Ballon d'Or 2020: Ranking the top 5 favourites - February 2020

#1 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands)

Virgil van Dijk is amongst the frontrunners for the award once again

Virgil van Dijk has seen his stock rise exponentially since swapping the south coast for Merseyside and the towering Dutchman is not only the best defender in world football by a fair distance, but also one of the biggest matchwinners in the game currently. No player has transformed a team in the manner that he has in the Premier League era since Eric Cantona's contributions for Manchester United in the 90s and the 28-year-old has carried on from where he left off last season to lead Liverpool's title charge.

The Reds have registered a seemingly unassailable 19 point lead in the Premier League summit and look set to win their first league title in 30 years, with Van Dijk on the forefront of their title charge. The Netherlands captain has been an ever-present in the league this season and has played a pivotal role in keep things tight at the back, as Liverpool have conceded just 15 league goals in 24 Premier League games whilst also keeping most clean sheets of any side in the country (10).

Aside from his exploits at the back for Jurgen Klopp's team, the former Southampton has also been a major threat in front of goal. With 4 goals in 24 league appearances, including a match-winning brace against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-1 victory, Van Dijk is the complete package and the £75 million transfer fee looks increasingly like a bargain with every passing game.

The fact that he is the captain of the Netherlands adds weight to the claims that he could indeed become the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to win the Ballon d'Or, as Ronald Koeman's side are set to enter the 2020 European championships as one of the contenders at the very least.

Liverpool have already added the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup to their trophy haul this season and with the Premier League title virtually sealed, the Dutchman is all set to attain legendary status at the club and is the leading candidate to win the Ballon d'Or this year, after narrowly losing out to Lionel Messi last time around.