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Historically, Serie A has always been able to call itself the home of the best defenders. Thanks to globalization, the claim does not always hold true these days, but the quality of defenders in Serie A has certainly not taken a nosedive over the last few seasons.
Today, we will take a look at some of the most valued defenders in Serie A - players who can fetch a pretty penny in the transfer market if needed. Now, without standing on ceremony, let us take a look at the
5 most valuable defenders in Serie A at the moment
Stats via: Transfermarkt
#5 Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan) - €50 million
Dutch national team star Stefan de Vrij is one of the most highly-valued defenders in Serie A. The centre-back has been a rock at the back for reigning champions, Inter Milan, which reflects fairly on his €50 million transfer valuation.
The 29-year-old established himself as a real up-and-comer during his senior team spell with Feyenoord between 2009 and 2014. After slowly settling himself down, he became one of the first names on the team-sheet and eventually got himself a transfer offer from Serie A club Lazio. After running out his contract with Lazio, he joined Inter Milan for free in the summer of 2018.
Since the move, he has made 124 appearances across all competitions, netting 7 goals. He was also an instrumental part of Inter Milan’s Serie A title win last season, pitching in with valuable contributions in almost all 32 matches that he played over the course of the league season.
#4 Theo Hernandez (AC Milan) - €50 million
Left-back Theo Hernandez is the fourth highest-valued defender in Serie A, and we wholeheartedly back the valuation after witnessing his redemption arc at AC Milan.
Hernandez was part of Atletico Madrid’s youth system between 2007 and 2015. However, the young left-back never got the opportunity to play for his parent club’s first team. His best-ever La Liga season came at Alaves, where he was sent on loan from Atletico. Following his impressive run in the 2016/17 season, Atletico’s bitter rivals, Real Madrid, came calling and signed him on a six-year deal after paying his €24 million release clause.
He was not guaranteed a place in the starting eleven and he never got the opportunity to prove his worth during his time with Real Madrid. Following a disappointing first season and an average loan spell at Real Sociedad, Hernandez signed for AC Milan in 2019. Last season, he appeared in 33 Serie A matches for Milan, showcasing his attacking flair by contributing with seven goals and six assists, thereby proving to be one of the best defenders in the league.
#3 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) - €60 million
22-year-old Alessandro Bastoni has gone from being a fringe player to becoming one of the most important pieces of a Serie A winning side in a couple of seasons. And his €60-million valuation justifies the distance he has traveled so far.
Bastoni rose through the ranks of Atalanta’s youth system and made his senior team debut in the Coppa Italia back in 2016. His Serie A debut, however, came in January 2017, in a 1-0 win over Sampdoria. As fate would have it, Bastoni never got the chance he had hoped for at Atalanta, and it was Inter Milan that came to his rescue.
After signing Bastoni in 2017, Inter loaned him away to Atalanta and Parma, respectively. The left-footed centre-back quickly put some impressive performances on the board and managed to get a permanent role back at his parent club. In 2020/21, he featured in 33 Serie A games for Inter, helping them to the league title.
#2 Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan) - €60 million
Seeing another Inter Milan defender on the list is hardly a surprise, especially after their hard-fought win in Serie A 2020/21.
Slovakia international, Milan Skriniar, started his career at FK Ziar and Hronom before moving to MSK Zilina at the age of 12. After graduating from the youth system, he was made an official part of the club, featuring in over 70 games for Zilina between 2012 and 2016. He joined Serie A side Sampdoria in January 2016 and became the youngest Serie A player to feature in 35 games next season.
Inter Milan signed the player in the summer of 2017 for a reported €20 million fee. The transfer allowed Skriniar to become the most expensive Slovakian footballer of all time. Last season, he produced a series of complete performances for Inter, helping them to the highly-coveted Serie A title.
#1 Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus) — €75 million
With a quoted transfer valuation of €75 million, Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is the most valuable defender in Serie A.
De Ligt, who is widely hailed as the most promising centre-back in the business, graduated from Ajax's famed youth academy and made his senior team debut for the “B” Team in 2016. After only a season with the reserves, De Ligt was given a chance with the main team, and the “gamble” paid off handsomely.
In December 2018, De Ligt became the first defender in history to win the Golden Boy award. A couple of months later, he became the youngest player ever to captain a side in a UEFA Champions League knockout tie. Ajax beat Real Madrid 4-2 in that tie, with De Ligt playing a crucial role at the back. Later in April, De Ligt led Ajax to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1997, beating Juventus in the quarter-finals.
Impressed with De Ligt, Juventus signed him on a five-year contract in 2019 for a reported fee of €75 million. De Ligt fell a little short in terms of decisive performances in the 2020/21 Serie A season but is expected to put on a stronger show in the campaign to come.
