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Football transfers are very much a mainstay in the modern game, as windows offer clubs the opportunity to strengthen their squads in areas of weakness.
An ever-increasing pool of marketing and TV money means that football teams are richer than ever, with exuberant amounts of money being spent on transfers.
Less than a decade ago, it was almost impossible to fathom a nine-figure player, but Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United in 2017 paved the way for that - there have been five since then, with Neymar's groundbreaking €222m transfer to PSG in the summer of 2017 being the benchmark.
The more glamorous nature of attackers means that they are usually more expensive than their counterparts in other positions, followed by midfielders and a cursory look at the most expensive transfers made in history illustrates this point.
However, this does not mean that defenders are not also highly priced and even though we are yet to get a nine-figure transfer for a defender, there are indications that more value is being placed on them. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at the five most expensive transfers of all time involving defenders.
#5 Kyle Walker - July 2017 (Tottenham - Manchester City) - €57m
It is no hidden secret that Pep Guardiola's first season as Manchester City boss ended in disaster, as the City players struggled to imbibe the Catalan tactician's complex tactical demands.
Full-backs have always been an important part of Guardiola's play, from Dani Alves and Jordi Alba at Barcelona to Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba at Bayern Munich, as they provide the width needed to keep opponents on the backfoot.
This entails a lot of pace and energy, but proved problematic in Guardiola's first season, as Pablo Zabaleta and Alexandr Kolarov both proved to be some way off the pace.
Pep's first point of call was, therefore, getting new full-backs and he turned his attention to Kyle Walker of Tottenham.
The England international had distinguished himself as one of the premier right-backs in the Premier League and his performances convinced the City hierarchy to splash out a massive €57m for his signature.
Walker immediately went some way in repaying that sum, as he became a mainstay in the City side that decimated all before them en route their romp to the Premier League title in his debut season, with his pace down the right flank proving extremely beneficial.
So far, Kyle Walker has made 89 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and helping City to three major honors.
#4 Benjamin Mendy - July 2017 (Monaco - Manchester City) - €58.1m
Benjamin Mendy was made the most expensive defender in history when Manchester City completed his signing from Monaco for €58.1m on July 24, 2017.
The Frenchman had played a crucial role in Monaco's spectacular 2016/2017 season which saw them win the French League and make it all the way to the Champions League semi-final.
It was expected that he would provide width opposite Kyle Walker and his early form at City showed the shrewdness of the deal, with Mendy's pin-point delivery being a crucial part of Guardiola's attacking arsenal.
However, barely a month into the season, the World Cup winner damaged his right knee after a challenge with Crystal Palace's Andros Townsend, with scans showing he damaged his Anterior Cruciate Ligament which ruled him out for the next eight months.
He started the current campaign in impressive form, playing in 10 of City's first 12 league matches assisting five goals before once again suffering a long-term injury to his left knee. In total, Mendy has made just 18 appearances in all competitions for City and it is fair to say that he is a long way off repaying the huge fee paid to get him.
#3 Aymeric Laporte - January 2018 (Athletic Bilbao - Manchester City) €65.2m
Aymeric Laporte is the third Manchester City player to feature on the list and had been a long-term target of Guardiola, turning him down twice in the past, before accepting a transfer during the 2018 winter transfer window.
The 24-year-old had made his first-team debut for Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and went on to make 161 La Liga appearances for the Basque outfit over the next six seasons, winning many admirers for his calmness on the ball and distribution.
These characteristics made him a prime fit for Guardiola's plan as he prefers ball-playing centre-backs and the Catalan went all out to get Laporte.
A €65.2m bid was finally accepted by Athletic Bilbao and he has immediately ingrained himself into the City setup, making 51 appearances in all competitions for the club as they continue their assault on four fronts this season.
#2 Lucas Hernandez - March 2019 (Atletico Madrid - Bayern Munich) - €80m
Having risen through the youth ranks at Atletico Madrid since joining the club in 2007, the 23-year-old made his first-team debut for the Rojiblancos in 2014, but struggled to nail down a regular spot owing to the presence of Filipe Luis.
His breakthrough came in the 2017/2018 season where he was able to make 27 La Liga appearances owing to the injury sustained by his Brazilian teammate and Hernandez performed creditably enough to make it onto France's World Cup squad.
In Russia, he further boosted his reputation with dominant displays down Les Bleus' left-flank, playing in all seven matches of the competition as France triumphed in the World Cup.
His impressive displays over the last year convinced German giants Bayern Munich to shell out €80m for his services which is a club record fee and makes the Frenchman the second most expensive defender in history.
#1 Virgil Van Dijk January 2018 (Southampton - Liverpool) €84.5m
Liverpool have had a long history of defensive frailties, with numerous errors at the back leading to dropped points and lost titles.
It is against this backdrop that Jurgen Klopp made signing a top class center-back a high priority, going all out to get Virgil van Dijk.
After some failed attempts, the Dutch powerhouse finally joined The Reds in January 2018 for €84.5 which is a club record, leading many to scoff at such a high amount being spent to sign a defender.
Van Dijk has however silenced his critics, as, since his arrival at Anfield, Liverpool's defense has been turned into a fortress, which would have been unthinkable just a year ago.
His performance at the heart of Liverpool's defense has been instrumental in helping The Reds maintain their quest for a first Premier League title since 1990 and has installed the 27-year-olds one of the favorites to be named PFA Player of the Year.
