5 best centre-backs in football right now
There's really no need to stress on the importance of centre-backs in football. In the words of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson,
"Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
Ferguson's teams played direct, fast-paced football but they always ensured that the backdoor remained shut. The famous Vidic-Ferdinand partnership that went on to win many major honours exemplifies this.
All the dominant teams in the history of football will have at least one top centre-back that they can boast off. A stable unit at the back goes a long way towards building great teams. As such, let's take a look at 5 of the best centre-backs in football right now.
#5 Milan Skriniar - Inter Milan
Milan Skriniar has been Inter Milan's main man at the back as they posed a Serie A title challenge this season. Antonio Conte had placed a lot of faith in him and the 25-year-old and boy did it pay off. Inter Milan had the best defensive record in the Serie A this season, conceding just 36 goals.
While he may not be the tallest centre-back around, he makes up for his shortcomings in the air with some solid tackling on the ground.
Skriniar is also an excellent passer of the ball and in today's game where more and more teams seem to be adapting an expansive style of play, it is then no surprise that Skriniar is one of the most sought-after centre-backs in the world.
If rumours are to be believed, Tottenham Hotspur are trying to sign him this window and are in talks with Inter Milan.
#4 Aymeric Laporte - Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has managed some of the best teams in the 21st century and he likes to populate his team with technically sound players. Pep's teams always play out from the back and this calls for centre-backs who are excellent with the ball at their feet and is good with their passing over varied distances.
Of course, those are the essential auxiliary skills. They definitely need to be formidable in a defensive sense as well. Aymeric Laporte is the perfect man for the job. Laporte has a lot of quality and he oozes calmness when he's on the ball. He is a cool presence at the back and hardly ever commits an error stemming from panic.
Manchester City are a team that has a lot of quality squad depth. Despite missing a major chunk of the 2019/20 season due to injury, Laporte is the go-to man at the heart of defence for one of the best managers in the world.