Ranking the 10 best defenders in La Liga this year (2020)

#3 Jules Kounde (Sevilla)

Jules Kounde

Jules Kounde, who plies his trade at La Liga club Sevilla, is one of the most exciting young defenders in the game at the moment.

This year, the 22-year-old centre-back, despite his diminutive stature, has impressed with his ability on the ball and his overall defensive game after arriving from Bordeaux last summer.

In the Super Cup game against reigning champions Bayern Munich, Kounde was perfect in aerial duels, success rate and take-ons, attributes he has carried over to the La Liga as well.

Jules Koundé was pretty much perfect against Bayern:◎ 100% aerial duels (6/6)◎ 100% tackle succes (3/3)◎ 100% take-ons completed (1/1)Dominant in the air and on the ground. 💪 pic.twitter.com/xfLriDKSpi

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 24, 2020

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#2 Pau Torres (Villareal)

Pau Torres

Pau Torres has been a key part of the Villareal defence since his arrival at the La Liga club last summer.

The 23-year-old centre-back, who has scored a goal apiece against Real Valladolid and Real Betis in the 2020-21 La Liga, particularly impressed against Valladolid. In that game, Torres won all his aerial duels, attempted the most passes and also made key clearances and recoveries.

90 - Pau Torres' game against Real Valladolid:1 goal71 passes attempted - Most in the game100% of duels won (3/3) - Best in the game0 fouls conceded4 clearances9 recoveries - Most by a @Eng_Villarreal player in the gameMVP. pic.twitter.com/FQHj9AJxHU

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 2, 2020

The Manchester United target is reportedly in the radars of a bevy of top clubs in the continent.

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#1 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is one of the finest goal-scoring defenders in the world at the moment.

Despite approaching his 35th birthday, Ramos has been a standout performer for the reigning La Liga champions at both ends of the pitch.

After helping Real Madrid to the title last season, the veteran defender scored his 100th goal in all competitions for the club, becoming only the second defender in Real Madrid's history to do so.

100 - Sergio Ramos has scored his 100th goal for @realmadriden in all competitions, 55 of which have come with his head. Courage. pic.twitter.com/tTYWmHbtIx

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 3, 2020

Ramos' chequered disciplinary record seems to be a thing of the past, as the Real Madrid centre-back has been a defensive bulwark for his side in recent times. In his absence, the reigning La Liga winners appear uncharacteristically sloppy at the back, which goes on to prove Ramos' importance in Zinedine Zidane's setup.