Best Alternatives to Dan Ballard

Top 3 Alternatives to Dan Ballard

1. 1.Malick Thiaw86% DNA match·Newcastle United€45.0M
2. 2.Jake O'Brien86% DNA match·Everton€16.0M
3. 3.Nathan Collins86% DNA match·Brentford€35.0M

Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Playing Style Analysis

A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (7.8 clearances/90), wins the physical battle (59% duel success), strong in aerial duels (4.4 aerials won/90) and uses long balls frequently (6.6/90). The three most similar players to Dan Ballard by playing style are:

• Malick Thiaw(86% match) — Thiaw has quietly become one of the Premier League's most complete defensive profiles — a towering centre-back who doesn't just win his battles, he wins them cleanly. His aerial win rate of 65.1% and duel success of 64.2% both sit in the league's top 20%, but the counterintuitive story is his attacking output: 0.16 goals per 90 and 0.98 shots per 90 place him in the top 10% among defenders, suggesting a genuine threat from set-pieces that opponents routinely underestimate. His pass accuracy of 90.6% reflects a ball-player comfortable in possession-heavy systems, and his above-average delivery into the final third adds genuine build-up value.
• Jake O'Brien(86% match) — A Defender. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (4.2 clearances/90), wins the physical battle (62% duel success) and dominant in the air (3.4 aerials won/90, 65%).
• Nathan Collins(86% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (6.2 clearances/90), wins the physical battle (56% duel success), uses long balls frequently (7.5/90) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.

Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →