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#3 Raphael Varane | £63 million
Real Madrid's Raphael Varane has been one of the most consistent defenders in European football over the past few years. He has established a lethal partnership with Sergio Ramos in the heart of the Los Blancos defence.
After making his Real Madrid debut under Jose Mourinho in the 2011-12 season, Varane burst onto the scene with a sensational performance in his debut El Clasico appearance.
The Frenchman proved to be an immovable force at the heart of Real Madrid's defence and scored an equaliser late on to endear himself to the club faithful. Varane would go on to replace one of Real Madrid’s best defenders in the modern era, Pepe. The Frenchman has notched up a mammoth tally of 359 appearances and 18 titles in almost a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Varane is known to be assured with the ball at his feet and has one of the highest tackle success rates (60.55%) in Europe’s top-five leagues. The 28-year old was also instrumental in France’s victorious 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign and will look to add the upcoming Euros to his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
#2 Casemiro | £63 million
While the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo spurred Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles, the midfield trio of Casemiro, Kroos and Modric was as key to Los Blacos’ glory, if not more.
Casemiro joined Real Madrid’s B team in 2013 following a stint with his local club, Sao Paulo. After an impressive loan spell with Porto in the 2014-15 season, Casemiro got his first real break in the 2015-16 season under Zinedine Zidane. The 29-year-old has developed into one of the finest defensive midfielders in world football under Zidane’s tutelage.
The Brazilian has racked up 285 appearances for Los Merengues, notching up an impressive tally of 30 goals and 24 assists while operating in a deeper-lying playmaker role.
#1 Thibaut Courtois | £67.5 million
Thibaut Courtois is Real Madrid’s most valuable player. With a market value of £67.5 million, the Belgian is the world's second-most valuable goalkeeper in world football.
Courtois has been excellent between the sticks for Los Blancos this season, sitting second in the La Liga Golden Glove race with 17 clean sheets under his belt. The 29-year old has had a save success rate of 81.7%, the highest in the 2020-21 La Liga season.
Real Madrid have exhibited defensive frailties in the latter half of the season, owing to a lengthy injury list. But Courtois has been key as the Los Blancos’ last line of defence, conceding only 27 goals off 109 shots on target against him.
Courtois is also one of the few players to win a La Liga title at both Madrid clubs; he won the 2013-14 La Liga title with Atletico and won the competition in 2019-20 with Real Madrid.
The Belgian custodian made his move to Real Madrid on a €35 million transfer fee in the 2018 summer transfer window from Stamford Bridge after a successful three-season loan spell at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
