The art of defending, often overshadowed by the glitter of goals and assists, remains the backbone of every successful
Football side. No team has been able to dominate their respective league, or even individual competitions, without having a world-class back-line. Over the years, the has been home to some of the best centre-backs in world football. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Tony Adams, John Terry, Vincent Kompany, and many, many, more spring to mind when thinking about whom . The aforementioned quartet were arguably complete defenders, imperious in the air when required, solid in one-vs-one situations, and intelligent enough to position themselves in the right place to snuff out any danger. Today, modern-day centre-backs plying their trade in the English top-flight are meant to do all that and more, given the frantic pace of the league. However, the current crop of defenders are truly some of the finest we've ever seen. Be it Liverpool's , often labelled the best defender in recent memory, or Arsenal's William Saliba, an extremely talented youngster who is already at the heart of Mikel Arteta's plans at just 23 years of age. But who is the best of the best today? We've attempted to rank the 10 best centre-backs in the league right now. We've considered a player's form in 2023/24 so far, but have also factored in how good they have been historically too. Because of that, some players who are currently out injured do crack our top 10. To give you an idea of how impressive the current centre-back pool is right now, some big stars miss out. There is no room for Fabian Schar, despite his excellent performances at the back for Newcastle. Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi is also absent. And despite Aston Villa flying high at the moment, there is no space for Diego Carlos or Pau Torres either. The latter was on the cusp of making it in, but we need to see a little more before we definitively say he's better than number 10 on our list. The 10 best
Premier League centre-backs right now 1. Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool 7.30 2. William Saliba
Arsenal 6.78 3. John Stones
Manchester City 6.60 4. Ruben Dias Manchester City 6.77 5. Gabriel Arsenal 7.04 6. Micky van de Ven
Tottenham Hotspur 6.83 7. Ibrahima Konate Liverpool 6.90 8. Ezri Konsa Aston Villa 6.71 9. Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United 6.42 10. Sven Botman Newcastle United 6.58 In 2022/23, there were many fans and pundits alike who claimed that he'd dropped off and that he wasn't the same player that he once was. But this term, looks to be back with a vengeance and has consistently shown why he is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. The transformative effect he has had on Liverpool since joining the club cannot be understated, and his defensive ability in 2023/24 has helped put Jurgen Klopp's side back in the title picture. In a season that has been marred by injury woes, the Dutchman has been ever-present in the heart of the Reds' back line, winning many aerial duels and contesting every ball on the deck. Given the performances he has consistently put in over multiple years - - the trophies he's won, and what he brings to the club, he is certainly the best defender in the league right now. Virgil van Dijk - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 26 Pass success rate (%) 90.9 Aerials won per game 4.3 Tackles per game 1.2 Interceptions per game 1.3 Clearances per game 4.3 Overall rating 7.30
BREAKING into Arsenal's first team in 2022/23, not many would have predicted Saliba's rise from young talent to one of the best defenders in world football. But that's exactly what happened. The Frenchman was one of the standout players in the Gunners' title charge, getting into the on the back of his dominant performances. It says a lot that the club's Premier League title aspirations fell apart when he dropped out of the team through injury, but he has bounced back magnificently and has returned to the starting line-up looking better than ever. Playing every game so far, it takes quite something . Many people wouldn't complain about him being first, but, with Van Dijk excelling for many years now, we'll hold off for the moment. William Saliba - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 28 Pass success rate (%) 92.5 Aerials won per game 2 Tackles per game 1 Interceptions per game 0.8 Clearances per game 2 Overall rating 6.78 What a player was for
Pep Guardiola last season. Taking up an unorthodox role as someone who would step into midfield, the English defender earned the nickname 'the Barnsley Beckenbauer' because of his excellent performance in the heart of Man City's team as they completed the treble. There aren't many who could have played that role last season, and his development into one of the league's best centre-backs is made all the more impressive because , per . Stones has had an injury-plagued campaign so far, but his absence from the Citizens' line-up shows his quality as the backline has struggled to put in the same level of performances without the
England international. John Stones - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 11(3) Pass success rate (%) 93.2 Aerials won per game 0.9 Tackles per game 0.1 Interceptions per game 0.6 Clearances per game 1.4 Overall rating 6.60 A gem at the back for Manchester City, has earned his reputation as a defensive titan, and one of the best in his position in the world. Fearless when tackling, an underrated passer of the ball and a leader at the back, he is well-equipped to play Pep Guardiola's style of football and has cemented his status . He's not been at his best this season, mind you, but it would be remiss to disregard his brilliance. Dias' foul on Armando Broja , and he was also at fault for one of RB Leipzig's goals in the
