All posts by h79snht.top

The Pakistan captain rued how at no point in the series did they seem like they would take 20 wickets in a Test match

Osman Samiuddin at the SCG07-Jan-2017

Misbah-ul-Haq believes only greater and more regular exposure to Australian conditions can break Pakistan’s record-run of 12 consecutive Test defeats in the country.Pakistan’s 220-run defeat in the third and final Test in Sydney condemned them to a fourth successive whitewash in Australia, following similar defeats in 1999-00, 2004-05 and 2009-10. This was Pakistan’s first tour to Australia in seven years and, according to the current ICC’s Future Tours Programme, they won’t be back anytime soon.Misbah said the PCB should even consider sending aspiring players to take part in Australian domestic cricket. “I think it is important for us to get experience of these conditions,” he said. “If you are not touring more often in Australia or South Africa, that [result] could happen again and again. It’s important for us.”I’ve already suggested that some of our players should be sent on a regular basis here to Australia, in their academies, just to play games here, to practice in these sort of conditions in the early stages of their career. Some of the guys who are in line, who might be in the team in the next two or three years, should be sent on a regular basis for two to three months, to play some state games or whatever. This is the only way we can improve. Otherwise if you are coming here after four, five, six years, half of your team are touring for the first time, and whether it’s the bowling unit or batting, we’re going to struggle.”In the past that suggestion could have been reserved for Pakistan’s batsmen, but from the evidence of this tour, it may be just as important to send bowlers over. With very few exceptions, all of Pakistan’s quicks and spinners struggled so much that this series, statistically, put to the shade all that have preceded it.Collectively and by measurement of bowling average (60.54), this was the worst performance by a Pakistan bowling side in any three-Test series. Australia were able to declare four times in five innings, losing only 33 of their 60 wickets and scoring at a series run-rate of 4.25.Even though Misbah said the last-day collapse at the MCG was the “biggest disappointment” of the tour, he was clear that it was the bowling that lost it.”Our bowling is always our strength. But in this series, [I am] a bit disappointed we could not take 20 wickets in any Test. That is why we were so behind in every Test.”It’s important in Australian conditions. Normally, what we say is that it is not easy for Asian batsman to come and score runs but mainly what I’ve seen is that it’s difficult for us, any Asian side, to come and take 20 wickets in a Test game. That is an art and we could not do that. That mainly cost us the series.”It is very important for any team to win, or to put opposition under pressure. The reason we didn’t put sides under pressure was because we just couldn’t take wickets in any match.”

حرص مسؤولو رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة برئاسة أحمد دياب على التواصل الدائم مع نادي مودرن فيوتشر ومسؤولي المستشفى لمتابعة حالة أحمد رفعت لاعب الفريق.

وسقط أحمد رفعت في نهاية مباراة فريقه فيوتشر أمام الاتحاد السكندري، دون تدخل من أحد، ليتم نقله في سيارة الإسعاف إلى أحد المستشفيات للاطمئنان على اللاعب.

قلق وترقب.. صحف العالم تسلط الضوء على سقوط أحمد رفعت في مباراة فيوتشر والاتحاد

وقال أحمد دياب رئيس الرابطة، في تصريحات رسمية، إن حياة اللاعب أهم من أي مباراة، وأن الرابطة مساندة وداعمة لنادي فيوتشر في هذه الأزمة التي جمعت قلوب الجماهير المصرية بكل أطيافها متوجهين بالدعاء للاعب.

واختتم دياب، بأنه على تواصل دائم مع جميع الأطراف وأي مطالب طبية للاعب فهي مجابة على الفور، آملين عودته إلى أهله سالمًا.

وكان أحمد رفعت قد تم نقله إلى العناية المركزة في الساعات الأولى من صباح اليوم، كما تم استقطاب طبيب قلب متخصص لمتابعة حالته.

وشهدت المستشفى التي تواجد بها أحمد رفعت حضور عدد من مسؤولي محافظة الإسكندرية وحسام حسن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر.

Manchester United's bid for Mason Mount is looking increasingly tenuous, but Erik ten Hag could get his hands on a major upgrade by signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Man United?

That's following a recent update from The Times, who claim that the Red Devils are unwilling to match Chelsea's counter of a £65m package for Mount after United raised their offer to £55m.

