Bhuvneshwar was the only player left out from the T20I squad that recently played against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2019Hardik Pandya is back in India’s 15-man T20I squad, that will play three matches against South Africa starting September 15. His addition, in place of fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is the only change India have made to the squad that recently beat West Indies 3-0 away.MS Dhoni missed a second successive T20I series, with reports suggesting he was unavailable for selection, and joining him on the sidelines was Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested from the white-ball leg of the Caribbean tour.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe absence of Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah means India will face South Africa with an inexperienced fast-bowling line-up – Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed have played only 11 T20Is between them. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, the frontline white-ball spinners, have been rested too, but the spin department remains well stocked, led by left-arm-spinning allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya. Offspinner Washington Sundar and legspinner Rahul Chahar are also in the mix.Hardik was rested from the tour of the Caribbean from all three formats after a long season that included tours of Australia and New Zealand followed by the Indian Premier League and the World Cup.Hardik’s workload had been a concern for the team ever since he picked up a stress-fracture injury at the Asia Cup last year and the lower-back stiffness that forced him to miss the ODIs against Australia at home in March.Among the batsmen, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer keep their spots along with KL Rahul. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and the captain Virat Kohli complete the squad.

Ollie Pope finishes the day unbeaten on 176 to send a reminder of his abilities to the England selectors

ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2019

Ollie Pope raises his bat on reaching three figures•Getty Images

A nudge to the England selectors from Ollie Pope, who made a high-class 176 not out, a Scott Borthwick hundred and 90 from Aaron Finch put Surrey in the ascendancy on day three of their Specsavers County Championship Division One clash with Hampshire at the Kia Oval. The day ended with the hosts leading by 123 with five first innings wickets still in hand, and their 490 for 5 has turned the match on its head.Pope, in his first Championship appearance following shoulder surgery in late April, has batted for 350 minutes and faced 292 balls. It was the 21-year-old’s highest score in the County Championship, to add to the career-best 251 he made against the MCC in the Champion County Match in Dubai in March. With a day to go, Pope’s 188-run partnership in 46 overs with Finch was instrumental in swinging the game in Surrey’s favour.Resuming on 109 for 2, Mark Stoneman and Borthwick progressed their third wicket partnership to 93 before Stoneman became Fidel Edwards’ 450th first-class wicket – caught at gully for 63.Borthwick brought up a 99-ball half-century with two consecutive fours off Liam Dawson – the first through midwicket and the second nudged past slip – while Pope, who announced himself by drilling Edwards through backward point for four, rotated the strike with admirable ease en route to a 106-ball fifty.Prior to the final hour, the only sweep shot of note came when Aneurin Donald, in at short leg, was forced to leave the field after being struck on the helmet by Borthwick.Borthwick’s first Championship hundred since April 2017 came off 186 balls with 11 fours but, just moments later, the former Durham man was brilliantly caught for exactly 100 low down at leg slip by Sam Northeast to make it 265 for 4.Finch set out his stall by driving Edwards first through cover and then straight down the ground for successive boundaries before both he and Pope opted for risk-free accumulation. Pope moved to his seventh first-class hundred, which came off 162 balls, immediately after tea and then a compelling contest between Dawson and Finch ensued – the slow left-armer giving the Australian limited-overs captain nothing he could hit through the off-side.Finch did cut Kyle Abbott for four to post a 70-ball fifty, which he celebrated two overs later by lifting Ian Holland back over his head for the first six of the match.Pope struck just three fours in moving from 100 to his 150, which came off 260 balls with 13 boundaries, while Finch eventually departed for 90, punching Ryan Stevenson to Felix Organ at short-midwicket ten overs from the close. Pope was joined by Ben Foakes and they have so far added an unbroken 37 for the sixth wicket.

England boss Gareth Southgate has fired back at Three Lions' legend Gary Lineker's criticism of his side at Euro 2024.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• England suffer from poor start to Euros
• Lineker fires harsh criticism at Southgate and co.
• Southgate unfazed by the outward criticism

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  England came into the Euros as one of the favourites but have had a rather poor start to their tournament as they barely scraped past Serbia and drew to Denmark. As such, Lineker was harsh with his words when talking about Southgate's men and the manager's tactical vulnerability. Southgate has now addressed Lineker's words.

