Ranking the 10 best defenders in the world: Top 10 centre-backs this season

Defending is not everyone's forte and is an art which isn't easy to master. It requires an immense amount of concentration, judgement and the willingness to put your body on the line in order to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net. Football is becoming quicker and intense year after year and the defenders have to adapt to the change. Most teams in this era like to play from the back and want defenders to be comfortable on the ball and have the ability to play passes which can break opposition lines. Hence modern defenders do not only have to be physically astute but should also possess great technical ability on the ball.

The contribution of a defender on the pitch is equal to that of an attacker or a midfielder, but they never receive the same kind of appreciation. It is evident from the fact that in the past 20 years only one defender has won a Balon d'Or, and that Fabio Cannavaro back in 2006.

The footballing season is approaching its endgame and we have decided to pick 10 of the best centre-backs in Europe so far this season.

Also see : Manchester Transfer News, Chelsea Transfer News, Gold Cup Standings

#10 Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Willy Boly is one of the most underrated centre-backs in the Premier League this season. The French centre-back has been a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves and has made 34 appearances for him so far this season.

The 6'4'' beast of a centre-back is dominant in the air and wins 4 aerial duels per game. The 28-year old has got ability on the ball and can play diagonal balls for the wingers as well as play balls into the midfielders which helps Wolves play the counter-attacking football they are excelling at this season.

The centre-back's physicality makes him a dangerous proposition for the opposition during set-pieces and has 3 goals to his name this season. He is making a name for himself in the Premier League this season with brilliant performances and deserves to feature on our list.

#9 Victor Lindelof (Manchester United)

Manchester United splashed £30 million for Victor Lindelof at the starting of last season. He struggled to cope up with the pace of the Premier League and delivered a series of poor performances for the Red Devils.

Many feared that he would turn out to be another flop signing and when Jose Mourinho made it public that he wants another centre-back last summer, it seemed like the end of his Manchester United career. But Victor Lindelof was determined to prove his worth to the Old Trafford faithful and worked hard to become one of the key members of his side.

The 'ice-man' is calm on the ball and the modern ball-playing centre-back completes 88% of his attempted pass. The Swedish Centre-half was struggling with the physicality of the Premier League and was dominated aerially by the centre-forwards but is winning 2.1 aerial duels per game this season, which shows the transformation in his game.

His perseverance and determination to succeed have transformed him into one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League this season.

#8 Ibrahima Konate (RB Leipzig)

RB Leipzig has the knack of recruiting some of the best talents in Europe and have assembled a squad with the likes of Timo Werner, Upamecano and Emil Forsberg which is more than capable of competing with the best in Europe.

One such talent is 19-year old Ibrahima Konate. The 19-year old French kid has been an integral part of Ralf Rangnick's side and has made 35 appearances for them in all competitions so far this season. The 6'2'' defender loves to dribble and play short passes with his teammates.

His physicality and strength enable him to dominate the best of strikers aerially, winning 3.6 aerial duels per game. The youngster is a great tackler of the ball and wins almost 2 tackles per game and completes 2 interceptions per game across all competitions this season. The centre-back is just 19-years of age and has got loads of time on his side to transform into one of Europe's best.

#7 Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)

Marquinhos was tipped to become one of the best centre-backs in the world from a very young age. Paris Saint-Germain saw potential in the Brazilian and didn't hesitate to splash €31 million on a teenager back in 2013.

Since then he has managed to win 18 trophies with PSG. The Brazilian centre-back has got immense quality on the ball and can also play in midfield if called upon. He completes 92.1% of his attempted passes. The Brazilan is not as tall as some of the other centre-backs on this list but still manages to win 2 aerial duels per game across all competitions for PSG. He also possesses threat from set-piece situations and has scored 4 goals this season.

In defence, he manages to win 2 tackles per game and completes 1.5 tackles per game which exhibit his ability to read opposition's game. He has been an integral part of Thomas Tuchel's PSG and has made 37 appearances this season.

#6 Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid)

The veteran centre-back has been a long-term servant for Atletico Madrid. He was bought by Atletico Madrid back in 2010 from Villarreal for a reported fee of €8 million. The Uruguayan has thus far made 378 appearances for the Los Rojiblancos.

