5 best left-footed centre-backs in world football at the moment (2022)
If you had followed the rumor mill in the recent transfer windows, you would have noticed that there is a lot of demand for left-footed centre-backs. We all know that left-footed players are a minority in the world of football and they lend a certain amount of dynamism to their teams.
Left-footed centre-backs are in demand right now
They help bring about a lot of balance to their sides and that's exactly what managers try to do with their defence as well. It's ideal to have a right-footed centre-back partnering up with a left-footer at the heart of defence.
Having a left-right combination helps massively when a team is playing out from the back. It is much easier to shift the ball from side to side as the combination opens up more passing angles. This allows teams to progress the ball faster and also stroke it around at a faster pace.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best left-footed centre-backs in the game right now.
#5 Pau Torres (Villarreal)
Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres has attracted plenty of attention from top European clubs in recent years. The Spanish international is renowned for his ball-playing abilities and he played a starring role in the Yellow Submarine's Europa League triumph last term.
The 24-year-old excels at carrying the ball forward and provides a lot of thrust from deep. He has averaged 58 passes per game in the last year and is pretty adept at aerial duels as well. Tackling isn't exactly a strong suit for Torres, but he makes up for it with his tactical intelligence and blocking abilities.
European giants such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs that have been credited with an interest in Torres.
Pau Torres explains why he rejected Spurs this summer. https://t.co/FK3WhRPcbj
#4 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)
Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni started out as a full-back before eventually making the transition to centre-back. The 22-year-old has been a mainstay in Inter's backline and was a standout performer for them in their Serie A triumph in the 2020-21 season.
Bastoni is yet another left-footed centre-back whose distribution skills are pretty incredible. He averages 5.72 progressive carries per 90 minutes in the last year and ranked fifth among all players in the Serie A for the same in the 2020-21 season.
Bastoni has become a regular starter for the Nerazzurri. He has started 17 games for Inter Milan this term and has also provided two assists.
Skriniar, Bastoni, Perisic, Calhanoglu and Lautaro have all been included in the @WhoScored Serie A December Team of the Month!
Month of ⚫️🔵 https://t.co/BOuFwzcqEo