5 best left-backs in La Liga (2021)

#3 Jose Gaya

Valencia CF v Getafe CF - La Liga Santander

Jose Gaya has been a consistent name in La Liga over the last few years. This is despite Valencia having endured inconsistent patches of form, troubled by financial mismanagement.

Despite many rumors, Gaya has stayed put at Valencia, and his strong performances in 2021 were a saving grace for the club. Valencia may have been underperforming in La Liga, but Jose Gaya has proven himself once again in 2021 to be a sublime footballer.

In 2021, Gaya made it to the Spanish side, typically for his expertise as an attacking left-back. His attacking game was robust in 2021 as Gaya had 12 goal involvements across all significant tournaments. Nine out of those were assists, while Gaya scored three himself.

---

#2 Ferland Mendy

Real Madrid v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: Leg One

Real Madrid would have long worried about who would carry Marcelo's baton at the La Liga club. However, with Ferland Mendy, Real have a brilliant option for both the present and the future. Since joining from Lyon in 2019, Mendy has gone from strength to strength in the Spanish capital.

In his initial days in La Liga, Mendy showed his defensive side of the game at the cost of an attacking performance. But Madrid rarely lost with him in the side, which fast-tracked him into the starting XI.

Mendy has shown a more attacking side in his game since the turn of 2021. He has scored three times and made an assist. That may not seem much compared to the offensive output of a few other La Liga left-backs on this list. But Mendy is excellent at defense, and his style of play is pretty unique as it's a hybrid of an attacking wing-back and a defensive full-back.

---

#1 Jordi Alba

FC Barcelona v RCD Espanyol - La Liga Santander

2021 is shaping up to be the year to be forgotten for La Liga club Barcelona. They lost their talisman Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain and several members have underperformed.

But Jordi Alba has once again performed strongly over the current calendar year to give the Catalan club some hope. He has proven his money's worth since joining and has been one of Barcelona's top performers.

Despite a largely mediocre season for the club as a whole, Alba's performances have not taken a hit.

Barcelona may not have scored as many goals as they would have liked. However, Alba managed 13 assists and four goals all by himself in the current calendar year.