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• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

  Speaking to the media, Southgate said: "That's the world we're in. I'm oblivious to it, it's not important to me at all. What's important to me is I guide this group of players through the tournament. We're a high-profile team. I'm very comfortable with that life.

  "I don't need to listen to externals because I am my own biggest critic and I think most of the players are as well. That's how you coach a team and improve performance."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Heading into the tournament late into the preparations Southgate made a major tactical change as he decided to start right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in the double pivot alongside Declan Rice and give Kyle Walker the right-back duties. Another change he had to make was due to Luke Shaw, his only left-back, being injured as he had to get right-footed Kieran Trippier to deputise, limiting England's wide options in attack.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Three Lions are still at the top of the table in their group and they will take the field against Slovenia with the goal in mind to win comfortably and reach the knockout stages. However, they will be hoping to find more stability in their play during the clash.

أكد حسام المندوه أمين صندوق الزمالك، على رغبة النادي في استمرار النتائج الجيدة والفوز ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويستعد الزمالك في الفترة الحالية للمشاركة ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري، والتي يفتتحها بمواجهة قوية أمام بيراميدز يوم 20 أكتوبر الجاري.

وقال حسام المندوه في تصريحات صحفية اليوم: “النجاح والإنجاز يأتي بالصمت، وهو ما يتحقق داخل الزمالك، وسنعمل على خروج النادي من كل أزماته وإنهاء الاختناقات، سيكون إنجازا كبيرا لنا”.

وأكمل: “نحن في فترة سعادة بالتتويج بعد الفوز بكأس السوبر الإفريقي رغم تشكيك البعض، ومن قلل من الزمالك لا يعلم من هو الفارس الأبيض (الزمالك نادي جامد)”.

طالع | حسين لبيب: جهودنا تكللت بحصد 3 بطولات.. وهدفنا فوز الزمالك بالسوبر المصري

وتابع: “الزمالك يستطيع استعادة نفسه بأسرع وقت وأكبر دليل المشهد الحالي وسنعمل على حصد بطولة السوبر المصري”.

وأردف: “هناك إنشاءات وتطوير داخل الزمالك، سواء العيادة الطبية بالأمس واليوم المركز الإعلامي”.

واختتم: “الفترة المقبلة ستشهد مزيدا من الافتتاحات لأشياء أخرى داخل الكيان العملاق نادي الزمالك”.

With the January transfer window now closed, Arsenal's attention has already turned to the summer, when they could once again splash the cash on reinforcements. The Gunners have been linked with several names in the last few weeks, but this weekend's Premier League action revealed another clue in the direction that Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are looking.

Arsenal transfer news

Those at The Emirates seemingly have two priorities this summer; replace Thomas Partey and find a consistent goalscorer. Partey could be set to leave Arsenal and has proven to be an unreliable option due to constant injury concerns in the last year or so. Gabriel Jesus' lack of goals – scoring just eight in all competitions so far in the current campaign – has created a need for more clinical options, meanwhile, opening the door for options.

When it comes to a Partey replacement, the names mentioned have mainly been Everton's Amadou Onana and Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. The Gunners were linked with Onana throughout the January window but failed to push on and secure the Belgian's signature. When the summer transfer window arrives, he may well be presented as a potential option once more.

On the striker front, all paths seem to be leading to Ivan Toney. According to a new report from Graeme Bailey for HITC, Arsenal scouts were in attendance to watch Toney against Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as the Midlands club's winger Pedro Neto.

The scouts picked a good day to watch the Englishman, given that he got himself on the scoresheet and was handed an 8/10 rating by The Daily Mail's Tara Anson-Walsh in the Bees' 2-0 victory.

It looks set to be some chase for Toney this summer in a race that Arsenal will hope to win and put an end to their striker woes, in the process.

"Special" Toney could solve Arsenal's problem

If Arsenal are looking for a ruthless goalscorer in front of goal, then a player who was only outscored by Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the Premier League last season is the answer. Toney's 20 goals caught plenty of attention and if there was a worry that he would struggle to get back to his best after a lengthy ban, then his three goals in his first four games back should have eased those concerns.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank knows all about Toney's ability, praising the forward a few weeks ago as he prepared for his return to action against Nottingham Forest. Frank said:

"I'm looking into the eyes of a player that's very committed. He will start tomorrow [against Nottingham Forest] and will captain the side. I'm pretty sure he's ready.

