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There's really no need to stress on the importance of centre-backs in football. In the words of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson,
"Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
Ferguson's teams played direct, fast-paced football but they always ensured that the backdoor remained shut. The famous Vidic-Ferdinand partnership that went on to win many major honours exemplifies this.
All the dominant teams in the history of football will have at least one top centre-back that they can boast off. A stable unit at the back goes a long way towards building great teams. As such, let's take a look at 5 of the best centre-backs in football right now.
#5 Milan Skriniar - Inter Milan
Milan Skriniar has been Inter Milan's main man at the back as they posed a Serie A title challenge this season. Antonio Conte had placed a lot of faith in him and the 25-year-old and boy did it pay off. Inter Milan had the best defensive record in the Serie A this season, conceding just 36 goals.
While he may not be the tallest centre-back around, he makes up for his shortcomings in the air with some solid tackling on the ground.
Skriniar is also an excellent passer of the ball and in today's game where more and more teams seem to be adapting an expansive style of play, it is then no surprise that Skriniar is one of the most sought-after centre-backs in the world.
If rumours are to be believed, Tottenham Hotspur are trying to sign him this window and are in talks with Inter Milan.
#4 Aymeric Laporte - Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has managed some of the best teams in the 21st century and he likes to populate his team with technically sound players. Pep's teams always play out from the back and this calls for centre-backs who are excellent with the ball at their feet and is good with their passing over varied distances.
Of course, those are the essential auxiliary skills. They definitely need to be formidable in a defensive sense as well. Aymeric Laporte is the perfect man for the job. Laporte has a lot of quality and he oozes calmness when he's on the ball. He is a cool presence at the back and hardly ever commits an error stemming from panic.
Manchester City are a team that has a lot of quality squad depth. Despite missing a major chunk of the 2019/20 season due to injury, Laporte is the go-to man at the heart of defence for one of the best managers in the world.
#3 Sergio Ramos - Real Madrid
Sergio Ramos will go down in history as one of the best defenders of the modern era. The legendary Real Madrid captain has now served the Blancos for 15 years after joining from Sevilla in 2005. He has had an illustrious career in the Spanish capital and continues to be one of their best players despite being 34-years-old.
Ramos has a reckless streak in him but he is the last person you want to go up against in a heated battle. Sergio Ramos has been bullying La Liga attackers for a decade and a half now. He is not only a great tackler, but he is also strong aerially and is a fantastic passer of the ball.
Ramos is also Real Madrid's go-to penalty taker and hasn't missed one in over 2 years now. He is also the club's second top scorer in the league this season, scoring 11 goals. The Spanish international is a leader of the highest order as well and he continues to be one of the best in the business.
#2 Kalidou Koulibaly - Napoli
Kalidou Koulibaly has been making waves for quite a while now and has been linked with several top clubs including both the Manchester giants. However, he continues to be at Napoli, holding it down for the Partenopei in defence.
What sets the Senegalese international apart is that he is a left-footer like Aymeric Laporte and this helps teams maintain a whole lot more balance at the back. This is a particularly appealing quality to teams that adopt a possession-based style of play.
The 29-year-old is an excellent tackler and though he might get carried away on occasion, he is a dominant presence in defence thanks to his towering frame. He is also an excellent passer of the ball.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk - Liverpool
Virgil Van Dijk is the signing that finally transformed an already exciting Liverpool side into a juggernaut. He came in and almost single-handedly stabilized a Liverpool defence that was being taken to the cleaners over their incompetence.
Van Dijk is the toughest centre-back in the world. He is an excellent passer of the ball, hardly ever shows signs of panic and dominates opponents in the air. Van Dijk also packs pace to burn and can catch up with the fastest players in the league.
He is all that you want a great centre-back to be. The Dutchman started all 38 games for Jurgen Klopp's side this season and has also scored 5 goals. Van Dijk is the best centre-back in football right now by quite a distance.
