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Unbeaten in their last three matches now under Michael Beale, Sunderland will hope they can keep this positive sequence of results going to finally start consolidating a playoff spot in the Championship.

Boosted by fellow playoff aspirers Hull City slipping up yesterday, Beale's Black Cats confidently dispatched of Plymouth Argyle in resounding fashion – a flurry of second-half goals seeing the Wearside outfit eventually stroll home to a 3-1 victory, jumping up to sixth spot in the process.

The rejuvenated promotion candidates were in further good spirits owing to a fantastic display from the defence with Daniel Ballard standing out, the ex-Arsenal youth product showing to the Sunderland masses what a shrewd purchase he has been by constantly starring in the second tier.

The signing of Daniel Ballard

Joining for an undisclosed fee back in 2022, with the reported fee coming in at around £2m, Ballard has never looked back since leaving the Emirates Stadium behind for pastures new in Wearside.

Routinely loaned out to the EFL whilst still attempting to make it at Arsenal – with a loan switch to League One Blackpool even seeing Ballard score twice from the heart of defence – the 24-year-old has now found a new home to call his own in Sunderland after leaving his boyhood Gunners behind.

The decision to bring Ballard in has proven to be a fantastic one, with the 6 foot 2 defender now a cemented first-teamer at the Stadium of Light when he's not bandaged up on the sidelines with an injury.

Showing signs of his quality under Tony Mowbray's management, Ballard will hope he can continue being as integral under Beale in the months to come as the Black Cats begin to eye up promotion.

Sunderland could well have to stand strong if other suitors attempt to swoop in and steal the towering number five in the near future though, with the 24-year-old's transfer value skyrocketing off the back of impressing in the Championship.

Daniel Ballard's transfer value in 2024

There will be an obvious temptation from the powers that be at Sunderland that they could cash in on Ballard and make a healthy profit however, with the imposing defender's transfer value now standing at €5.3m (£4.5m), as per Football Transfers.

Yet, if Sunderland want to continue being successful and reaching new heights, they will have to keep a strong grip on their excellent centre-back.

This season, Ballard has showcased his knack for scoring goals that he displayed out on loan with his permanent employers – netting three goals from 31 appearances.

Ballard also shines when it comes to doing his defensive basics well, winning 5.6 duels on average this season per 90 minutes on top of being able to confidently play out from the back with a 90% pass accuracy average.

The 24-year-old's doggedness and calmness shone in the Pilgrims win on Saturday, winning 100% of his aerial duels whilst also amassing 82 touches as a smooth operator in the back four.

Described as "stunning" by football journalist Josh Bunting earlier in the campaign, Ballard will continue to be crucial for Beale and Co as the games become even tenser towards the tail-end of the season.

With the likes of Jack Clarke and Pierre Ekwah touted for big moves away in the transfer window, Sunderland will keep everything crossed that clubs don't suddenly attempt to swarm Wearside to try and tempt their £15k-per-week star away soon.

أشاد اللاعب المصري السابق ومحلل شبكة “beIN SPORTS”، محمد أبو تريكة، بـ لاعبي تشيلسي ومدربه إنزو ماريسكا وذلك عقب الفوز على وست هام.

وفاز تشيلسي على نظيره وست هام يونايتد بنتيجة 3/0، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب “لندن الأولمبي”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | تشيلسي يتخطى وست هام بثلاثية في الدوري الإنجليزي

وقال محمد أبوتريكة خلال الأستوديو التحليلي لشبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”: “تشيلسي لم يقدم شيئاً عندما صرف مليار جنيه في سوق الانتقالات لكنه يقدم مستوى جيدًا عندما دفع ربع هذا المبلغ”.

وتابع: “تشيلسي الحالي يمتلك دكة بدلاء أقوى بتواجد نيتو وجواو فيليكس، البداية الحالية للفريق هي بداية مقنعة”.

وأشار: “أنا ضد رحيل ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو لأنه أنهى الموسم الماضي في المركز السادس وقدم نتائج جيدة في المباريات الأخيرة”.

وواصل: “تشيلسي تحسن كثيرًا من ناحية التنظيم، واللعب بدون كرة وماريسكا يلعب بأسلوب مختلف عن كل مباراة”.

وأكد: “يجب الاعتماد مستقبلاً على جواو فيليكس وبيدرو نيتو، لأنهما لاعبان كبار وقادران على تطوير هجوم الفريق، بالرغم من تسجيل جاكسون لـ ثنائية اليوم”.

