Right-back
John Stones – Everton to Manchester City (£47.5 million)
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Ever since Sheikh Mansour decided to buy Manchester City, the club’s stock has risen meteorically in England as well as Europe. From a team that was more often than not a mid table club prior to the acquisition, City now find themselves mixing it with the best in the world.
One of the many talents at the club is Englishman John Stones who arrived at the Etihad Stadium after impressing with Everton. A rock-solid defender who has the ability to carry the ball out of defence, Stones joined the Manchester club for a fee believed to be in the region of £55.60 million, making him the costliest defender of all time.
While he might not have had a great start to life in Manchester, there is no denying his talent and it is obvious that City’s defence is in good hands.
Centre-back
Rio Ferdinand – Leeds United to Manchester United (£30 million)
A product of the West Ham academy, Rio Ferdinand is a name that is forever etched into English football history. The centre-back earned himself a big-money move in the summer of 2002 owing to his great performances at the heart of the defence for West Ham and subsequently for Leeds United.
Chelsea and Manchester United, amongst several other clubs, had been extensively linked with him throughout his formative days and when Leeds showed an inclination to sell their prized asset at the end of the 2001-02 season, Manchester United were the quickest to react.
Of course, a move for the talented youngster was not going to be cheap and Manchester United had to part with a whopping £30 million, the then world record transfer fee for a defender, to acquire his services.
The Englishman, who formed an enviable partnership alongside the Serbian Nemanja Vidic, won an incredible six Premier League titles, two European titles and a host of other trophies in England. To this day, Ferdinand is considered one of the best defenders to have graced the game.
Centre-back
Shkodran Mustafi – Valencia to Arsenal (£35 million)
While Arsene Wenger does have a reputation of being thrifty, there are times when the Frenchman is willing to go to any lengths to acquire the signature of a player. He did so with the likes of Mesut Ozil, and more recently, Shkodran Mustafi.
When the Frenchman decided to pursue the World Cup-winning defender, it did not come as a surprise to anybody in the footballing world. The 24-year-old learnt the tricks of the trade at Hamburg, Everton and Sampdoria, and rose to fame at Valencia with his steely performances at the back. A leader of the defence, Mustafi was precisely what the Gunners needed in the summer transfer window.
While he might not have had a great start to life in England, especially with his side shipping in the 2nd highest goals amongst the top six in the Premier League, the defender’s presence allows Wenger to address other areas of concern.
Left-back
Luke Shaw – Southampton to Manchester United (£30 million)
Luke Shaw is another example of how, sometimes, achieving too much too soon can prove detrimental. Shaw impressed with Southampton ever since he was drafted into the Saints first-team in 2012.
His attacking abilities were what caught the eyes of Manchester United and Chelsea and come the beginning of 2014, United decided to part with a whopping £30 million to acquire his services.
However, after a decent beginning to life at Old Trafford, the player’s time has been blighted by injuries as well a loss in form. The left-back was deemed overweight by Louis van Gaal and then had to spend months recuperating from a horrific double fracture. Moreover, his playing time has reduced due to the presence of the Dutch international, Daley Blind.
At just 21 years of age, though, Shaw still has time to make an impression at Old Trafford and millions of Manchester United fans worldwide will be praying that he comes of age soon.