"He's a special character, a fantastic person to be around. The energy he brings, the smile, the positivity, is a massive thing. He drags people – he wants to win. It's a massive boost. It's like a new signing. There's an argument for him being the second-best striker in the league, in my opinion."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo informou que o volante Kayque está com uma lesãolesão significativa no tendão adutor direito. O jogador seria titular do Alvinegro no clássico contra o Fluminense, no último domingo. No entanto, ainda no aquecimento,sentiu um desconforto no músculo adutor da coxa direita e foi cortado da partida. Ele já está em tratamento, mas o clube não divulgou uma data de retorno.

>Botafogo tem semana cheia para trabalhar e garantir classificação na Taça Rio

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O meia Matheus Frizzo segue o protocolo de concussão e nos próximos dois dias fará treinamentos físicos progressivos. O atleta se chocou de cabeça com Janderson na partida contra o ABC, na Copa do Brasil. Na ocasião, o jogo precisou ser paralisado e o camisa 45 foi levado de ambulância para um hospital.

O goleiro Gatito Fernández, por sua vez, teve uma regressão do edema ósseo e treina na academia do clube. Outro desfalque do time titular do Botafogo é o atacante Rafael Navarro, que está com uma lesão no músculo posterior da coxa esquerda e segue em tratamento.

O jovem Romildo, que testou positivo para Covid-19, teve que ficar de fora das partidas contra o Volta Redonda, Fluminense e ABC, mas agora aguarda os resultados de novos exames para saber se pode retornar ao trabalho. Elefoi promovido para o time profissional no fim da temporada passada e disputou quatro partidas, mas ainda não estreou nesta temporada.

CONFIRA A SITUAÇÃO DE TODOS OS JOGADORES DO DEPARTAMENTO MÉDICO

Cavalieri: Recuperado de lesão no calcâneo e entregue à preparação de goleiros.

Gatito: regressão do edema ósseo, em evolução. Treina na academia.

Hugo: recuperado de lesão no músculo anterior da coxa esquerda e entregue à preparação física.

Pedro Castro: recuperado de Subluxação na patela do joelho esquerdo e entregue à preparação física.

Matheus Frizzo: Segue protocolo de concussão. Nos próximos dois dias fará treinamentos físicos progressivos.

Romildo: Fez exames pós-Covid nesta terça-feira(20). Aguarda resultados para retornar aos trabalhos.

Navarro: lesão muscular no músculo posterior da coxa esquerda, em tratamento.

Kayque: lesão significativa no tendão adutor direito, em tratamento.

Tottenham Hotspur have been a real force in the Premier League this season, and while their form has taken a slight hit as of late, they'll undoubtedly be battling it for the Champions League places until the bitter end.

Ange Postecoglou has taken a side that limped to a seventh-place finish last year, lost arguably their greatest-ever player in the summer, and has turned them into one of the most exciting teams in Europe.

That said, with the goals not coming quite as easily since the turn of the year, the Australian might be wishing that Daniel Levy and Co didn't sanction the £750k sale of a player who has been tearing it up in the Championship for the last couple of years, as he could've been a monster under the tutelage of the former Celtic boss.

Jack Clarke's Tottenham transfer

Tottenham signed the dynamic winger Jack Clarke from Leeds United in July 2019 for a fee believed to be around £8.5m before sending him back on loan for the 2019/20 season, although a lack of game time saw him move to Queens Park Rangers in January.

Over the next two seasons, the York-born gem would spend time bouncing between the youth sides at Tottenham and loan moves to Stoke City and Sunderland. Luckily, the latter ended up being quite successful, and he was eventually sold to the Black Cats in July 2022 for a fee that is reported to have been only £750k.

However, the deal also included a considerable sell-on clause of potentially up to 50%, which could prove to be savvy business if the 23-year-old is sold for the price that is being reported.

In all, the 5 foot 11 winger made just four appearances for Spurs' first team, 26 for the youth teams, and a combined 21 between QPR and Stoke when he finally left for the Stadium of Light.