واختتم: “تشيلسي قدم مباراة جيدة اليوم، من حيث استرجاع الكرة، وطريقة تنفيذ الهجمات المرتدة كانت جيدة، وتشيلسي يسير في الطريق الصحيح”. حديث أبو تريكة عن تشيلسي ومدربه وتطور أداء الفريق

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo tem dois objetivos principais na partida diante da Inter de Limeira, às 17h, no estádio Major Levy Sobrinho, em Limeira, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Paulista. O primeiro é não levar gols pela primeira vez em 2021.

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Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2021 clicando aqui

Contando as partidas, já são 12 seguidas em que Volpi precisa buscar a bola no fundo das redes. A última vez em que o São Paulo saiu ileso foi no empate por 0 a 0 contra o Grêmio, dia 30 de dezembro, pelas semifinais da Copa do Brasil. Bruno Alves, Arboleda e Diego Costa devem formar o trio defensivo.

GALERIA
Começou o Paulistão: relembre as campanhas do São Paulo no estadual neste século

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Em 2021, o São Paulo tomou 20 gols em 12 partidas, equivalente a uma média de 1,66 por jogo. No entanto, o Tricolor busca soluções para melhorar o desempenho defensivo, principalmente no começo da ‘Era Crespo’. Diante do Bota-SP, a equipe jogou com três zagueiros, mesma formação na vitória sobre o Flamengo, por 2 a 1, na última rodada do Brasileirão.

Crespo falou sobre o assunto na coletiva após o empate contra o Pantera e falou sobre a adaptação dos defensores.

– Hoje optamos por três zagueiros, mas também podemos jogar com uma linha de quatro, porque nem todas as partidas e adversários são iguais. Para jogar com uma linha de quatro ou com três zagueiros é necessário tempo e trabalho. Vamos tentar nos adaptar às necessidades da partida, mas o que não vai mudar é a ideia, a proposta de sermos protagonistas – afirmou.

Primeira vitória de Crespo
É bem verdade que o novo treinador teve somente uma partida no comando do São Paulo – empate por 1 a 1 contra o Botafogo-SP. Porém, uma vitória diante da Inter de Limeira pode trazer mais tranquilidade ao trabalho do treinador.

O São Paulo está com novidades na rotina de treinamentos. Com a chegada da comissão técnica, o elenco vem realizando atividades em dias de jogos como mandante.

Foi assim contra o Botafogo-SP, no último domingo e será repetido no sábado, quando a equipe treina na parte da manhã e joga diante do Santos, no Morumbi, às 19h, pela terceira rodada do Paulistão. A ideia da comissão técnica do Tricolor é dar mais consistência ao novo estilo de jogo e facilitar o entendimento das ideias para um bom aproveitamento em campo.

Pep Guardiola heaped praise on Erik ten Hag as he urged Manchester United to take a call on the Dutch manager's future.

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Guardiola praised Ten Hag Man Utd beat Man City to win FA Cup finalDutch manager's future remains uncertain WHAT HAPPENED?

Erik ten Hag won his second trophy as United manager as his side beat rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were on target for the Red Devils while Jeremy Doku scored the consolation goal for the newly crowned Premier League champions.

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After losing the final, City boss Pep Guardiola lavished praise on his Red Devils counterpart as he described the Dutchman as an 'extraordinary manager.' He also urged the club to decide on Ten Hag's future, which continues to remain uncertain.

WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to reporters after the game, Guardiola said, "They have to take a decision. He's a lovely person and an extraordinary manager. Winning the FA Cup is important for them like last season it was for us."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Despite guiding them to FA Cup glory, the club might consider parting ways with the former Ajax head coach as they have reportedly identified Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna as the 54-year-old's successor.

David Raya is now certain to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove after Luton’s Elijah Adebayo scored against nearest rival Jordan Pickford.

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Pickford failed to keep clean sheet versus LutonRaya's move still not made permanentCech the last Arsenal player to win awardWHAT HAPPENED?

Raya has kept 14 clean sheets in 29 league appearances for Arsenal this season, conceding only 23 goals. Everton’s Pickford, his nearest rival, had to prevent Luton from scoring at Kenilworth Road in order to stand a chance of winning the award outright, as the England No.1 boasted a record of 12 clean sheets with three games remaining prior to kick-off. But he could not prevent Adebayo cancelling out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s opener, meaning Raya has officially won the award for the most clean sheets in 2023/24.

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Mikel Arteta’s gamble to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Raya after bringing in the Spaniard on loan from Brentford last summer has certainly paid off. While the 28-year-old stopper has made a few mistakes, including for Cristian Romero’s goal in last weekend’s 3-2 win over Tottenham, he has proven his worth in all areas and looks certain to have his move to the Emirates made permanent.

