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#3 Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)
Eric Dier is a defender who has been at Tottenham for seven seasons. The 27-year-old centre-back was never consistently in the line-up over the years due to the partnership between Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. However, following the former's departure last season, Dier made 28 starts in the Premier League in 2020-21.
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In the two games Dier has started for Tottenham in the 2021-22 Premier League season so far, he has remarkably not conceded a single foul. Over the course of the previous season, he conceded 16 fouls, which is 0.57 per 90 mins. He was also booked just three times and was not sent off.
The arrival of Cristian Romero, a defender who played for Atalanta in 2020-21, will pose a threat to Dier's game time in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign. However, the English defender, who won 62 per cent of his ground duels, will look to cement himself in defense as Alderweireld has also left the club this summer.
#2 Raphael Varane (Manchester United)
Raphael Varane is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in football. The 28-year-old centre-back joined Manchester United this transfer window. As he is yet to make an appearance for the Red Devils, his statistics for Real Madrid from the 2020-21 La Liga season have been considered for this list.
Sergio Ramos formed an incredible partnership with Varane; winning four Champions League titles together. Their pairing was successful due to them complementing each other perfectly. Ramos' aggression was compensated for by Varane's discipline.
The composure displayed by Varane is evident from his metrics. The defender conceded a mere 16 fouls in his 31 starts in the Spanish league in 2020-21 (0.53 per game). He received just two yellow cards over the entire season too, and zero red cards.
Varane's composure extended to his passing too, as he completed 91.1 per cent of his passes. The French defender was competitive in the air too, as he won 75.3 per cent of his aerial duels.
Harry Maguire will surely be counting down the days to when Varane is ready to make his Premier League debut. If everything goes well, Varane could join Maguire and become one of the most dominant defensive partnerships in Europe.
#1 John Stones (Manchester City)
If there ever was an example of an out-of-favor defender coming back into the line-up and becoming one of the best in the entire league, it was John Stones. The 27-year-old centre-back had an exceptional 2020-21 Premier League campaign and formed a formidable partnership with Ruben Dias en route to the title.
During the entirety of last season's Premier League campaign, Stones conceded just seven fouls in 22 appearances. Upon conversion to per 90 minutes, it adds up to 0.33 fouls, which is significantly lower than Varane who is the next best defender with 0.53 per 90 minutes.
Stones ranked highest in the league (among all players) in terms of pass accuracy as he completed 94.3 per cent of his passes.
The English defender also had a near perfect record when it came to cards - he was not handed a single yellow card. Although he was sent off in a game against Aston Villa for a rash challenge on Jacob Ramsey, the red card itself was subject to VAR review. In all likelihood, it would likely be overturned under the new regulations in place now.
He also won a resounding 75 per cent of his ground duels, which iterates his good judgment.
The defender extensively relies on his ability to read the game and it enables him to make the right decisions. Due to his participation with England in the Euros, Stones has yet to start a game in the 2021-22 Premier League, but he will be keen to maintain his form.
