It is becoming increasingly important that clubs now have centre-backs who are comfortable in possession. For several years, Barcelona have been encouraging defenders to have confidence in themselves and play out from the back. Now, most teams across the world are widely recognised for having very good ball playing defenders, as the times of a traditional crunching tackle winning centre-half have diminished.
It is no surprise in this list that the best ball playing centre-backs are those who are at the biggest and best clubs in the world, because they are not only good at defending, but playing out from the back too.
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Here are ten of the best ball playing centre-backs in the current game:
#10 Niklas Sule – Bayern Munich
German centre-back Niklas Sule put on a show last season at Hoffenheim, who exceeded their expectations and finished in fourth place in the Bundesliga.
Due to his magnificent season, as well as the season before, Bayern Munich knew they had to snap up the young German, signing him on a pre-contract in January 2017.
Sule completed a huge 1471 forward passes last season in the Bundesliga, with an 89% success rate, explaining exactly why Bayern have decided to sign the German. He has a higher success rate than Jerome Boateng and attempts more forward passes on average each game, suggesting he is a potential replacement for his compatriot.
Additionally, he also made more total passes than Mats Hummels throughout the Bundesliga season, with a higher success rate. Sule is an intelligent young centre-back who is destined for good things; his ball playing abilities will mean he will fit in very well at Bayern Munich.
#9 Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli
At 6ft 5 inches, Kalidou Koulibaly would, at face value, look like a typical centre-back who is not very good with the ball at his feet, but is strong in both the air and his tackling.
However, this is far from true. The Senegalese centre-back is very good with the ball at his feet and was key in some of Napoli’s wonderful build up play that they produced last season.
Koulibaly, in a similar number of games played and time on the pitch, has made more total passes and forward passes than new Chelsea signing Antonio Rudiger, and Leonardo Bonucci, two rival Serie A centre-backs last season. Not only that, he also has a greater pass success rate than the two rival centre-backs, showing how good the Senegalese centre back is on the ball.
Koulibaly is a very important cog in the Napoli machine, if they are to challenge for the title next season they will know it is important Koulibaly stays fit and part of the team because his ball playing abilities are crucial.
#8 Laurent Koscielny – Arsenal
Laurent Koscielny has long been one of the most underrated centre-backs in world football. His performances last season were arguably poorer than in recent years and certainly contributed to Arsenal’s league position. However, one thing that can never be faulted is Koscielny’s distribution.
In a similar number of minutes and games played, Koscielny made more total and forward passes than both David Luiz and Toby Alderweireld, who are both considered to be very good defenders on the ball. Also, his pass success rate is higher than both those players too, who were both a big part in their teams’ title challenge and title victory.
Koscielny has become an integral part of how Arsenal play, as they always look to play comfortably from the back. When he first signed and played for Arsenal in 2010, his abilities were questioned. However, the Frenchman has come on leaps and bounds since then. He has become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and an established French international along the way, emphasising how good his ball playing abilities are.
#7 John Stones – Manchester City
With a staggering 92% pass succession rate in the Premier League last season, John Stones had to be a part of this list.
Playing under Pep Guardiola, one of the greatest managers in world football, Stones must be good with his feet. Despite some mistakes, he has proven he has the talent and capability to be one of the world’s best centre-backs in years to come, and this is precisely the reason Guardiola has put so much faith in the 23-year-old.
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Guardiola made it clear in a press conference towards the end of the season how much he likes Stones. He said it is not easy to play as a centre-back with him as manager and he responds very well to pressure and criticism. As well as saying he has, “more balls than in anyone in this room” speaking in the press conference. Stones is a very good defender and starting fresh next season, he could play a pivotal role in a successful season for Man City.
#6 Javier Mascherano – Barcelona
With the Argentinian having previously played in midfield, it is no surprise that he features in this list of the best ball playing centre-backs.
Aged 33, the Argentine has never lost his composure and is still crucial to Barcelona’s success. Although they have Samuel Umtiti, who is a very good prospect and arguably a very established defender already, Barcelona will struggle to replace Mascherano and his ball playing ability in defence. They signed both Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu before, but neither had the ability to replace Mascherano, emphasising how important and good he is.
His defensive ability has improved and his transformation from central midfielder to centre-back has been remarkable. However, he has not lost his any of his technical ability as he plays an important role in starting Barcelona attacks from as high up the pitch as possible.