Champions League. For those reasons, and due to the stellar performances of our top three, we have had to drop him down to fourth, but we have full faith that he can get back to his very best. Ruben Dias - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 21(2) Pass success rate (%) 94 Aerials won per game 1.3 Tackles per game 1.2 Interceptions per game 1 Clearances per game 2.9 Overall rating 6.77 Gabriel, Arsenal's Brazilian wall, showcases the perfect blend of physicality, aggression and technical ability. He was mightily impressive last season at the back alongside Saliba, and after being at the beginning of the 2023/24 term, he has re-established himself as a mainstay in the Gunners' set-up. No defender has scored more Premier League goals than Gabriel during the 2023/24 season (4). With 26 appearances to his name, he has played a key role in Arsenal's performances to date, with in the Premier League the best within the Arsenal squad. The 26-year-old has a knack for asserting his aerial dominance, which makes him a formidable piece of Arsenal's spine. His prowess in the air also helps at the other end of the pitch, with his four goals last season showing that he has an eye for goal. Gabriel - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 24(2) Pass success rate (%) 89.3 Aerials won per game 2.5 Tackles per game 1.3 Interceptions per game 0.8 Clearances per game 2.4 Overall rating 7.04 Albeit injured for a fair chunk of the current term, Micky van de Ven has been a revolutionary signing under Ange Postecoglou. Particularly at the start, Tottenham Hotspur’s upturn in results was as much to do with their defence – spruced into life thanks to Van de Ven’s concoction of pace, power and high defensive IQ – as it was their free-flowing attack. An astute passer, too, there are not many downfalls to the former Wolfsburg man’s skillset. , Postecoglou can afford to play his high-risk, high-reward system with Van de Ven as the orchestrator in the middle. Without him, however, the drop in quality is a concern. Micky van Ven - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 18 Pass success rate (%) 95.3 Aerials won per game 1.3 Tackles per game 1.7 Interceptions per game 0.7 Clearances per game 2.8 Overall rating 6.83 Thanks to the imperious nature of Van Dijk, the brilliance of his partner in crime, , is often overlooked. Regarded as one of , the Frenchman is as comfortable on the ball as he is imperious. Standing at an eye-catching 194cm, Konate can rival anybody off the ground, while no attacker dares stand him up. A great all-rounder for the Merseyside-based outfit, he’s undoubtedly a big presence, whether that’s off-field or while playing – and hence why his importance cannot be quantified. Aged 24, Konate is set to be a key player for the club in years to come – even when . That’s how good he is. Ibrahima Konate - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 14(5) Pass success rate (%) 88.1 Aerials won per game 3.2 Tackles per game 1.6 Interceptions per game 0.9 Clearances per game 2.4 Overall rating 6.90 It’s not unfair to say that Unai Emery’s transformative effect at Aston Villa has been nothing short of brilliant – but his season looked to be in disarray when . Fear not, though, as Euro 2024 hopeful Ezri Konsa has stepped up to the plate in his compatriot’s absence. The Londoner excels with the ball at his feet – and his 92.9% pass success rate is a testament to his comfortability in possession. Boasting ample versatility, too, with his ability to play on the right-hand side of the Villans' defence, Konsa has become indispensable for Emery this season. Ezri Konsa - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 26 Pass success rate (%) 92.9 Aerials won per game 0.9 Tackles per game 1.5 Interceptions per game 1 Clearances per game 2.2 Overall rating 6.71 Do not get us wrong, is higher than ninth in this list when he is fully fit and firing – but that is the crux of the problem. That being said, form does come into our minds when picking the top 10 as of right now, and the Argentine played just 184 minutes of Premier League action before picking up another injury. When he is available, however, he is an exceptional tackler, with only four United players ranking higher than the
World Cup winner for tackles and interceptions combined (87) in the 2022/23 season. Also capable of accurately spraying passes around the pitch, highlighted by his 93.6% pass completion rate in his limited game time this term, and you have a quality ball-playing defender on your hands. Lisandro Martinez - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 7(1) Pass success rate (%) 93.6 Aerials won per game 0.4 Tackles per game 1.4 Interceptions per game 0.5 Clearances per game 2.3 Overall rating 6.42 Newcastle's might have missed a chunk of the season through injury, but his form in his debut season of English football just about drags him into the top 10. The Dutchman seamlessly slotted into the backline and was quick to muster a fantastic partnership with Fabian Schar to guide his new club back to a spot in the Champions League. Botman has had terrible luck with injuries during the 2023/24 campaign as he missed the majority of the first half of the season. After returning to action in the new year, the 24-year-old struggled to get back to the impressive form he showed the previous year and suffered a season-ending injury. Eddie Howe and his coaching staff will be confident the Netherlands international will rediscover his form upon his return to action. Sven Botman - 23/24 Statistics Appearances 15(2) Pass success rate (%) 90.5 Aerials won per game 2 Tackles per game 1.2 Interceptions per game 0.5 Clearances per game 3.4 Overall rating 6.58