Mount has just one year remaining on his current deal with the Blues and has suffered an indifferent year to coincide with his club's fraught campaign, and while he remains a top target for Ten Hag, he will not part with an inordinate amount of money, and as such could now turn to Caicedo.

Also a top target for Chelsea, the 21-year-old Ecuadorian is valued at around £80m and potentially beyond by Brighton and is available if their valuation is met, and United should act on their interest.

Should Man United sign Moises Caicedo?

The Old Trafford side's pursuit of Mount has stretched over several weeks now and dominated transfer discourse, with all the signs pointing to a satisfactory conclusion for all parties.

But with Chelsea proving to be obstinate in their demands, focussing on signing Caicedo might be the better option, especially considering the disparity in form and performances this year between the respective midfielders.

Signing for Albion for just £4.5m from homeland outfit Independiente del Valle in 2021, Caicedo spent the first half of the 21/22 campaign out on loan in Belgium before making eight appearances in the latter phase of the term.

But the recently-concluded season has consolidated his position as a "jewel" – as he has been described by Enrico Castro-Montes – and a prodigious talent worthy of a place in any thriving Premier League outfit, having played 43 times across all competitions.

An industrious, slick and imposing ace, Caicedo ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 13% for tackles and the top 11% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

His addition would spark a midfield "revelation" – as the £60k-per-week star has been called by talent scout Jacek Kulig – at the Theatre of Dreams, and after making progress under Ten Hag's wing this term, could bridge the gap to the likes of champions Manchester City and Arsenal, who fought a fierce title battle this year.

Mount offers more creativity in his trade, while Caicedo plays the No. 6 role to near-perfection, and while the England international has been eulogised as a "perpetual motion machine" by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Caicedo is as robust as they come and would fortify the centre with a steely resolve.

Hailed as a "machine" himself by Kulig, Caicedo recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.08 in the Premier League as Brighton secured Europa League football, and his presence at Old Trafford would thread the departments of the pitch together and ignite a uniform tenacity to allow United to finally fight for the league title once again.

Comparatively, Mount, while talented, floundered to a 12th-placed finish with his west London outfit, and has been branded as "miles off" it by one journalist for his subpar displays.

Considering the different facets, United would be wise to sign Caicedo over his 24-year-old confere despite his loftier valuation; Mount is coming off the back of a lacklustre year with Chelsea and is probably not worth the £65m Todd Boehly's side demands at present.

The time for conviction is now, and if Manchester United truly want to return to past prominence, Caicedo's signature is the one to collect.

The Committee of Administrators has barred disqualified BCCI and state association office bearers who are part of the IPL governing council from attending the IPL auction

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2017

The Committee of Administrators has barred disqualified BCCI and state association office bearers who are part of the IPL governing council from attending the IPL auction. The tenth IPL auction is set to take place in Bangalore on February 20.The Committee of Administrators was appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations. The committee named three persons in particular – CK Khanna, Amitabh Choudhry and Anirudh Chaudhry – and also warned that any other IPL governing council member attending the auction should do so only after they have self-assessed to determine that they do not stand disqualified as per the Lodha recommendations.The release sent out by the BCCI said: “Mr. CK Khanna, Mr. Amitabh Choudhary, Mr. Anirudh Chaudhry and any other persons who claim to be ex-officio members of the IPL GC on account of being office bearers of the BCCI shall not be entitled to attend the IPL Player Auctions since the issue regarding validity of the undertakings filed by such persons pursuant to the order dated 2nd January 2017 is still pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”Amitabh Choudhry had earlier tried to attend an India selection meeting as joint secretary but the Supreme Court had ordered that the meeting be convened by the board CEO Rahul Johri.The committee said it didn’t have the details of all the IPL members so they were expected to assess for themselves if they were disqualified. “The Committee of Administrators does not have complete data to determine whether each of the members of the IPL GC other than the ex-officio members are disqualified or not,” the release said. “In view thereof, the said other members are requested to assess for themselves as to whether they are disqualified or not. Should they attend the IPL Player Auctions, the concerned members would be deemed to have undertaken and represented that they are not disqualified as aforesaid.”The IPL governing council has four members out of which Rajiv Shukla, Jyotiraditya Scindia and MP Pandove stand disqualified under the Lodha Committee norms. Only Sourav Ganguly can now attend the auction. The committee said it might nominate persons as substitutes if required.The release said: “In the event less than 2 of the members are available to attend the IPL Player Auctions on 20th February 2017, any role that may ordinarily have been performed by the IPL GC in relation to the IPL Player Auctions will be performed by such persons as the Committee of Administrators may separately designate for the purpose, if required.”