His statistics back this up too. Despite playing less games than he would have liked, on average he made 65 passes a game as well as 46 forward passes, all at a 91% success rate. Those are statistics which are better than most players featuring in this list.
#5 Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham Hotspur
Arguably a surprising name on this list is Jan Vertonghen, but it’s unlikely any Premier League fan would argue his incredible ability on the ball.
Made easier by the way Spurs play, he is always looking to pass or move the ball forward. This is made clear by 75% of his passes made being forward passes and his successful take on percentage being 96.55%, an incredible stat for a centre-back.
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The Belgian has thrived in a three at the back and has worked wonderfully alongside fellow Belgian Toby Alderweireld, who himself is a very good ball playing defender. Vertonghen has always been very good with the ball and has a good range of passing, and it has become even more noticeable in Tottenham’s new formation.
It is very surprising that Alderweireld has received more plaudits from neutral fans because Vertonghen arguably performed better than his compatriot this past season, and he certainly contributed more in terms of bringing the ball forward as Vertonghen made 350 more forward passes, in a similar number of minutes to Alderweireld.
#4 Mats Hummels – Bayern Munich
Mats Hummels is certainly considered as one of the best ball playing centre-backs in the world, and it is no surprise he got his move back to Bayern Munich, his boyhood club, just one year ago.
The German defender played an important role in Borussia Dortmund’s success under Jurgen Klopp, and it is no surprise that since he left, the team have struggled massively in defence. Without his presence, they have conceded lots of goals and they clearly miss his calmness at the back.
He is not just a strong defender however, as his ball playing abilities are quite incredible. In just 27 games, Hummels made a huge 2047 passes and 1677 forward passes, an unbelievable amount for a centre-back. His job is made easier by the fact that Bayern are so dominant in possession, but he is still one of the best ball playing centre backs around.
#3 Leonardo Bonucci – Juventus
Leonardo Bonucci is one of the most underrated ball playing centre-backs around. The Italian’s long range passing is arguably the best in Europe and it was so important to Juventus’ huge success last season.
In addition to his ability to switch play, he has a range of passing. But the fact that he attempts many long-range passes and his pass success rate in Serie A was 87% last season is a testament to how good his passing is.
The Italian is very classy and has a lot of confidence with the ball at his feet. Alongside Giorgio Chiellini, the two defenders have established a very strong defensive partnership. However, many people fail to recognise how comfortable the two, mainly Bonucci, are with the ball at their feet.
Additionally, Bonucci has a pretty high percentage in successful take ons at 66.67%, a commendable percentage for a centre-back. It is certainly no surprise that coinciding with Juventus’s success in Europe has been the huge improvements by Bonucci with the ball, and he is now one of the best ball playing centre backs in the world.
#2 Gerard Pique – Barcelona
Ever since his move from Manchester United to Barcelona, Pique has continued to get better year after year and the Spaniard had to be a part of this list, he could not be left out.
Despite being nearly 6ft 5, he moves elegantly and uniquely with the ball, showing no signs of vulnerability on the ball. To play for Barcelona, any player needs to be good with the ball, but the fact he has played an integral role for so many years illustrates how excellent he is.
He has played in and won three different Champions League finals in 2009, 2011 and 2015 and is one of only 7 players who were part of two treble winning teams at Barcelona. This firstly illustrates how much faith Barcelona managers have put in Pique, and how good his technical ability must be for him to have stayed part of the Barcelona defence for all this time.
Pique is easily one of the greatest ball playing centre-backs ever.
#1 Sergio Ramos - Real Madrid
Having played as a right-back for a long part of his career, Sergio Ramos has huge confidence with the ball, and he is without doubt one of the best ball playing centre-backs in the world.
At 6 foot tall, he is not a typical tall centre-half who looks uncomfortable on the ball, and this shows as he is extremely confident with the ball.
As the Spaniard has grown older, he has become more mature and became a better defender along the way, but he has not lost any ability to pass or carry the ball. Ramos could comfortably play in defensive midfield, and his passing and dribbling ability show this.
Moreover, Ramos made more total and forward passes than Raphael Varane, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano last season in La Liga with an 89% success rate, further emphasising how good he is at passing and just how confident he is on the ball.
Sergio Ramos has to feature on this list, as his statistics and the way he plays prove he is a very good ball playing centre-back.
