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#7 Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool, Netherlands | €84.65m
Virgil van Dijk has, arguably, been the best central defender in the world over the last two years or so. Several questions were raised when Liverpool parted ways with an astonishing fee of €84.65m/£75m for the towering Dutchman, effectively making him the most expensive defender in football history by some distance. However, what followed was nothing short of magical.
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Van Dijk single-handedly transformed the landscape of Liverpool's poor defence, making them nearly impenetrable right from the get-go. In his two and a half campaigns at the club, he guided Jurgen Klopp's Reds to a UEFA Champions League trophy and an elusive Premier League title. Van Dijk is imperious in the air, composed on the ball, and is just a magnificent defender in full flow. The 29-year-old's impact simply cannot be questioned and will go down as one of the most impactful signings in Premier League history.
#6 Harry Maguire | Manchester United, England | €87m
Manchester United's defensive troubles since the departures of former greats Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand have been well-documented. The Red Devils looked to end their woes by signing Leicester City and England's Harry Maguire for a fee of €87m — making him the most expensive defender in football.
The 26-year-old had an impressive debut campaign for the Red Devils and received the captain's armband upon Ashley Young's departure to Inter Milan midway through the campaign. Despite injuries, Maguire played every single minute of their league campaign and was a key figure in defence. Manchester United boasted of the third-best defensive record in the league with Maguire, only behind the champions and the former champions. The Englishman did face his fair share of criticism for lack of recovery pace, but would hope to build on a solid debut campaign at Old Trafford.
#5 Gonzalo Higuain | Inter Miami, Argentina | €90m
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain was once one of the most feared strikers in Serie A. The centre-forward, who played for both Napoli and Juventus, registered one of the highest-ever goal tallies by a player in a single season under Sarri. On the back of his heroics with the Partonopei, Juventus parted ways with an Italian and club-record fee of €90m for Higuain.
After a successful couple of seasons with the Bianconeri, Higuain's career took a nosedive after Juventus purchased former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine then spent time out on loan at AC Milan and Chelsea before being given another shot at reviving his Juve career by Sarri. After the former Napoli boss' departure and Andrea Pirlo's appointment, the Italian deemed Higuain — one of their highest earners — as surplus requirements. The 32-year-old eventually saw his contract terminated by the Italian champions before sealing a free transfer to David Beckham's Inter Miami.
#4 Eden Hazard | Real Madrid, Belgium | €115m
Former Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard was made the most expensive Belgian player in the world ahead of the 2019/20 campaign after an incredible career in the Premier League. The forward moved to the Spanish capital on the back of one of the best seasons of his career with Chelsea and looked set to set the Santiago Bernabeu alight.
However, due to recurring injuries and off-field issues, the Belgian was sidelined for extended periods and endured a nightmare debut campaign in Madrid, managing just one goal for Los Blancos. Hazard was allegedly unfit upon his return to the club from his vacation, and he failed to regain peak physical condition, leading to him losing his place in Zinedine Zidane's side. With the Belgium skipper set to turn 30 come January, he is running out of time to turn his career around in Madrid. Hazard would hope to regain his form and fitness to lead his side glory in the 2020/21 campaign.
Also read: 10 Most valuable right wingers in world football
