5 most expensive defenders in football history
It's a common adage in the game that goals (and attacks) win matches, but defenses win titles.
Be it in club or international football, successful teams have built their campaigns around stout defenses. In fact, as the game has evolved, teams have shown a penchant towards defenders who are not only able to foil opponents' attacks but also kickstart offensive moves from the back.
While centre-backs utilize their strength in the air at both ends, more and more full-backs venture upfield and lend width to their team's attacks. Considering the demands of the modern game, teams, especially the ones with deep pockets, do not hesitate to spend big on quality defenders.
On that note, here's a look at the five most expensive defenders in the history of the game.
#5 Ruben Dias (Manchester City) - €68 million
Ruben Dias has been like a breath of fresh air since his arrival in the Premier League last season.
The 24-year-old hit the ground running, turning out to be a key cog in the Manchester City defense as Pep Guardiola's men won their third league title in four years.
In 32 league appearances, Dias helped the Cityzens keep 15 clean sheets. The Portuguese was one of the key performers for the club as they steered clear of the chasing pack during the second half of the season.
His exploits helped him win the Premier League player of the season, the first Portuguese player to do so since a certain Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Dias is the first Premier League debutant to win the award since Kelvin Phillips in 2000.
Considering his blistering start to life in England, Dias was expected to make an encore for Portugal at Euro 2020. But the centre-back endured a miserable outing as the defending champions conceded seven goals in four games to bow out of the tournament on a whimper.
#4 Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) - €80 million
Lucas Hernandez arrived with much fanfare at Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019 as the Bavarian giants broke the bank to land the versatile Frenchman.
Two seasons later, Hernandez has won two league titles, one of them part of a continental treble, but his stint can be best described as a mixed bag of sorts. Capable of playing as both centre-back and left-back, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, Hernandez was hindered by injuries that saw him make only 42 Bundesliga appearances in two seasons.
After enduring a torn meniscus at Euro 2020, Hernandez could have a delayed start to his 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign.
Despite his rather middling returns so far, Hernandez will hope that he lives up to his price tag and provides a reminder of his prowess to the Bayern faithful.