DID YOU KNOW?

Raya is the first Arsenal player to win the Golden Glove since Petr Cech way back in 2015-16. That season, the Czech custodian kept 16 clean sheets as the Gunners finished second in the table behind Leicester.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RAYA AND ARSENAL?

Winning an individual award is always nice, but Raya will be fully focused on Arsenal’s assignment against Bournemouth tomorrow. Victory in the early kick-off will keep the pressure on Manchester City in the title race – and another clean sheet will ensure that Pickford cannot even equal his total.

Given the size of India’s global fan base, Kohli said that Test cricket would be popular for a long time if India prioritised it

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2019India captain Virat Kohli has said that Test cricket will stay relevant for a long time if India prioritises it. Speaking to about his long-term plans as captain, Kohli said his vision for the team was domination in Test cricket, and, given the size of India’s fan base across the globe, that would give Test cricket the status it deserves.”I wouldn’t say goal, but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come. I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world,” Kohli said. “If we focus too much on shorter formats … yes, they’re important, but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there’ll start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up.”As long as you’re willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work, if you’re willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team, I think that is what people should prepare [for]. And that will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow. I hope that continues and I will try my level best for as long as I can to keep that culture going.”Kohli became the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia earlier this month, a feat that followed spirited performances in South Africa and England in 2018 that nonetheless ended in series losses. Kohli said that as a captain, he has continued to evolve ever since he was handed the leadership duties for the first time during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia. He said captaincy was both challenging and stressful, despite his phenomenal success as a batsman. He acknowledged the advice given to him by India head coach Ravi Shastri last year, during a conversation which he said changed his mindset about leading in Tests.ALSO READ: ‘Tonight was an MS classic’ – Kohli”Ever since 2014, I think he’s [Shastri] one person who’s given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered. I remember we sat down. I’d scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I’m not going to discuss anything with you now because you’ve done something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of. But as a captain, we need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there’s so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think.”Just to be able to get feedback from a person who makes you feel like the small contributions are much bigger in the in the scheme of things than you going out there and scoring runs yourself [was useful]. It’s [about] how you speak to the players, how you motivate the team. How you take decisions in crunch situations, how you’re aware where the game is heading.”The Kohli-Shastri relationship has been under scrutiny a fair bit, particularly because of the circumstances that led to former coach Anil Kumble’s resignation in 2017. Kumble’s exit had followed months of public discussion around his leadership style, which was said to be “intimidating” to the players. Shastri’s appointment as coach was thus viewed by many as the entry of a yes-man, a claim Kohli denied as recently as before the Australia tour. Kohli reiterated his admiration for Shastri, praising, in particular, Shastri’s openness, and stated that he was “the most amazing support” this team could have.”He’s one person, because he’s done so much commentary, and he’s seen the game so much and has played so much himself – just watching the game – he knows where the game is heading,” Kohli said. “So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He’s someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode. And I think that was the most important thing and he’s been the most amazing support for the team and someone who’s backed the team through and through.”I think he’s struck the perfect balance for this team. And he’s the one person who was there when we were No. 7 [in the rankings] in 2014. He was there and you know the transition started under him. And we started feeding off that mindset and started bringing that in, which I could eventually go out there and boost more [on the field]. But I think it was his vision for us to be fearless and play a certain kind of cricket, which I think he deserves a lot of credit for.”

Australia’s opening batsman Aaron Finch has rarely felt more pain on the cricket field than in the moments after his battered right index finger was jammed by Mohammed Shami in Perth, to the point that it felt like the digit was “going to explode” from a blow that left bone visible from a deep cut.However, Finch is adamant he will be fit to play on Boxing Day for his first Test in front of an MCG home crowd, for what looms as the pivotal match of the entire Border-Gavaskar series.Given the captain Tim Paine’s lengthy history of breaks, surgeries and problems with his right index finger, Finch’s own saga of finger troubles seems minor, but is typical of the many issues that batsmen tend to have to manage over the course of summers and careers. He first broke it in Sri Lanka in 2016, and this summer had it twice struck by Mitchell Starc in the nets in Perth and Adelaide before Shami dealt the most painful blow during the second Test, forcing Finch to retire hurt.”It was a bit of a shock, just the initial pain was the thing that got me. It felt like it was going to explode, which was quite funny,” Finch said in Melbourne. “I think just being hit a few times in the last month, a couple times by Starcy at training then Shami out in the game, but it’s also an old break.”I broke the same finger in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, so I’ve got to start either catching them or use my bat instead of my gloves. It was up there [as the most painful]. I think snapping my hamstring tendon [in April 2015] was probably the most over the last few years.”For all of Finch’s considerable discomfort and the disruption to Australia’s batting order, he was able to feel considerable improvement even within the Perth Test, though he did not really get much opportunity to assess his own batting after falling first ball, glancing down the leg side into Rishabh Pant’s gloves, when he resumed his second innings.”Even batting in the warm-up before the second innings in Perth I still felt pretty good. Catching might be a bit of a different issue, at training I always tape my finger up anyway, but this’ll just be a bit of extra padding,” Finch said. “With a Boxing Day Test and being from Victoria it’s going to have to be cut off I think.”I’m going to catch in slips at training and do my normal preparation. If anything changes in the next couple days I’m sure we’ll have to sit down and chat about that, but at this stage it’s still business as usual and I plan to field at slip and whatever else is needed. It feels like it’s improved 100% over the last couple of days.”Asked whether Paine had any advice in the area of managing a problematic finger, Finch remarked admiringly of the captain’s ability to withstand obvious discomfort. “He’s got about 15 screws and a couple metal plates in his so a little bit different, he’s carried that for a lot longer than what I have,” Finch said. “He’s got a high pain threshold.”At the end of a year in which he has gone from being a white ball-only cricketer for Australia to now having a critical role in the Test team and a vastly expanded international workload, Finch was happy to have spent several days at home after Perth – even if he and his wife Amy used the rare time in Melbourne to move house.”I do feel refreshed, but at the same time I had to move house during that period so my wife had to do a bit of extra heavy lifting which is unfortunate for her, but it’s just great to be home,” Finch said. “Whether going for a coffee at the local cafe or going out for breakfast or lunch or whatever it is, just a bit of familiarity with being home is always nice.”Nevertheless, Finch did find time to grip a cricket bat in between national team duties, giving him some sense of how the finger may feel on Boxing Day. “I got sent some new bats,” he said, “so I’ve been walking around the loungeroom waving them around and it feels okay.”

Alisha Lehmann reached a significant milestone for Switzerland as she appeared in her 50th international match against Azerbaijan.

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• Lehmann reached a milestone in international football
• Luiz shared a supportive message for his girlfriend
• Switzerland beat Azerbaijan 4-0 in Euro qualifiers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa women's star appeared in her 50th international match for Switzerland on Tuesday as her team picked up a comfortable 4-0 win over Azerbaijan in a Euro 2025 qualifying game.

  @swissnatiwomen/IG

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• WHAT DOUGLAS SAID

  Lehmann's fellow Aston Villa player and boyfriend Douglas Luiz marked her special occasion with a touching supportive message as the Brazilian uploaded a photo of his partner on his Instagram story and wrote, "Let's go my love".

  Douglas Luiz Instagram

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Swiss women's national team had a fruitful campaign during the April international break as they registered back-to-back wins over Turkey and Azerbaijan in the Euro qualifiers. Switzerland are taking part in the Euro 2025 qualifying process despite already being guaranteed a place at the tournament as hosts.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ALISHA LEHMANN?

  The 25-year-old will be back in action for her club on April 17 as The Villans take on Chelsea in an important Women's Super League fixture.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo terá um “reforço” especial na luta pela vaga na elite do futebol feminino. O clube de General Severiano jogará a partida de ida das quartas de final do Campeonato Brasileiro Série A2, contra o Ceará, no Estádio Nilton Santos, no dia 13 de dezembro às 16h. O duelo terá transmissão da “Band”.

A partida da volta será disputada uma semana depois em Fortaleza. Como as quatro equipes semifinalistas se garantem na primeira divisão do Brasileirão da próxima temporada, o time que se classificar neste confronto estará automaticamente na elite do futebol brasileiro.

O CEFAT, em Niterói, foi o lar do time feminino do Botafogo durante o Campeonato Brasileiro até aqui. Pela mudança de datas, a equipe comandada por Gláucio Carvalho, contudo, jogará no palco principal do Alvinegro.

Será a primeira vez na história que o time feminino do Botafogo disputará uma partida oficial no Estádio Nilton Santos. Antes, o Alvinegro eliminou o Foz Cataratas no Campeonato Brasileiro Série A-2.

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Tottenham Hotspur's resurgence under Ange Postecoglou has been nothing short of emphatic, and despite defeat against Chelsea last time out, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic down the N17.

