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With football transitioning into a tactical hot-bed of attack-oriented ideas, the modern full-back is arguably one of the most important positions in the beautiful game. Most European giants today consider a world-class left-back a necessity and have often made the world take notice with their high-profile pursuits of highly-rated full-backs.
The likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich have led the 'full-back revolution' in football over the past two years. Andy Robertson and Alphonso Davies are two of the world's best left-backs at the moment and did not cost their sides a fortune in the transfer market.
There have been several instances over the past few years, however, where clubs have made a splash in the transfer market to sign some of the most prodigious left-backs on offer in Europe. The likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Manchester United have invested heavily in full-backs who have shown varying degrees of promise in recent years.
While some of the left-backs on this list have already enjoyed exceptional success at their respective clubs, most of these highly-rated defenders are yet to reach the heights that were expected from them. The youngsters on this list have a long way to go, however, and are likely to make a massive impact in Europe in the years to come.
#10 Nico Schulz - €25.5 million (Borussia Dortmund)
Nico Schulz burst on to the scene with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga in 2015 as a young left-back who could make things happen in the final third. The youngster joined Hoffenheim in 2017 and exceeded expectations at his new club.
In 2019, Borussia Dortmund identified Nico Schulz as a viable back-up option for Raphael Guerreiro and spent a sizeable amount in an inflated transfer market to bring the German to the club. The Ruhr Valley giants spent €25.5 million on Nico Schulz and it is safe to say that the left-back is yet to justify his price tag at the club.
Nico Schulz has endured several injuries at Borussia Dortmund and has not had the best of fortune with his new club. The 27-year-old left-back still has a few years left to make an impact at the club and could become a prominent figure in the Bundesliga this season.
#9 Alex Sandro - €26 million (Juventus)
Alex Sandro is one of the few players on the list to have enjoyed a successful tenure at his club after a high-profile transfer. The Brazilian left-back moved from FC Porto to the Serie A in 2015 for €26 million.
Juventus are one of the most successful clubs in Italy and Alex Sandro has been a part of an excellent team in Turin over the past few years. Under Massimiliano Allegri, the pacy left-back moved from strength to strength and has now won five consecutive Serie A titles at the club.
While the Bianconeri have been largely underwhelming in the Champions League, Alex Sandro has managed to carve a niche for himself at Juventus with his consistency in the Serie A.
Also Read: Serie A 2019/20: Team of the season
#8 Kieran Tierney - €27 million (Arsenal)
Kieran Tierney was identified as a potential solution for Arsenal's defensive woes last year and the Scottish left-back has been largely successful in the Gunners' starting line-up. The former Celtic star has displayed incredible maturity on the pitch for Arsenal and is likely to be a fixture in the side for years to come.
Keiran Tierney cost Arsenal a considerable amount of money and did not enjoy a particularly fruitful start to his time at Arsenal. The Gunners spent €27 million to bring the left-back to the club and his shoulder injury under Unai Emery dampened the excitement surrounding his arrival.
With Mikel Arteta at the helm, however, Tierney has become a virtually irreplaceable part of the Arsenal side and played a pivotal role in the Gunners' FA Cup victory. Arsenal have become a resilient side under Arteta and Tierney's presence in the back-line has become a blessing for the club.
#7 Leonardo Spinazzola - €29.5 million (AS Roma)
Leonardo Spinazzola was considered one of the most promising left-backs in Europe at the start of the decade and was drafted into the Juventus youth set-up as a teenager. The Italian full-back spent several loan spells across the country before securing a permanent transfer to AS Roma for a €29.5-million fee in 2019.
The left-back has endured several injuries at the Stadio Olimpico and has been fairly inconsistent with the Giallorossi. Spinazzola has managed to secure a permanent spot in the starting eleven, however, and is often played as a wing-back in Paulo Fonseca's 3-5-2 formation.
With AS Roma showing plenty of promise over the past year, Leonardo Spinazzola may well justify his price tag this year and guide the Giallorossi back to the Champions League.
#6 Fabio Coentrao - €30 million (Real Madrid)
Fabio Coentrao joined Real Madrid in 2011 and spent seven years with the Spanish giants. The Portuguese left-back did cost the club €30 million but did well in his first few years under Jose Mourinho.