At the time, it just looked like a transfer that didn't work out, and by cutting their losses, the north Londoners did the right thing – oh, how things have changed.

Jack Clarke's valuation at Sunderland

In his first season as an official Sunderland player, Clarke scored a reasonably impressive 11 goals and provided 14 assists in his 50 appearances, which was enough to help the side reach the Championship Play-Off semi-finals in their first season back.

However, this season, the young "diamond", as former manager Tony Mowbray described him, has seriously upped his game and already has 15 goals and four assists to his name in just 35 appearances, which is all the more impressive considering that Sunderland are currently 22 points off the automatic promotion places.

With his consistently impressive performances in the Championship, the 23-year-old has understandably caught the eye of several Premier League clubs in recent months, with The Standard reporting that Burnley saw a £15m bid turned down just last month.

The report revealed it would take an offer of around £20m to secure his exit from the northeast, which would be around £19.25m more than Sunderland paid Tottenham in 2022 – or a 2566% increase.

While Spurs could be set to make up to £10m from any potential deal, which is brilliant from a financial point of view, you can't help but wonder if Clarke would've been better off staying in north London.

With Son producing 11 of his 18 goal involvements as a centre-forward, Timo Werner providing just two assists in six appearances, and Brennan Johnson returning just two goal involvements in seven games on the left, there is every chance the Sunderland ace could've made that position his own this year.

Ultimately, he's not a Tottenham player anymore, and the potential sell-on could be a nice earner for the club.

Related Spurs struck gold with "special" Conte signing who's worth more than Son

The dynamic star has been on fire for the Lilywhites this season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 21, 2024

However, seeing just what Postecoglou could have done with Clarke in the Premier League would have been intriguing indeed.

نجم جديد من الجيل الذهبي لـ برشلونة يعلق حذائه ويعلن اعتزاله كرة القدم، وعندما يتعلق الأمر بهذا الجيل، نجد ليونيل ميسي متأثرًا أكثر من أي وقتٍ مضى.

إنييستا بعد 22 موسمًا، قرر تعليق حذائه أمس الإثنين، بعد مسيرة مع برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي والإمارات الإماراتي، بالإضافة لنجاح مبهر مع المنتخب الإسباني.

طالع أيضًا.. موفي ستار: برشلونة تواصل مع إنريكي لخلافة تشافي قبل هانز فليك

ليونيل ميسي أرسل رسالة عبر “إنستجرام” لزميله السابق في برشلونة، الذي تقاسم معه منصة التتويج بجائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2010، بجانب تشافي هيرنانديز.

وقال ميسي: “الكرة ستفتقدك كثيرًا، واحد من أكثر الزملاء سحرًا ومن أكثر اللاعبين الذين استمتعت باللعب معهم. سنفتقدك جميعًا أندريس، أتمنى لك الأفضل دائمًا أيها الظاهرة”.

ليونيل لعب مع إنييستا خلال الفترة من 2004 وحتى 2018 عندما قرر إنييستا الرحيل، وحققا معًا 32 لقبًا، بما في ذلك 4 بطولات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

