Set-pieces are a very important part of football. Most teams today cannot afford to be on the pitch fancying their chances without a good free kick taker or dead-ball specialist. In a difficult game where attacking teams are finding it hard to upend the opposition's defence, a well delivered free kick could prove to be a source of a breakthrough.As such, free kick specialists have a special place in world football. Don't believe me? One look at the legacy of great players like David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Juninho, Ronaldinho, to name a few, might cause you to change your mind.Without further ado, let's take a look at the top freekick takers in football right now.Top 10 free-kick takers in Europe right now#10 Trent Alexander-ArnoldTrent Alexander-Arnold scores a peach of a free kick on Liverpool's coronation nightTrent Alexander-Arnold hasn't been around for a long time. But he's been around long enough for us to know that he is one of the brightest young prospects in world football right now. The 21-year-old Liverpool right back is a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side that are the reigning Champions League winners and current Premier League champions.With crosses and free kicks that curl and hit the target with a David Beckham-esque flair, Trent Alexander Arnold's stature as a threat from dead ball situation is growing. On their last home game of the season against a relentless Chelsea side, both these qualities of his were on show and it made for great watching.The young Englishman has scored only 5 free kicks so far but he's only been around for a little more than 2 years and the way he puts them in the top bins, you could say that he is here to stay.#9 Cristiano RonaldoHow can you forget this Ronaldo freekick from that epic Portugal Spain matchup in the 2018 World Cup?Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps here more due to his past exploits than his present. However, leaving out a man who has scored 46 goals directly from set-pieces does not seem fair. In fact, there was a time, not so long ago, when Cristiano Ronaldo's set-piece skills were unmatched.Famous for popularizing the knuckleball, the Portuguese legend is known for blasting balls into the top bin leaving goalkeepers rooted to the spot. However, it is a rare quality of his that has aged well. Having scored only 1 goal from a direct free kick over the past 2 seasons, Ronaldo does not make it farther than #9 on our list.2019/20Free kick goals🇦🇷Messi ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️Sevilla (home)Valladolid (home)Celta (home)Celta (home)Osasuna (home)🇵🇹Ronaldo ⚽️Torino (home) pic.twitter.com/LRlcA8FPfz— 🔆Diego (@youmadeitall) July 19, 2020#8 Hakan CalhanogluCalhanoglu in action in the Serie AHakan Calhanoglu has scored some free kicks that just shouldn't have been scored. He is defiant like that. He has not been at the prime of his powers recently, having scored just one direct free-kick so far this season.However, not so long ago, in the 2014/15 season to be precise, Calhanoglu lining up to take a free kick meant that the goalkeeper would have to fetch the ball from the back of the net. He scored a whopping 9 goals solely from free-kicks that season.Ever since the restart, Calhanoglu has looked like a rejuvenated player and that could mean that he's sharpening all the tools in the box once again.He has scored 24 goals from direct free-kicks in his club career.How's this for outrageous:Hakan Calhanoglu turns 2️⃣6️⃣ today 🎉Any excuse to watch this free-kick again 🤯pic.twitter.com/TWX4kKaLwa— Goal (@goal) February 8, 2020