An update has emerged on Manchester United and their plans to add a central defender to their squad in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Manchester United?

According to FootballTransfers, the Red Devils have turned their attention to Bayern Munich stopper Benjamin Pavard ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Premier League side are looking at alternative options to Napoli’s Kim Min-jae, who is said to be on his way to Bavaria, with Erik ten Hag now eyeing the Bundesliga monster.

It states that the German outfit are set to demand a fee of at least €30m (£26m) for the French international, although it remains to be seen whether the English outfit are willing to match that figure or not.

Where would Benjamin Pavard fit in at Manchester United?

The very versatile former Stuttgart enforcer played the majority of his matches at centre-back for Bayern last term and his arrival could spell trouble for Raphael Varane next season.

Pavard is a right-sided player, who can also be deployed as a full-back and could partner the left-footed Lisandro Martinez at Old Trafford as part of a rather balanced-looking back four.

Varane averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across 24 Premier League outings in the 2022/23 campaign as he contributed with one tackle and 0.5 interceptions per game.

The ex-Real Madrid star, who also won 64% of his duels, did not rank among the top ten performers for United for tackles or interceptions per match, whilst he also placed 13th overall in the team when it came to his Sofascore rating.

The Bayern titan, meanwhile, made 2.3 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per Bundesliga outing, along with a duel success rate of 67%, and no player in ten Hag’s squad made as many, which suggests that the 27-year-old machine could be an outstanding addition to the defence.

Pavard's average Sofascore rating of 7.36 across 30 league matches was only bettered at Old Trafford by Bruno Fernandes' rating of 7.56. This illustrates how impressive the French tank's displays were for the German champions and why United must swoop for him this summer.

Once described as "underrated" by current Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel, the Frenchman is also an exceptional ball-playing defender who could provide Ten Hag with an upgrade on Varane in possession.

The £83k-per-week talent has averaged 7.59 progressive passes per 90 across the last 365 days, which ranks among the top 1% of players in his position across Europe's top five divisions.

Meanwhile, the current United centre-back has averaged 3.23 per 90 over the last 365 days and is in the 52nd percentile, which suggests that he is a fairly average player at progressing the play with the ball at his feet.

Therefore, the signing of Pavard would be bad news for Varane as his international colleague could provide more quality on and off the ball as a central defender, which could leave the 30-year-old colossus out of the starting XI on the right side of the backline.

يعمل نادي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي، على إيجاد بديل مؤثر يخلف مهاجمه كيليان مبابي، المنتظر رحيله بنهاية الموسم الجاري.

ومن المرتقب رحيل مبابي عن باريس سان جيرمان وانتقاله في صفقة انتقال حر إلى ريال مدريد، بنهاية الموسم الجاري حيث ينتهي عقده.

وبحسب “فوت ميركاتو” وضع باريس سان جيرمان، مهاجم ليفربول لويس دياز، كأولوية للتعاقد معه في السوق الصيفي.

ويسعى باريس سان جيرمان للاستفادة من العلاقة الممتازة بين المدير الرياضي أنتيرو هنريكي ووكيل أعمال لويس دياز.

اقرأ أيضًا | رومانو يوضح التفاصيل النهائية لصفقة انتقال كيليان مبابي إلى ريال مدريد

ويوضح التقرير أن باريس سان جيرمان أجرى اتصالاً بالفعل مع راؤول دا كوستا، وكيل أعمال لويس دياز. 

ويملك لويس دياز عقدًا مع ليفربول حتى عام 2027، وخطط النادي الإنجليزي، عدم بيعه هذا الصيف.

وأشار التقرير إلى أن مشروع ليفربول سيأخذ منعطفًا جديدًا حين يتم التعاقد مع مدرب جديد، حيث سيرحل الألماني يورجن كلوب بنهاية الموسم الحالي.