Coentrao served as a viable back-up option to Marcelo for Real Madrid and also made a few appearances in the midfield for Los Blancos. The full-back's performances dropped under Carlo Ancelotti and he eventually fell out of favour at the club.
The left-back secured a move back to his boyhood club Rio Ave in 2018 and spent two years at the club. Coentrao announced his retirement for professional football earlier this year.
#5 Sergio Reguilon - €30.5 million (Tottenham Hotspur)
Sergio Reguilon was a revelation last season with Sevilla and was exceptional in the Spanish side's successful Europa League campaign. The former Real Madrid left-back was snapped up by Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur in the transfer window last month.
The Spurs paid in excess of €30 million for Sergio Reguilon and given the current financial climate in European football, the Spanish left-back has plenty of work to do to justify his price tag.
Reguilon is likely to take Ben Davies' place in Tottenham's line-up in the coming months and will have to work hard to earn Jose Mourinho's favour. The left-back is a prodigious talent and can become an excellent player in the Premier League.
Also Read: Premier League 2019/20: Team of the season
#4 Luke Shaw - €37.5 million (Manchester United)
Luke Shaw was touted as one of the best young English players after his stellar 2013/14 season with Southampton. The talented left-back made a high-profile move to Manchester United the following season that cost the Red Devils a fee of €37.5 million.
The English full-back has struggled with injuries at Manchester United and has not been able to clinch a regular place in the starting eleven. Luke Shaw is highly dependable when he is fit but has been unable to make the impact that was expected of him.
Luke Shaw did have a positive 2018/19 season for Manchester United but struggled with injuries yet again in the following year. The Englishman still has a few years left in his prime and will want to stay fit at the club.
#3 Ferland Mendy - €48 million (Real Madrid)
Ferland Mendy burst on to the scene with Lyon in the 2018/19 season and both Barcelona and Real Madrid immediately took notice of the talented left-back. Real Madrid beat their arch-rivals to the Frenchman's signing last year and spent a whopping €48 million to bring Ferland Mendy to the club.
With Marcelo not getting any younger, Zinedine Zidane placed plenty of faith in the young Ferland Mendy after the La Liga restart last season and was rewarded with several excellent performances. Real Madrid pipped Barcelona to the La Liga crown last season and Mendy played a pivotal role in his side's domestic success.
Ferland Mendy is only 25 years of age and is likely to inherit Marcelo's place in the team. The young left-back has massive shoes to fill at Real Madrid but has both talent and time on his side.
#2 Ben Chilwell - €50 million (Chelsea)
Chelsea have made ripples in the transfer market over the past year and have invested heavily in young and talented players from across Europe. The Blues began to rejuvenate their defence this year and brought English left-back Ben Chilwell to the club for an astonishing €50 million transfer fee.
Ben Chilwell was a revelation for Leicester City in the 2019/20 season and caught the eye of several high-profile Premier League clubs. Chelsea won the race to sign the highly-rated left-back and brought him to Stamford Bridge as a long-term replacement for Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Chelsea defender made his debut for the club in an EFL Cup game as the Blues ran riot in a 6-0 victory against Barnsley. Chilwell is a complete left-back and is well-placed to stay at the club for several years.
#1 Benjamin Mendy - €57.5 million (Manchester City)
Manchester City's acquisition of Benjamin Mendy rocked the transfer market in 2017 and his €57.5-million transfer fee remains the highest amount spent on a left-back in history. The Cityzens had spent a massive amount on Kyle Walker only weeks earlier and went one step further by bringing Benjamin Mendy to the club.
While Kyle Walker has largely established himself under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Benjamin Mendy's tenure at the club has been riddled with injuries and controversies. The left-back suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his first season at the club and has had his fair share of difficulties at Manchester City.
Benjamin Mendy is an excellent asset in the final third but is prone to errors in his own half. With Joao Cancelo emerging as a viable alternative as a makeshift left-back for Pep Guardiola, Benjamin Mendy needs a string of reliable performances to prove his mettle at the club.
Also Read: Top 10 attacking trios in football history
