La Liga 20-21: Rankings the 5 best ball-carriers in the league so far

#3 Raul Albiol (6872)

A veteran at the back

At the age of 35, Raul Albiol is having one of the seasons of his life. Under Unai Emery, Villareal are in a tussle for the Champions League spots and Albiol's contributions are going to be very important.

The Spaniard is not only one of the hardest workers on the pitch, but he is also very tough to get past. Specializing in ground duels, the veteran centre-back is as technically adept as he is used to the rough side of the game. It remains to be seen whether he can continue this form in the second half of the La Liga season.

#2 Pau Torres (8081)

Villarreal's ball playing centre

Pau Torres is one of Spain's rising talents, with the best teams in Europe keeping an eye on him. The lanky Spaniard has quite a physical presence but don't be fooled by it. Technically, he is one of the best centre-backs in La Liga.

Going a bit further into this, I look at some passing basic passing stats to see how they fare:-Pique & Lenglet both attempt highest number of passes p90-Ramos' long ball ability is no secret-Bartra is great on the ball-Diego Carlos has been amazing this season-Pau Torres pic.twitter.com/OradUXwKpl

— Yash (@Odriozolite) April 13, 2020

He can wriggle out of the press as easily as he can switch play with stunning diagonals. The 24-year-old is already a regular for the Spanish national team and while he is still learning his trade, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he gets a big move in the summer. After all, there is a scarcity in the market when it comes to left-footed centre-backs.

#1 Frenkie de Jong (8282)

FC Barcelona's ball magent

Frenkie de Jong has taken some time to get used to Barcelona but that's expected from any young talent coming to a foreign country. The 23-year-old has been one of Barcelona's most consistent players this season, although he didn't have a great start but then again, no one in the Barcelona team did.

Fun fact: Frenkie de Jong has scored more goals in La Liga with Barcelona in half a season (5 goals) than with Ajax in five seasons in the (4 goals). [@OptaJoe]Ladies & gentlemen, he has arrived 🤩 pic.twitter.com/8UXcCd8XN0

— Frenkie Chief 🇳🇱 (@FrenkieStats) January 24, 2021

The Dutchman is a fine orchestrating midfielder who can dictate games from deeper positions. He has largely been a part of a double-pivot this season and he hasn't looked out of place. De Jong is a ball magnet who can not only carry the ball out from the back, but he can also break lines for fun. The scary thing is that he is still young and nowhere near his prime.