David Warner shapes to defend Mitchell Starc, misses, and the plastic stumps in the Headingley nets go flying. All manner of dismissals take place in the nets, real or imagined depending on the fields “set” by the bowler or throw-downer, but few quite so dramatic.The moment rather summed up Warner’s Ashes tour thus far, in which he is yet to reach double figures across four knocks. Married up with his closing three innings in South Africa prior to the Newlands scandal ban, Warner is in the second longest streak without a half century of his career – his worst run was eight innings in New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2016.At Edgbaston and Lord’s, Warner’s rapid exits were somewhat less of an issue for Australia, bolstered as they were by the genius of Steven Smith. But with Smith out of action in Leeds due to concussion, the tourists’ batting stocks have been made to look exceedingly thin. More than ever, Australia need Warner to find something. The captain Tim Paine is hopeful that Warner will do so this week, referring to Smith’s absence as the “poke and prod” the opener needs.”David, I’ve spoken a lot about the fact he averages close to 50 in Test cricket and he’s done that over a long period of time,” Paine said. “I think with Steve missing this game, it might be the little poke and prod Davey needs. He likes that responsibility and my experience with Davey is when people doubt him and his back is against the wall he comes out swinging. I’m expecting the very best David Warner this week.”How Warner finds his best is somewhat complicated by the way he has approached this tour. For so long a combative, aggressive batsman, his stated goal in England this time around was to calm himself, slow his tempo, and find a balanced rhythm at the crease more sustainable over long innings. During the World Cup, the method worked to a reasonable extent, as he peeled off centuries against Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa.But in the semi-final against England he was swiftly beaten by a sharply rising delivery from Chris Woakes, and so far during the Ashes has been found wanting in terms of defensive tightness and decisiveness at the hands of Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer, both pursuing a rigorous line at him from around the wicket. It is a method seldom seen against Warner – Broad has admitted he had previously thought primarily about finding Warner’s edge rather than constraining him by targeting the stumps – but it is proving fiendishly effective.One close observer of Warner has been England’s captain Joe Root, who has marshalled the plans against the left-hander while also mired in his own poor run of batting form. How does Root think a player struggling for runs can find rhythm and confidence again? It starts with honest self-assessment.”You need to be realistic about how you are getting out. And be fair,” Root said. “Sometimes as hard as it might be you have to give credit to the opposition when they’ve bowled some good balls. You don’t want to be over-critical when you don’t need to be. But there are times as well when you got to understand when you got it wrong. And then work it back from there. You don’t become a bad player overnight.”You don’t lose the runs you’ve scored already. And you know you’ve got it in the bank and you’ve proven it before. From my point of view, I have got Ashes hundreds in there in the bank and I know and I know what it takes to win games of cricket. Of course from Dave’s point of view, we’ll be trying to keep him to single figures for as long as possible because he’s a proven performer for Australian cricket.”David Warner’s struggles against Stuart Broad continued•Getty Images

An intriguing returning presence around the Australian side will be Ricky Ponting, who commented during the Lord’s Test that Warner need to be showing more positive intent to score. Certainly, this is the view of Warner’s longtime batting coach and sounding board Trent Woodhill, who has always focused on the 32-year-old’s ability to put bowlers under pressure, leading to fewer deliveries challenging his defence, rather than trying to make him “tighter” or able to bat for longer periods.Most of Warner’s most memorable and impactful innings have been extraordinarily bold in their strokeplay, and it is difficult to see how, given his current struggles in defence, how he will be able to score runs without at least reverting to a more aggressive posture, eyeing off the smallest errors in line or length to pick off. Another window into Warner’s state of mind has been the fact that, at slip, he has struggled to hold catches so far – being a primary offender among the five chances put down at Lord’s. In a vote of faith, Paine reckoned Warner would be staying in the cordon.”I think Davey will probably stay in there, and Marnus – for people who haven’t seen him – he’s probably as good a slipper as there is going around,” he said. “And everywhere else in the field, so he’ll cover Steve with the fast bowling I think at second slip, and then we have Usman Khawaja who did pretty well in Australia last year for Lyno [Nathan Lyon].”So we’ve got a few options there, we’ve got Matthew Wade who’s a wicketkeeper and he can field anywhere. So we’ve got a number of options to go through that spot if we need to. But I expect Davey to go back there, he’s allowed to have a bad day.”That, as much as anything, will be key to Warner finding the runs Australia so dearly need from him at Headingley. Just as he responded to Starc’s stump rattler by calmly picking up the broken wicket and resetting for the next ball, Warner needs to put the Edgbaston and Birmingham dismissals out of his mind and strike a blow when battle is rejoined in Leeds. The incentive, to be a key player in the Test match that sees the Ashes retained by Australia, is enormous.

The January transfer window officially slammed shut last Thursday and Tottenham Hotspur snapped up two new additions to their first-team squad.

Central defender Radu Dragusin was brought in on a permanent deal from Italian side Genoa to compete with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy also moved to sign Germany international Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, and the former Chelsea man has enjoyed a strong start to his career in North London.

Appearances

Three

Goals

Zero

Big chances missed

One

Assists

Two

Big chances created

One

The end of the transfer window did not stop the club from doing more business, though, as 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall was snapped up for a fee of £8.5m earlier this month, and he will link up with his new team at the end of the season.

