on the eye-catching arrivals of £100million Sandro Tonali and £85million Mateus Fernandes as well as his £52million international team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke among the six new recruits so far. "Some really good signings for us. Unbelievable players that can bring a lot to our team," he said.
After last season's 17th-place finish, with Premier League safety only secured by two points on an agonising final day, the Netherlands international is insistent that the players will ensure the club and its fans do not have to suffer through another campaign like that. "It's something we are going to work really hard on, making some differences because last season was a bit unacceptable from our side," he said.
"It's going to be different compared to the manager we had last season," Van de Ven said. "It's going to be more with the ball, I think, more about playing football. I think it's also going to be more enjoyable for people to watch because we'll be playing offensive football. "You can see he [De Zerbi] has brought a lot of passion into our group, a lot in terms of mentality and passion on the pitch. "It is something we needed because everybody was a little bit down. "He brings a lot of good energy and, from pre-season, we have really had the time to bring his football into the team. That's really enjoyable."