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#3 Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Achraf Hakimi is Paris Saint-Germain's most expensive acquisition this summer. They shelled out as much as €60 million to secure the services of the Moroccan right-back from Inter Milan.
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Hakimi has already established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the world and he is still just 22-years-old. The youngster started his career at Real Madrid but truly showcased his abilities during a loan spell with Borussia Dortmund.
Inter Milan subsequently signed him and he played a starring role in their Serie A triumph in the 2020-21 season. He scored seven goals and provided 10 assists in 37 appearances in Serie A this past term.
Hakimi is a pacy, dynamic right-back and there is no catching him once he beats a defender and turns on his afterburners. He was trained as a winger in his younger days but his physical attributes and tactical intelligence make him one of the best full-backs in the world.
#2 Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker might be 31-years-old but he is still one of the fastest players in the Premier League. On his day, Walker is one of the toughest defenders to go up against. He has a good physique and if he can't wrestle an attacker off the ball, he will hound them relentlessly until they surrender.
Walker's pace is extremely important to the Cityzens as it allows him to link up with the forwards. Overloading the flanks is a tactic that Pep Guardiola uses quite a lot and if not for the pace of Walker, things could go south really quickly.
Even the paciest attackers in the Premier League find it difficult to poke the ball past Walker and beat him in a foot race. Ahead of Euro 2020, Walker said:
“I always say to the young ones, ‘You might think I’m old,’ and they gave me a bit of stick when I shout ‘oldest starts’ in the possession or games.
“But I say, ‘If any of you want to race me, I am more than happy…and I’ll probably give you a head start as well. Who would win a 100m race at England? Me. If anyone told you different, they’d be lying!"
#1 Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
Alphonso Davies has been an absolute revelation ever since joining Bayern Munich from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018. He made his first Bundesliga start in the 2019-20 season and was an instant hit.
He earned a reputation as one of the best left-backs in the world pretty early on in his career. Towards the end of the 2019-20 season, Davies clocked a speed of 36.51 kilometres/hour in a game against Werder Bremen. That is the fastest speed clocked in the Bundesliga till date.
Davies played a starring role in Bayern Munich's continental treble triumph in the 2019-20 season. A torn ankle ligament ruled him out for a portion of the 2020-21 season and he wasn't as influential as he was the season prior. However, Davies is just 20-years-old and has his entire career ahead of him to make amends.
