Summary Tottenham Hotspur's recent losses in the Premier League can be attributed to a flood of injuries and suspensions, leaving the squad threadbare and in need of reinforcements. Ange Postecoglou has done a remarkable job revitalising the team, but the January transfer window will be crucial for bolstering the squad and maintaining their title challenge. They could sign a versatile and confident defender who would provide depth and cover in the absence of injured players.

Tottenham Hotspur's air of invincibility has faded away after a terrible week of double losses in the Premier League, coming as a by-product of the flood of injuries and suspensions in the home defeat against Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou, it must be said, has worked miracles since arriving in the summer, taking a beleaguered outfit that had squandered European exploits after a terrible 2022/23 campaign and restoring the verve, storming into early title contention and spending three match weeks as the table-toppers before falling to a first defeat last Monday.

But the squad had been left threadbare following the suspensions of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie against the Blues, compounding the injury woes to influential summer signings Micky van de Ven and James Maddison.

Postecoglou has his work cut out to steady the ship over the gruelling winter period after Pablo Sarabia's brilliance imbued a Wolverhampton Wanderers turnaround in the dying embers last week, inflicting successive defeats on the Lilywhites.

It's important to remain calm in this instance; Tottenham might have dropped to fourth place but they are just two points off league leaders Manchester City, who face second-placed Liverpool after the international break.

In the short term, Postecoglou will have to make do – and they do say that a good craftsman works with the tools at his disposal. But once the Australian manager reaches the January transfer window it is really a given that he will act swiftly to bolster the ranks, and, as such, the recent rumours focussing on Lloyd Kelly might ring true.

Tottenham transfer news – Lloyd Kelly

According to the Evening Standard, Van de Ven's injury – which is likely to rule him out into the new year – has accelerated plans to strengthen the backline, and Bournemouth's Kelly is among the chief candidates.

With Liverpool also sniffing around, Football Insider have recently revealed that Andoni Idraola's side will demand £30m for the dynamic defender amid suggestions that Spurs will move in January. Though given that Kelly is out of contract at the end of the season, this fee might dissuade the suitors.

Nonetheless, Spurs desperately need depth in defence and not only does Kelly fit the bill, he was targetted in the summer and subject to a £20m bid, though the player rejected this with concerns over his minutes on the pitch.

But now, the one-time Bristol City star could walk into an exciting Tottenham project with the chance to play a central role and continue his striking development, and it now falls into the realm of negotiation.

Lloyd Kelly's style of play

A versatile and confident defender, Kelly finds success of equal measure as a centre-half and out wide, dominating the left channel.

Since signing from Bristol City for £13m in 2019, he has made 125 appearances, scoring twice and supplying seven assists; stricken by injury on his debut campaign as the Cherries fell to relegation, Kelly played a central role in guiding the club back to the big time over the next two years.

Former boss Scott Parker was a firm believer that his talents stretched beyond the constraints of the Championship, claiming in 2022: "I think Lloyd Kelly has got the attributes and the ability to be a top Premier League centre-half. And I think we are blessed and very, very lucky to have someone of his quality, really.

"You take players like Lloyd probably for granted in the sense that he makes things look very effortless and easy."

Having stayed up last year, Bournemouth owed much to Kelly's involvement, having completed 81% of his passes in the Premier League, making 4.3 clearances per game and winning 60% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

Robust and reliable, the 5 foot 11 ace ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances and the top 17% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref, emphasising his energetic and imposing qualities.

He would not be the first player to make the leap to the higher level of Premier League outfit – he wouldn't be the first left-sided defender from Bournemouth either; look at Nathan Ake's success at Manchester City – and Spurs would be wise to secure this rising star's signature, providing the perfect cover in Van de Ven's absence.

Why Lloyd Kelly could replace Van de Ven

Signing from German side Wolfsburg for £43m in the summer, Van de Van has been nothing short of a revelation for Postecoglou's project, proving the doubters wrong emphatically.

Liverpool were interested in snapping the Dutchman up but cooled their interest in July due to concerns regarding the price tag, but that is the Anfield side's loss.

Van de Ven is one of the quickest and most athletic centre-backs around, ranking among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

Given that Tottenham languished to an eighth-placed league finish last year having shipped a shoulder-sagging 63 goals, his impact has been extraordinary alongside the revived Romero, who, albeit, lost face after seeing red against Chelsea.

But such only strengthens the need to sign a player of Kelly's ilk, with stand-in duo Eric Dier and Ben Davies hardly evoking confidence.

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Player

Club

1

Victor Lindelof

Manchester United

2

Lisandro Martinez

Manchester United

3

Benoit Badiashile

Chelsea

4

Harry Maguire

Manchester United

5

Wesley Fofana

Chelsea

*Sourced via Football Transfers

The £30k-per-week Kelly is the left-centred defender to impress, and he's already proving his worth against high-calibre opposition, having played a pivotal part in his south coast club's excellent victory over Newcastle United last weekend.

In that 2-0 win, he won both of his ground duels from left-back and completed 80% of his passes, finding his man with six long balls too, and he embodies the spirit and positivity that Postecoglou could make sterling use of.

Once lauded as a "Rolls-Royce" in the rearguard by Jonathan Woodgate – former AFCB manager and Spurs defender – Kelly clearly possesses the ball-playing ability to slot right into Postecoglou's side, and while he is playing in a struggling Bournemouth side, this does not negate his potential.

Tottenham must ensure that they sign Kelly in January and beat Liverpool to a talented defender for the second time in six months, enhancing their chances of rekindling the winning mentality and producing a successful conclusion to their season under Postecoglou's exciting leadership.