The 33-year old won the La Liga title back in 2014 and has played in 2 Champions League in the Atletico Madrid shirt. He has also lifted 2 Europa league titles with the Los Rojiblancos. He is a brick wall at the back and even the most prolific attackers in world football find it difficult to play against the veteran centre-back.

The Uruguayan is dominant in the air and manages to win 2.5 aerial duels per game. Along with defensive assurances, he also has a knack for scoring goals and is a threat during set-pieces for the oppositions. The Atletico Madrid legend might end his 9-year stay in the Spanish Capital as his contract expires in the summer with his heart set on a move to Inter according to reports.

#5 Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)

Manchester City matched Aymeric Laporte's €67 million release clause to lure him away from Atletic Bilbao during last season's winter transfer window which shows the confidence they had in his ability.

The 24-year old is one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in Europe. The Frenchmen completes 92.4% of his attempted passes and ranks 4th in terms of completed passes in the Premier League. The centre-back has been an integral part of Pep Guardiola's quadruple-chasing side and has featured 39 times this season across all competitions for Manchester City.

He is not the most physically astute defender out there but still manages to win 2.3 aerial duels per game. He also manages 1.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game. Laporte is quick on the grass which makes him capable of covering the flanks during counter-attacks when the full-backs are out of position. His ball distribution from the back is just remarkable and makes him unique from other defenders out there.

#4 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

The Italian centre-back is the epitome of defending. He is the most complete, robust centre-back there has been for a decade. The 34-year old has been at Juventus for the past 14 years and has made 334 appearances in Juventus's black and white.

The centre-back does not shy away from a challenge and will throw his body on the line if needed. The centre-back has the ability to carry the ball forward from the back and is a reliable passer of the ball, completing 86% of his attempted passes.

The 6'2'' centre-back also wins 2.3 aerial duels per game. The Italian hasn't lost his pace even at the age of 34 and can stop the quickest of attackers. He wins almost 1 tackle per game and completes 1.4 interceptions per game.

The centre-back is nearing the end of his footballing career and will end up being amongst the best defenders to ever embrace the pitch.

#3 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

Kalidou Koulibaly is the hottest property in Europe at the moment and the biggest teams in Europe are fighting for his signature. The 27-year old is one of the most complete centre-backs there is in Europe. He has made 38 appearances for Carlo Ancelloti's Napoli and is a crucial member of his squad.

He is exceptional on the ball and can drive the ball forward, has bags of pace and wins almost every challenge he commits to. The Senegalese centre-back is a brilliant passer of the ball and completes 88% of his attempted passes, averaging 73 passes per game. He stands 195cm above the ground and his physicality is unmatched.

Koulibaly wins 2.2 aerial duels per game, wins 1.7 tackles per game, and completes 1.4 interceptions per game. The centre-back has played against the best attackers in Europe this season and came out on top every time. Potential suitors are willing to pay north of £100 million which explains the confidence they have in his ability.

#2 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

The 32-year old has played for two of the best clubs in the world- Manchester United and Barcelona and is counted amongst the elite defenders. The Spaniard has been at Barcelona for more than a decade now and has won everything there is to win with the Blaugrana.

Pique is a reliable passer of the ball, completing 91% of his attempted passes, and possesses the ability to break opposition lines with his passing. The 6'4'' centre-back can boss the opposition in the air and wins 3.3 duels per game across all competitions for Barcelona. His physicality also makes him a serious threat from set-pieces.

The 32-year old has been brilliant for Barcelona once again this season, helping them keep 20 clean sheets across all competitions this season. The centre-back is approaching the dawn of his career but is still managing to produce brilliant performances game after game.

#1 Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

Liverpool FC's Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool splashed £75 million back during last season's winter transfer window to secure the signing of Centre-back Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton, which is the world record fee for a defender.

The arrival of the Dutch defender has transformed Liverpool into title contenders. They have conceded just 18 goals in the Premier League so far this season, which is the second best record in Europe's top 5 leagues.

The Dutchmen is lauded as the best defender in Europe and the stats back the claim. No attacker in Europe has been able to dribble past the centre-back which shows how defensively astute he is. The 6'4" centre-back is aerially dominant and wins an incredible 4.5 aerial duels per game.

He also averages 1 tackle and 1.1 interceptions per game. The centre-back is also quite comfortable on the ball and is a great passer of the ball, completing 89.2% of his attempted passes. The 27-year old can lead Liverpool to their first-ever Premier League title.

Edited by Aaditya Narayan