#1 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool):
Virgil van Dijk has turned into one of the best centre-backs in the world since his arrival at Liverpool for an incredible £75 million, which remains the world record fee for a defender. Liverpool had the pace and quality going forward and were scoring loads of goals, but they lacked solidity at the back.
But since the arrival of the Dutch centre-back, Liverpool have transformed into one of the best defensive sides in Europe. They have conceded just 20 goals in the Premier League this season, which is the lowest in Europe's top 5 leagues.
The 6'4" centre-back is almost unbeatable in the air and wins 4.5 aerial duels per game. Van Dijk possesses the ability to play from the back and completes 89.7% of his attempted passes in the Premier League. These qualities make him one of the most complete modern centre-backs in the world.
Van Dijk has been by far the best player in the league so far and will be the favorite to lift the prestigious PFA Player of the Year trophy at the end of the season.