وسيراقب باريس سان جيرمان الموقف، حيث إن ليفربول قد يفتح الباب أمام رحيل دياز مع قدوم مدير فني جديد.

Chelsea have an "outstanding opportunity" to secure the signature of Dusan Vlahovic in the coming weeks, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Chelsea transfer news – What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic?

It's been all action at Stamford Bridge over the last few weeks, with the Blues seeing a swath of players leaving the club, such as Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, who joined Arsenal and Manchester United, respectively.

However, the burgeoning Saudi Pro League has made the biggest difference for Chelsea this window, with N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly making their way to the Middle East's new super league.

That business has allowed Mauricio Pochettino's new side to bring in some new faces, with Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Diego Moreira all coming through the doors at Stamford Bridge.

However, the Pensioners aren't done there as they look to finally address a problem that's been hurting the club for years: the lack of a starting number nine.

The player earmarked for that role in West London is Juventus' struggling target man Vlahovic, who the Italian club are said to be willing to cut their losses on this summer.

According to the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian giants would be willing to sanction the sale of the player should a club be able to pay a fee somewhere close to the initial €80m (£68m) they paid to get him out of Fiorentina in January 2022.

What has Dean Jones said about Dusan Vlahovic and Chelsea?

Jones explains that Juventus expect interest in Vlahovic to increase significantly in the coming weeks, and that Chelsea have already been in contact with the Turin side regarding their 6 foot 3 striker.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "Juve are preparing for new contact around Vlahovic to land in the coming days. I'm hearing that there are several conversations planned between different Premier League clubs and Juve over a few players, and it is thought that in one of these Chelsea will look to discover more information about the availability of Vlahovic. They touched base about five weeks ago or so over this so already have a general understanding.

Jones gave his opinion on the prospect of the signing, adding: "If Vlahovic is going to leave, then those conversations need to open up now. The value attached to him is still around £70m but, as I have said before, that could be very good value for a striker as good as this. This is an outstanding opportunity to sign one of the most clinical finishers in the game. He's up for grabs if they are willing to pay."

How good is Dusan Vlahovic?

It has been a difficult 18 months at the Bianconeri for Vlahovic. Despite costing a whopping £66.6m from Serie A rivals Fiorentina, the Serbian international has flattered to deceive during his time in Turin.

Over his 42 league games, the Belgrade-born colossus has scored just 17 goals, meaning he finds the back of the net once every two-and-a-half games, which for the star striker at Juventus has been deemed simply not enough by Italian football legend Antonio Cassano, who told boboTV (via the Mirror):

"It's not enough to score 15 goals, 20 goals. At Juve, every match must be decisive. It's a dangerous weight on him. He had to take the next step, but not two steps, at Juve, you have to score at least 30 goals per season, and you have to take home the performances and titles.

"I don't see him as a player for Juve."

Unfortunately for the player once described as a "monster" by Italian journalist Carlo Garganese, his underlying numbers only suggest further that he might just be unsuited to being a striker for Europe's elite.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Serbian star finds himself in the top 24% of strikers for total shots, the top 28% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 33% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, and the top 38% for pass completion, all per 90.

Those are his stand-out statistics as well, which makes the idea of Chelsea spending nearly £70m to secure his signature seem incredibly risky.

However, should he rediscover the form he had during his time with La Viola, the form that saw him score 44 goals in 98 Serie A games, then Jones would be correct in his assessment of this as an "outstanding opportunity."

تحدث جيريمي دوكو، جناح مانشستر سيتي، لأول مرة عما حدث بينه وبين لاعب ليفربول أليكسيس ماك أليستر في مباراتهما في وقت سابق من هذا الشهر.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثامنة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رئيس لجنة التحكيم يوضح مدى صحة قرار عدم احتساب ضربة جزاء لـ ليفربول أمام مانشستر سيتي

وشهدت المباراة في لحظاتها الأخيرة تدخل قوي من دوكو ضد أليستر، ولكن الحكم مايكل أوليفر تجاهل احتساب ضربة جزاء وسط احتجاج من لاعبي ليفربول ومدربهم يورجن كلوب.

وقال دوكو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “بالطبع أوافق بشأن قرار التحكيم، كان تحديًا محفوفًا بالمخاطر”.

