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3. Cezar Azpilicueta ( £7,000,000 )
Cezar 'Dave' Azpilicueta is, in my opinion, the best defender in the Premier League today. The fact that Chelsea snagged his signature for only 7 million pounds, just as the market was spiralling out of control, befuddles me. Initially, the signing was treated with scepticism as Branislav Ivanovic was seen as irreplaceable and undroppable by most fans.
But, Azpilicueta bided his time and eventually found his way into the first team. In his first season, he played 8 times for Chelsea in Europe as they won the UEFA Europa League under Rafael Benitez. The arrival of Jose Mourinho changed things and soon, Azpilicueta became indispensable.
He replaced Ashley Cole at left-back and fought off competition from Filipe Luis as well, winning the League and the league cup under Jose. To his credit, after the arrival of Antonio Conte, Azpilicueta adapted and began to play on the right side of a back 3, shifting seamlessly into his role and clinching yet another League title for Chelsea, banishing the memories of Mourinho's third season.
Dave is now a right-back again under Maurizio Sarri, and I hope that he stays in West London for a long long time.
