Analyzing the 5 most expensive defenders in the history of football

Football has gone crazy when it comes to the transfer market. The amount of money shuttling between clubs these days is mind-boggling.

PSG this season stunned the world with a record €222m transfer for Neymar - a transfer shook the world of football.

A transfer deal of such dimensions immediately had major aftershocks in the transfer market. This transfer created a ripple effect which inflated player prices and saw Barcelona pay €152m for Ousmane Dembele whose quality is still up for debate.

Meanwhile, Manchester City spent more than €200m just to reinvigorate their defensive line and highlights the changes in the way that clubs value defenders.

Here is a look at the five most expensive defenders in the history of football.

#5 John Stones: Everton to Manchester City

Season: 2016/17

Transfer fee: €55.6m

Manchester City bought English central defender John Stones for a whopping €55.6m from Everton. The signing by Pep Guardiola made the then 22-year-old the most expensive English player ever.

Stones possesses some unique abilities for a defender which gained Pep's attention. He is one of the best passers in the Premier League as he likes to play short passes and doesn't dive into tackles.

Stones' control of the ball links well with Guardiola's philosophy of playing out from the defence and his pass success rate of 95% is one of the best in the world for defenders.

He is also a good attacking option from set-pieces and has three goals against his name from his four Champions League games this season.

While the centre-back had an average first season at City, he has begun to show his quality by putting in solid displays this season which have contributed to City having one of the best defences in the Premier League. The former Everton man who is just 23, has the potential to become one of the best defenders in the world.

#4 David Luiz - Chelsea to PSG

David Luiz became the 1st defender to get transferred for 50+ million euros

Season: 2014/15

Transfer fee: €56.0m

David Luiz became the most expensive defender when his transferred happened in 2014 and became the first defender to achieve the £50m transfer milestone. After spending four successful seasons with Chelsea, during which he won the Champions League, the Europa League, and the FA Cup, the Brazilian defender moved to PSG for a record price.

Luiz is one of the few defenders who have the right attacking mentality. He is versatile enough to play as a defensive midfielder too and his ability to pass the ball out from defence and long-range shooting make him a threat. He seems to be best suited for a three-man defensive line which gives him the license to wander into the midfield.

His all-around abilities convinced PSG to pay a record transfer price and he made an immediate impact as he helped the team to win back-to-back trebles (Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue) in his two seasons in France.

To everyone's surprise, Luiz returned to Chelsea for €35.0m and repaid manager Antonio Conte's trust with a scintillating performance in the 2016-17 Premier League season, thus playing a vital part in Chelsea's Premier League win. He has featured in Premier League's PFA Team of the Year for the 2016-17 season.

#3 Kyle Walker - Tottenham to Manchester City

Walker is currently the most expensive English defender in history

Season: 2017/18

Transfer fee: €56.2m

In July, Walker signed a five-year contract with Manchester City, in a transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. The deal was worth €56.2m, rising to €59.0m with add-ons.

City identified Walker as a prime target for their right-back position after letting the right-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna leave for free at the end of last season.

Why would City pay such a hefty transfer price for Kyle Walker? He was one of the best athletes for Tottenham in terms of physical talent, strength, tackling and pace. He possesses a unique expertise of cutting in from the sideline and dragging a few defenders to him before providing a cross inside the box.

He is also very good at drawing fouls just outside the 18-yard box. Walker has been phenomenal for City's attack providing four assists so far this season.

A rejuvenated Man City is dominating the Premier League at the moment with solid defensive and attacking displays. They have won 19 out of the 20 PL games and are well on course to win the Premier League title this season.

He has rightly earned his place in Sportskeeda's Premier league team of the season so far.

#2 Benjamin Mendy- Monaco to Manchester City

Mendy's signing shocked the entire world as AS Monaco had insisted that he was not going to be sold

Season: 2017/18

Transfer fee: €58.5m

Mendy is a fast-paced left back who came to the fore at Marseille. He joined Monaco in 2016, helping them to the win the French Ligue 1 title last season and in the process became one of the most impressive left-backs in the world football.

Guardiola recruited Mendy as part of his grand defensive transformation in July 2017. Just ten days after recruiting Kyle Walker as a right back for a record price, Manchester City announced that they had signed Mendy on a five-year contract worth €58.5m.

In an age where full-backs are required to run forward and provide overlapping runs alongside wingers, Mendy’s ability to get into the opponent’s half and deliver great crosses is something which needs special mention.

Mendy started his Manchester City career on an assuring note but, unfortunately, he got injured in a Premier League game against Liverpool and will be out of action for most of the season.

Nevertheless, the 23-year old French International will be a force to reckon with in the coming seasons.

#1 Virgil Van Dijk- Southampton to Liverpool

Van Dijk's move to Liverpool makes him the most expensive defender of all time

Season: 2017/18 (Winter Transfer Window)

Transfer fee: €84.0m

Van Dijk will move to Liverpool for a record fee when the winter transfer window opens on the 1st of January. The joint-seventh most expensive signing of all time will be the most expensive defender ever surpassing Mendy's by a whopping €35m.

In this inflated market, no transfer is overpriced, Liverpool desperately needs a defender and Southampton have made money out of Liverpool's desperation.

The Netherlands international has shown at Celtic and Southampton that he is competent enough to lead the back line, this is why Liverpool had to shell out a record fee to get him ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City

What are his strengths? When it comes to an aerial duel, Van Dilk is probably the best defender in the world. He hasn't made a single mistake which led to a goal in the last three seasons something which Dejan Lovren alone has made three of such mistakes in the same time frame.

An assured defender is what Liverpool needs now to provide solidity and balance at the back. In order to give the forward line free reign to destroy opponents, they need a defender who can handle himself in one-on-one situations.

Liverpool's defence is the chink in their armour and Klopp must be hoping that Van Dijk can make an instant impact for the Reds in helping them to finish in the top four this season.