#7 - Thiago Silva:
In normal circumstances two years ago, Thiago Silva's place would have certainly been in the top 5. However, his injury woes have increased which means that Silva has not been able to show his best level on a constant basis.
However, he remains Brazil's best center back. Dominant in aerial duels, a monster in the penalty box and one of the best deep-lying play-makers in activity, the Paris Saint Germain captain needs to remain-injury free if he was to earn one last shot at the FIFA World Cup.
#6 - Dani Alves:
Dani Alves has been criticized for lacking consistency and being defensively fragile when dealing with pacy wingers, but in the second half of last season, the veteran stepped up when it mattered the most, in decisive Champions League knockout tie against FC Barcelona and AS Monaco.
Alves might be getting old, but during his peak days, he was arguably the best fullback in the world, and it seems that he is still willing to challenge himself and to pull one more season at high level.