وأضاف: “كان بإمكاني التعامل معه بشكل مختلف، ما زلت أعتقد أنها لم تكن ركلة جزاء ولكني أعلم أن بعض الحكام الآخرين كانوا سيحتسبونها”.

وواصل: “لكنها لم تكن ركلة جزاء لذلك كنت سعيدًا، هل كنت قلقًا؟ للحظة كانوا ينظرون إلى تقنية الفيديو وربما يبحثون عن ركلة جزاء”.

وأردف: “بالنسبة لي لم تكن ركلة جزاء، لكنني أتفهم لماذا بعض الناس غاضبون ولماذا يعتقد مشجعو ليفربول أنها كانت ركلة جزاء”.

Mark Robinson, England Women’s head coach, believes his squad has turned a corner from the nadir at the World T20 last year, but is keen they don’t get ahead of themselves leading into the World Cup

Andrew Miller13-Mar-2017Mark Robinson, England’s head coach, has praised the professional manner in which his new-look squad has built towards this summer’s Women’s World Cup, and believes they are entering the right frame of mind to manage the expectation that will come with being the host nation at cricket’s oldest global event.England will not go into the World Cup as favourites – that is the top-to-bottom message from the squad as they begin the countdown to their opening fixture, against India at Derby on June 24. But, after a year of dramatic upheaval in 2016 that centred around the enforced retirement of Charlotte Edwards, Robinson feels that the squad’s ambitions have been recalibrated and their professionalism renewed ahead of what promises to be a defining year.”There’s nothing bigger than a World Cup in England, so I’m feeling that excitement and so are the girls,” Robinson told ESPNcricinfo during the launch event at Lord’s. “This is one of the reasons why I came to do this job, to take part in the big global events.Taylor could yet return for World Cup

Mark Robinson says that Sarah Taylor has not yet given up hope playing a part in England’s World Cup campaign, despite missing much of the past year while battling anxiety issues.
Taylor, 27, is arguably England’s most talented female cricketer, and retained her ECB contract this winter while undergoing treatment, having not played since England’s World T20 exit last March.
“There is hope,” said Robinson. “It’s her dream to get back and playing. She’s done really well, I suppose the most important thing is that she gets fitter and feels well again as a person, but she’s working hard on both.
“She’s back in training, and everything we do is a graduated level of return. Sometimes she’s in and has to pull herself out slightly again as her progression continues towards that dream.
“Whether she makes the World Cup or it’s a bit too early, remains to be seen, but at the moment she’s back, she’s training and we are doing it step by step with her.”

“The goal is to get back to being the No.1 country in the world. We’re not there yet, but we’ve made some big strides and big improvements, and this will be a big test to see how far we’ve come this summer.”Twelve months ago, the challenge awaiting England’s women was made abundantly clear as Australia dumped them out of the World T20 with a five-run victory in their semi-final in Delhi. Though the margin may have been tight, the gulf between the teams was not, and in a remarkable post-match press conference that effectively marked the end of Edwards’ decade-long reign as captain, Robinson blamed their shortcomings on an inability to run sufficiently quickly between the wickets.”The fitness should be a non-negotiable,” Robinson said. “It shouldn’t be an issue that you have to talk about as an England coach, so hopefully we’ve addressed that. There’s still some room to go, and there always will be to a degree, but we’ve made such a big shift.”Now, with Heather Knight installed as Edwards’ replacement as captain, England are unbeaten in four series to date (three in ODIs and one T20) during which time many of the players who could help them challenge once again for major honours have been identified.At the top of the order, Lauren Winfield and Tammy Beaumont have emerged as a dynamic and record-breaking opening partnership, Nat Sciver has blossomed to become one of the leading allrounders in the world, while Alex Hartley’s emerging left-arm spin was a critical factor in a hard-earned 3-2 series win in the Caribbean in October.”We went to the West Indies for a tough series in incredibly tough conditions and our fitness stood up, so that’s all you want as a coach,” said Robinson. “We’ve won, and won in a style that probably hasn’t been seen before. We’ve made some really good progress, all we can do is keeping having attention to detail on the little things and see where it goes. Embrace the expectation, but manage it at the same time. Don’t live with any challenges that you might regret down the line.”Lauren Winfield’s hunger to succeed has helped propel England’s regeneration•Getty Images

