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Quality centre-backs are the backbone of a strong defense. The same is well justified by world-class centre-backs like Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Virgil van Dijk and others.
The role of a modern centre-back includes building up play from the back. Over time, the importance of a central defender has become more significant than ever.
Some young centre-backs are immensely talented
The game of football is no longer solely about goals. The youngest of footballers are made aware of how a good defense can do wonders for the team. With this in mind, some young centre-backs have taken the game to a different level.
They have shown the maturity of an experienced central defender combined with the vibrance of a youth. Some of the centre-backs under the age of 25 look very solid for the future. On that note, let's take a look at the best of the lot in the world right now:
#5 Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
The Frenchman started his football career by playing in Austria with Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg. He managed to play a season at both these clubs before earning a move to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Dayot Upamecano had already earned a significant amount of attention with his impressive spell at Salzburg. He was shortlisted for the 2018 Golden Boy award courtesy of those performances. But it was with RB Leipzig that Upamecano was able to unleash his true potential.
The Frenchman is a tall and strong centre-back who loves tackling aggressively up the pitch. As risky as that is, Upamecano tends to be very effective with his aggression. He has got good pace for a centre-back which allows him to make up in case of a failed tackle.
To add, the 22-year old is comfortable playing in any type of formation at the back. Upamecano is also well-known for his passing range. He can spray smart long passes and create from the back given the opportunity.
German giants Bayern Munich have signed the French defender for €42.5 million this summer. Signing the young centre-back means the Bavarian club have secured a good and reliable defender for their future. Upamecano was named in the UEFA Champions League team of the season for the 2019-20 campaign.
#4 Pau Torres (Villarreal)
The 24-year old Spaniard was born and bred in Villarreal, so joining the club's academy came very naturally to him. After making his debut for the senior team in 2017, Pau Torres was sent on loan to Malaga.
Since the 2019-20 season, the centre-back has performed consistently well. Torres has only missed nine games in La Liga in the last two seasons. Last year, Villarreal created history as they won the UEFA Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final. Torres played an important role for the Yellow Submarine in achieving their first ever major continental trophy.
The defender is a very composed and reliable figure at the back. His key abilities lie in reading the game, making timely tackles and providing some incisive passes from the back to kick start the attack.
Torres has been linked with a number of clubs this summer, including Manchester United. The Spaniard reportedly rejected an offer from Tottenham Hotspur as well. With time, it will only get difficult for Villarreal to prevent a quality centre-back like Torres from leaving.
#3 Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus)
The Dutch centre-back joined Ajax from a very young age. In his early days, he was considered too slow and out of shape for a footballer, but Matthijs De Ligt fought his way and proved himself.
Graduating from the Ajax academy, the Dutch centre-back did not take up much time in getting his first senior team appearance. When De Ligt played for Ajax in the 2017 UEFA Europa League final, he became the youngest player ever to play in a major European final. He was only 17 years and 285 days old back then.
De Ligt became the club's youngest captain in 2018 and the same year he went on to win the Golden Boy award. His winning goal against Juventus in the quarter-finals helped Ajax qualify for the semi-finals of the 2019-20 season. In the process, he became the youngest Dutch player to score in the knockout stages.
His performances attracted a lot of interest from all around Europe and it was about time that De Ligt played elsewhere. He eventually ended up at Juventus in 2019 when he was signed for a fee of €75 million.
The former Ajax centre-back is a very good reader of the game. He likes to be in close contact with his opponents and mark them tightly. His aerial abilities are commendable and if he can make his passing a little more effective than what it is now, he becomes the complete package. De Ligt is destined to become one of the best centre-backs in the world with his talent and strong will to succeed.
#2 Jules Kounde (Sevilla)
The French centre-back graduated from the Bordeaux academy. He made his senior debut for the club in January 2018. Since then, Kounde scarcely missed any matches for the French club.
In the summer of 2019, Sevilla was able to sign him for a fee of around €25 million. Kounde has been very impressive since signing for the La Liga club. His ability to play as a right-back has also come in handy.
Kounde is not that tall a centre-back but is very quick and strong. The Frenchman has very good pace and makes up a lot of ground using huge strides. He is known to play a high line as he trusts his pace to cover up in catching the nearest opposition player.
The centre-back is quite impressive with his passing range. Kounde would rarely hesitate to make an adventurous pass and succeed more often than not. His pace and passing abilities help him to be very effective as a right-back too.
Kounde was strongly linked with a move to European Champions Chelsea this summer. It was reported that personal terms were agreed between the Frenchman and the London club. But Sevilla raised their selling price on deadline day, making the move very difficult for Chelsea.
The 22-year old centre-back would have made quite the signing but sooner or later he is bound to join a top European club and grow tremendously.
#1 Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Coming through Benfica's youth academy, Ruben Dias burst onto the scene during the 2017-18 season. He ended the season winning the Primeria Liga Best Young Player of the Year.
The following year, Dias was instrumental in helping Benfica win the Primeria Liga. The Portuguese centre-back had three amazing seasons with the Eagles before joining Manchester City in the summer of 2020. Dias was signed for a transfer fee around €68 million and with Nicolas Otamendi going the other way.
The Portuguese defender started the season very strongly with the Sky Blues and was named the club's Player of the Month in November 2020. Over time, his strong performances at the back proved vital in helping Manchester City win the title in his very first season.
Dias likes to lunge into tackles, keep strong tabs on opposition attackers, muscling them out and playing some productive passes from the back. The City centre-back brings a lot of composure and stability to the defense.
He's tactful with his approach and makes the best use of his strengths. With a team like Manchester City, a leader like Dias is only meant to achieve more. He is arguably one of the best centre-backs in the world right now.
