5 defenders who should consider a move into midfield

The blurring of lines when it comes to positional play in football is nothing new, but today’s players are perhaps more versatile than any generation before them, simply due to the massive variety in roles that you see on the pitch these days. Sweeper-keeper, holding midfielder, box-to-box man, and so on.

One thing we don’t often see though is defenders who can develop into midfielders. Eric Dier has been known to move into central defence from his usual role as a holding midfielder, but the list of players who do the opposite isn’t that exhaustive.

There can be no doubt, however, that some defenders could well end up making better midfielders. Here are 5 players that I personally feel could make the switch:

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#5 David Luiz (Chelsea)

Will a change in role suit David Luiz?

The return of the afro-haired Brazilian defender to Chelsea last season was quite a surprise given the feeling was that the Blues had done a great deal in selling him to Paris Saint-Germain for £50 million.

But he was a revelation in 2016/17 – probably Chelsea’s best defender – as the work done with the player by Antonio Conte thoroughly erased any nasty memories of Luiz’s cartoonish performances for Brazil in the 2014 World Cup, as well as the comparison to a “PlayStation footballer” made by Gary Neville.

The problem with Luiz as a defender is despite all of his improvements, he still appears to lack concentration and composure at times, and he’s still all too willing to take crazy risks, risks that cause him to be found out of position too often.

His strengths, however, are tremendous – he’s physically strong, very comfortable on the ball and his range of passing and vision are excellent. And he takes a mean free-kick, too – as Colombia found out in the World Cup quarter-finals three years ago.

Which is why it could be smart for Luiz to try to convert himself into a midfielder – preferably a holding man – on a full-time basis. His concentration levels wouldn’t be quite so important from that position, and his need to take risks and come charging forward would actually benefit his team rather than leave them open to harm.

He could still use his range of passing to full effect, and he’d be more likely to find himself with shooting opportunities too.

Antonio Conte has tried it before with varied results – it worked in Chelsea’s win over Spurs but failed in their loss to Roma – but it’s a move he ought to consider again – with more experience, Luiz could thrive in the role.

#4 John Stones (Manchester City)

John Stones' passing range could make him a capable midfielder

Right now, the reputation of Manchester City’s John Stones has practically never glowed any brighter. He’s been involved in a tremendous 11 clean sheet performances thus far this season, and under Pep Guardiola, he finally seems to be living up to the great potential he started to show at Everton about four years ago.

But for however well Stones performs for City and for England, it’s quite tricky to shake off the idea that, as many observers used to comment, “he’s got a mistake in him”.

The main reason for this isn’t due to a lack of concentration or composure – if anything, Stones has too much composure and too much faith in his ability on the ball.

Widely admired for his ability to bring the ball out of the defence to set up an attack and find a smooth pass, Stones has sometimes come under fire for attempting to defend in this more flashy way than a more old-fashioned, kick-it-into-touch style. Ball retention is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to get rid of it.

Stones hasn’t had many problems with this in 2017/18 yet, but if he continues to improve, he may find himself moved away from defence not due to his errors, but actually because his ability to stay so calm on the ball and find a pass could actually benefit the midfield instead.

We already know he’s capable of retaining the ball under pressure, and so if he were moved into a holding midfield slot, he could be more than capable of starting attacks from there using his ability.

With England having used weaker holding midfielders such as Jake Livermore and Jack Cork recently, could there be a case for moving Stones forward slightly and having him partner Eric Dier in the middle? It’s food for thought.

#3 Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)

Sead Kolasinac's love for attacking could make him a decent winger

The idea of a successful full-back or wing-back converting outright into a roving, dangerous winger or attacking midfielder isn’t a new one. Look at Gareth Bale, for instance, who started his career at Southampton and then Tottenham as a left-back and then developed his attacking skills to become one of the most dangerous players in the world.

Could the same thing happen to Arsenal’s attack-minded Bosnian left-back Sead Kolasinac?

Kolasinac has actually got some experience in midfield, although it was mainly as a defensive midfielder during his time at Schalke.

But for Arsenal this season, he’s already shown his attacking chops – he’s scored three goals in eleven appearances thus far, a solid return for a defender, and in his Gunners debut in the Charity Shield, he instantly endeared himself to his new fans by engaging in some daring attacking raids and also by scoring Arsenal’s single goal in that game.

Could he develop into the new Gareth Bale? It’s unlikely as Bale had the kind of pace that very few people possess.

But due to his technical ability, his willingness to fly into challenges, his goalscoring ability and his physical strength – he’s been described as an “absolute tank” by teammate Theo Walcott – he could be deployed in an attacking midfield position to great effect. If he loses Alexis Sanchez anytime soon, Arsene Wenger should give Sead a go in that spot.

#2 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)

Could Ryan Sessegnon become the next Gareth Bale?

Speaking of Gareth Bale, if any young player out there right now has the ability to move from a left-back role to the free-roaming, goalscoring position that Bale once took up for Tottenham and often operates in for Real Madrid, it’s Fulham’s young superstar Ryan Sessegnon.

The England youngster doesn’t even turn 18 until next May but it’s clear to anyone who’s seen him that his talent levels are simply unbelievable – it’s obvious why he’s been on the radar of clubs like Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Sessegnon has been gaining a lot of experience already with Fulham – it’s probably the major plus point of being at a smaller club rather than a Premier League giant – as he featured for the Cottagers 25 times in the Championship last season. Generally deployed as a left-back, it’s pretty clear that his future lies in midfield – or realistically, anywhere he chooses.

He’s got an unbelievable passing vision, plays at a tremendous pace, and he can score goals too – as evidenced in his performances for England’s U-19 team during their European Championship victory in the summer.

That tournament saw Sessegnon score three goals and finish as joint-top scorer, and in the group stage against Germany, in particular, he was utterly brilliant. It tells you a lot that he was named in the team of the tournament – as a forward.

He’s on fire for Fulham this season too – scoring a hat-trick against Sheffield United yesterday. Quite where his future position lies is unknown, but it’s most likely he’ll become an attacking midfielder, making the switch that Bale did before him.

#1 David Alaba (Bayern Munich)

Is David Alaba wasted at left-back for Bayern Munich?

Bayern Munich’s Austrian left-back David Alaba is an interesting case in that he’s already played a multitude of roles in his career – ranging from his club’s preferred position all the way through to both wings.

But while he’s performed excellently for Bayern as a left-back, you can’t help but feel like he’s being wasted there when you consider his showings from midfield during international duty for Austria.

Admittedly, midfield berths for Bayern Munich aren’t exactly easy to come by. The competition there is second to none, ranging from the likes of Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcantara in the more central areas to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery in the more attacking spots.

But Alaba arguably has just as much ability as any of them – he combines intelligence, technical ability and power in a way that very few players in the world are capable of doing.

Perhaps there’s a case to be made that Alaba should look to move away from Munich in order to move into a midfield role? I’m not sure if he prefers to play as a full-back, but unfortunately, football is still a game where the majority of the plaudits fall on attacking players.

With an ability to play as part of a midfield, running at the opposition’s defence being his speciality, Alaba could be *the* star for another big club in Europe rather than a cog in the system like he is at Munich. It’d definitely be something for him to consider should he choose to move to midfield for good.