One of the key moments of England’s regeneration came against Pakistan at Worcester in June, during Knight’s second match in charge. As if primed to produce a statement of intent, Winfield led the line with a career-best 123, adding a record 235 with Beaumont, before Sciver applied the coup de grace with a remarkable 80 from 33 balls. England finished on 378 for 5, their highest ODI total of all time, and set themselves a template for the season to come.”It’s about trying to let them go, and let them understand they are allowed to make mistakes,” Robinson said. “Heather is a young player at 26, her best years are ahead of her, and that is exciting. It’s about not thinking of the burden and worrying that ‘if I don’t get these runs, we’ve lost’. And that is the case for all of our batting line-up.”Winfield’s opportunities had been distinctly limited in the previous regime. In 29 appearances spread over three years, she had mustered a solitary half-century in a T20 at Edgbaston, and played no part in the World T20 after yo-yoing up and down the batting order in both forms of white-ball cricket.”In the previous era, there was probably talk of the team relying on one or two players and if those players failed then we generally failed,” she said. “I don’t think there was extra motivation in terms of wanting to perform, but we were hugely excited about the opportunity. Myself and Tammy had been in and out of the team in various different positions at the top and in the middle of the order, and we finally got an opportunity to do the role we’d always wanted to do.”As a team it was important not just to win, but to really heavily dominate, and we managed to do that. We were convincing and showed the world what we can do.”We’ve got the foundations and performances under our belts now that give us confidence and belief that we belong in the arena which, to be honest, when you’re in and out a lot, you don’t have that. You go in and tell yourself you’re confident, but it’s a little bit false. Once you’ve got a few performances under your belt, it’s more instilled and the belief is really there.”Winfield epitomises the more hardened professional edge that Robinson has brought to the England regime in the past few months. “Something we are striving towards as a team is being the best possible athletes that we can be,” she said. “And if we do that, we’ve got half a chance of being pretty good cricketers as well.”A talking point for a number of years has been our fielding,” she added. “The game has moved on, and the gaps are not as big between the teams now. If you have ten runs between a win or a loss, then that special catch or that boundary save, or that over where you are up and down for twos, is crucial.”

Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on yet another fine addition to bolster Ange Postecoglou's team…

What's the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to The Mirror's John Cross, who took to his Twitter to detail an update on their pursuit of Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch defender has been linked with a north London switch for a few weeks now, but only yesterday was a breakthrough seemingly reached.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist detailed the specifics: "Tottenham are set to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven in a £30m deal."

How good is Micky van de Ven?

Although a relative unknown the 22-year-old has been a stalwart for Wolfsburg recently. In tempting this star from such a club, perhaps they will also mimic Manchester City's success when they acquired Kevin De Bruyne from the German outfit.

Having just won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League within one season, Pep Guardiola has once again written himself into the history books as a record-breaking manager who has completed a feat only done in England once before.

At the heart of that success was the Belgian creator, who has been an integral cog of the vast success earned at the Etihad in recent years.

Across all competitions last term he posted ten goals and a further 31 assists, adding even more silverware to his already sprawling cabinet. The 32-year-old has now won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups and that coveted European trophy too since moving.

It might seem unfathomable for anyone to match such success, but Postecoglou will surely have grand ambitions of forging a dynasty of his own in north London.

Van de Ven could mark the platform with which this success could be attained, as a defensive pillar with all the key attributes to hold down the Australian's back line for the next decade.

Last year in the Bundesliga, he would maintain a 6.85 average rating, upheld through his 88% pass accuracy, 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the latter figure would have seen him rank as the third-best in that field within Spurs' squad, with his pass completion again making him joint third-best of those who have played more than five games.

However, it is not merely his technical assets that would allow him to shine. His physical attributes make him something of an anomaly, as despite standing at 6 foot 4 he also boasts frightening speed.

Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, sought to detail this: "Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."

The future is bright for this young defender, and perhaps a move to England under a coach that would help skyrocket his career would only bolster the fine foundations of this future star.

If he is to have half the success De Bruyne has earned in Manchester since moving from Wolfsburg, he would still be considered a wild success in north London.