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It's a common adage in the game that goals (and attacks) win matches, but defenses win titles.
Be it in club or international football, successful teams have built their campaigns around stout defenses. In fact, as the game has evolved, teams have shown a penchant towards defenders who are not only able to foil opponents' attacks but also kickstart offensive moves from the back.
While centre-backs utilize their strength in the air at both ends, more and more full-backs venture upfield and lend width to their team's attacks. Considering the demands of the modern game, teams, especially the ones with deep pockets, do not hesitate to spend big on quality defenders.
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On that note, here's a look at the five most expensive defenders in the history of the game.
#5 Ruben Dias (Manchester City) - €68 million
Ruben Dias has been like a breath of fresh air since his arrival in the Premier League last season.
The 24-year-old hit the ground running, turning out to be a key cog in the Manchester City defense as Pep Guardiola's men won their third league title in four years.
In 32 league appearances, Dias helped the Cityzens keep 15 clean sheets. The Portuguese was one of the key performers for the club as they steered clear of the chasing pack during the second half of the season.
His exploits helped him win the Premier League player of the season, the first Portuguese player to do so since a certain Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Dias is the first Premier League debutant to win the award since Kelvin Phillips in 2000.
Considering his blistering start to life in England, Dias was expected to make an encore for Portugal at Euro 2020. But the centre-back endured a miserable outing as the defending champions conceded seven goals in four games to bow out of the tournament on a whimper.
#4 Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) - €80 million
Lucas Hernandez arrived with much fanfare at Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019 as the Bavarian giants broke the bank to land the versatile Frenchman.
Two seasons later, Hernandez has won two league titles, one of them part of a continental treble, but his stint can be best described as a mixed bag of sorts. Capable of playing as both centre-back and left-back, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, Hernandez was hindered by injuries that saw him make only 42 Bundesliga appearances in two seasons.
After enduring a torn meniscus at Euro 2020, Hernandez could have a delayed start to his 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign.
Despite his rather middling returns so far, Hernandez will hope that he lives up to his price tag and provides a reminder of his prowess to the Bayern faithful.
#3 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - €84.65 million
Virgil van Dijk is one of the best active centre-backs in the game. He has almost single-handedly transformed Liverpool's fortunes since arriving at the club three years ago.
The 30-year-old Dutchman was key to the Reds winning the Champions League in 2018-19 and their first league title in three decades a season later. Possessing impressive aerial and tackling prowess, very few players can successfully dribble past the powerful Van Dijk.
After suffering a season-ending injury early last season, his absence led to a gaping hole in the Liverpool defense. The Reds' title defense faltered as Fortress Anfield was breached by opponents with alarming regularity.
Van Dijk has also been a key player for the Netherlands. The Dutch missed out on his commanding presence in defense as they exited Euro 2020 in the Round of 16.
#2 Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus) - €85.5 million
Matthijs de Ligt is arguably the best young defender in the game at the moment. The young Dutchman led from the front as Ajax made a fairy-tale run from qualifying to the Champions League semi-final in 2018-19, eliminating Italian giants Juventus from the last eight.
A few weeks later, the Bianconeri splurged the cash to make De Ligt one of the most expensive defenders in the history of the game.
The 21-year-old took his time to adapt to a new league and a new country but has become a key presence in the Juventus defense. De Ligt, who has scored five times in 75 appearances for the Bianconeri, is a clean tackler of the ball and is touted as a future leader of the club.
Already the subject of interest from a plethora of top clubs, it remains to be seen if De Ligt stays on at Juventus or embarks on a different challenge.
#1 Harry Maguire (Manchester United) - €87 million
Harry Maguire arrived at Manchester United on a gargantuan €87.5 million transfer in the summer of 2019, a transfer fee that raised quite a few eyebrows.
However, after two seasons at the club, Maguire has performed reasonably well and has been one of United's better players. The 28-year-old is not the fastest on the field, but makes up for that with his impressive aerial ability and tackling prowess.
The Manchester United captain recently shone for England at Euro 2020, winning a staggering 84% of his aerial duels as the Three Lions made the final.
Maguire has missed only four league games in two seasons at Manchester United, scoring three goals and providing as many assists.