Latest Spurs transfer news

Tottenham may not be able to make more signings to bolster their squad for the second half of the current campaign but, like they did with the Swedish teenager, they can put work in ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Corriere di Bologna, via Tutto Bologna Web, Spurs are one of many sides 'launching' their interest in Serie A centre-back Riccardo Calafiori as Postecoglou eyes up another new enforcer.

The report claims that Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan, and the Lilywhites are all keeping tabs on the impressive defender, who has caught the eye with his performances in Italy so far this season.

It also states that a fee of €30m (£26m) has been touted for the 21-year-old colossus. However, it remains to be seen whether or not any of the interested parties would be willing to pay it.

There is also the possibility that Bologna's valuation of the towering ace could fluctuate based on his form between now and the end of the campaign, as a drastic dip could lower his market value or it could skyrocket with a string of sublime displays.

Spurs already have van de Ven, Romero, and Dragusin on their books as recognised, natural, centre-backs, which means that they have two right-sided options and one, van de Ven, for the left, although Ben Davies can also cover in that position.

Signing Calafiori, who is left-footed, would leave Postecoglou with exceptional competition for places as he would have two first-team quality options in each role, for the right and the left of the centre-back pairing, and ensure that complacency does not creep in.

Whilst, as a left-sided titan, the £26m-rated gem could play alongside him, Spurs could land their next Romero in a swoop for the Bologna star as both players are progressive passers who can also read the game effectively to win possession back for their respective sides.

Cristian Romero's impressive performances for Spurs

The World Cup winner has been a terrific performer for Tottenham in recent seasons with his full-blooded, committed, displays at the heart of the defence.

Romero gives his all on the pitch and that is sometimes too much when it boils over, as it did when he gave away a penalty and picked up a red card for a poor challenge against Chelsea in the Premier League earlier this season.

Take those occasional moments of rash play out of the equation, though, and the 25-year-old colossus is vital to Spurs with his play in and out of possession.

Over the last 365 days, Romero ranks within the top 14% of centre-backs in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for progressive passes (4.86), and the top 11% for shot-creating actions (1.23) per 90 respectively.

This shows that the Argentina international is a forward-thinking defender who constantly looks to progress the play for his team to build attacks, rather than being a regressive centre-back who plays safe passes and stagnates build-up play.

Along with his superb use of the ball, the Tottenham star also excels as an out-and-out defender who can read the game and dominate in physical battles.

Romero ranks within the top 13% of his positional peers in the aforementioned competitions over the last 365 days for interceptions (1.56), and the top 5% for tackles (2.40) per 90 respectively.

He has also won 69% of his duels across 18 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for Spurs, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him.

Why Calafiori could be Romero 2.0

Postecoglou could land a left-footed version of Romero by securing a deal to sign Calafiori ahead of the likes of Napoli, Juventus, and Milan in the summer.

FBref list the Argentine enforcer as one of the most similar defenders to the Bologna star based on their respective statistics, and it is easy to see why when you look at the 21-year-old ace's form this season.

Calafiori, whose recent progression has been described as "insane" by analyst Ben Mattinson, is a progressive passer who does not shy away from his defensive responsibilities.

The Italian titan currently ranks within the top 6% of Serie A centre-backs for shot-creating actions (1.68), and the top 29% for progressive passes (3.53) per 90 respectively. He also ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons (0.46) per 90 this season.

These statistics suggest that the Spurs target, who has played 19 league matches this term, is similar to Romero in how he excels at building attacks that lead to shots at the opposition's goal.

Appearances

19

Tackles per game

1.4

Interceptions per game

1.8

Ball recoveries per game

6.9

Duel success rate

61%

As you can see in the table above, Calafiori has dominated attackers in physical contests and made made multiple defensive interventions to win the ball back for his team each game.

In fact, he ranks within the top 6% of Serie A centre-backs for interceptions (1.97) per 90, which illustrates his ability to read the game to step in and cut out opposition attacks.

Calafiori, who was described as a "monster" in the air by the aforementioned Mattinson, has also won 73% of his aerial duels in the league this season.

Therefore, the Bologna tank could be the left-footed Romero for Spurs if they secure his services in the summer due to his qualities in and out of possession.