The Premier League was not a happy place for Spurs last season, who collapsed under erstwhile manager Antonio Conte and languished to an eighth-placed finish, resulting in his dismissal in March – the fourth in as many years at the club – and convinced Harry Kane to leave for pastures new.

The club's record scorer joined Bayern Munich in August in what felt like a hammer blow right at the maiden stage of Postecoglou's reign, before the framework had even been drilled in, but any trepidation was dispelled as Spurs swiftly asserted themselves in the early stages of the season.

Indeed, after drawing away to Brentford in the opener, Postecoglou claimed his first victory with a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester United, starting a four-match winning streak that was halted during an impressive draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

At present, Tottenham are perched in second place in the table, boasting 26 points from 11 matches and just one point behind imperious table-topper Manchester City, despite the recent defeat to the Blues.

Postecoglou will be delighted with the progress on the pitch but understands the importance of bolstering the squad and strengthening ahead of the dreaded business end.

It's understood that the defence will receive priority in January; this was the decision before £43m summer signing Micky van de Ven sustained a hamstring injury against the Blues, but now the requirement for backline reinforcements is only intensified.

Tottenham transfer targets – Lloyd Kelly

According to the Evening Standard, Van de Ven's injury has reignited Spurs' interest in Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly, with the London club likely to throw the kitchen sink at sealing the deal.

However, Italian publication Tuttosport have recently revealed that Arsenal are actually leading the race for the 25-year-old at present, having taken an interest following AC Milan and Juventus' earmarking of the player.

Spurs had been pursuing Kelly last summer and had presented Bournemouth with a £20m offer, and though Kelly opted to stay, Postecoglou has not given up on his pursuit.

Kelly's contract at the Vitality Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season and there is no indication that the Englishman will renew terms, but Tottenham would be wise to bypass the competition and secure his services in January on a cut-price deal.

Lloyd Kelly's style of play

Once described as a "Rolls-Royce" of a defender by Jonathan Woodgate, Kelly has been an excellent signing on the south coast since joining from Bristol City in a £13m deal in 2019.

Having completed 124 games with Bournemouth, the £30k-per-week titan has been among the most important players at the club and played a key role in guiding the Cherries back to the Premier League following relegation and cementing a spot back in the top flight last season.

On top of his ball-playing skill, Kelly is a robust and energetic member of the backline, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances and the top 15% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.

Predicted to become a "top, top player" by Eddie Howe, Kelly has the makings of a modern-day complete defender – he's comfortable in possession, elegant on the ball and staggering in his technique.

Kelly is left-footed too, which makes him the perfect player to fill in for Van de Ven in defence, while also providing cover for left-back Destiny Udogie when need be.

His time on the south coast has been vital in sculpting him into the kind of player worthy of attention from thriving outfits like Arsenal and Tottenham, but the timing feels apt for transfer, and by joining the Spurs fold he could emulate the career path of former teammate Nathan Ake somewhat, who now razes opponents with Manchester City.

How Lloyd Kelly compares to Nathan Ake

Kelly is clearly an impressive distributor of the ball, and because of this Tottenham could get their hands on the next version of Ake, who really cemented himself as an impressive Premier League player at Bournemouth.

Ake joined Manchester City from the Cherries for £41m in 2020, and while he initially struggled to establish form and fitness at the Etihad Stadium, playing just 13 times in his debut campaign, he is now an integral member of the squad and has chalked up 96 appearances, scoring nine goals and winning a wealth of silverware including three Premier League titles and the treble last year.

Hailed for his "exceptional" qualities by Pep Guardiola, Ake's transfer could be used as the blueprint to bring Kelly to London, with the startling similarities between the pair likely something that Postecoglou should take advantage of, given Ake's trajectory since leaving the Cherries.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Ball retention

Crossing

Passing

Discipline

*Sourced via WhoScored

As per FBref, the £160k-per-week star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 4% for passes attempted and the top 9% for aerial wins per 90.

Evidently, he's a pretty decent passer, and given that he rotates in flux from central defence and out wide, Kelly could look to emulate his performances under Postecoglou's wing, who implements a similarly fluid, interchanging attacking system to Guardiola.

While Kelly might have been dissuaded from joining Tottenham in the summer – perhaps due to a lack of assurances regarding the regularity of his appearances from the outset – there is no question that Postecoglou's side now present a compelling offer.

With dynamism and passing aptitude on his side, the Bournemouth star could dazzle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, playing an important role in both central and wide defence and deepening the club's backline.

He should take inspiration from his former teammate Ake and join a Premier League club competing at the forefront of the table, emulating the Dutchman and working his way up to be an instrumental member.