Top 5 young defenders from outside the Top 5 leagues in Europe

Filip Benkovic: One for the future

While it is the attackers that grab the limelight time and again, the need to have a quality set of defender has been increasingly becoming the prerequisite to becoming an elite football club. Perhaps, the phrase by a great coach that “Offence wins you games, Defence wins championships”, is increasingly becoming the motto of numerous clubs across the globe.

However, given the competition amongst the various leagues, it is becoming increasingly becoming a priority to bring in rather undiscovered talents in the mould of Sami Hyypia or Nemanja Vidic for little amounts to help reduce the financial burdens on the clubs.

In the wake of the same, we have compiled a list of top 5 defenders under the age of 23 from Leagues outside the Top 5 European ones (England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France) that could take the world by storm in the years to come.

#1 Filip Benkovic (Dinamo Zagreb)

Born in Zagreb, Benkovic joined the Dinamo Zagreb academy as a kid and has risen rapidly through their ranks. He made his senior debut for the Zagreb side in 2015 and has ever since continued to impress with his abilities in the air as well as on the ground.

The player, who operates as a centre-back, possesses an all-round ability as a defender that has caught the eye of numerous clubs across Europe. He is commanding in the air, possesses good speed and acceleration and has also shown the vision to break up the opposition’s moves by making some vital tackles as well as interceptions.

In addition to these, he is tidy when he brings the ball out of defence, a trait very few young defenders possess. His side might not have had a great UEFA Champions League campaign as they finished bottom of their group. However, Benkovic’s performances have been one of the few positives emerging from their campaign, further lending credentials to his growing stature as one of the young centre-backs to look out for.