PREMIER LEAGUE football is back on June 17 with Liverpool set to win their first title in 30 years.
The football blackout has given many sides the opportunity to get some key players back from injury and most will have their strongest teams available to them come kick-off.
Vigil Van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte and Caglar Soyuncu are the three best centre-backs in the Premier League
All football managers will tell you being able to pick a consistent side is a key part of any success – especially at the back.
And here SunSport ranks the top five centre-backs in the league with these stars regularly helping their teams keep priceless clean sheets.
1. VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Liverpool’s Dutch colossus was many people’s pick for last year’s Ballon d’Or so having nearly been crowned the best footballer on the planet, it is hardly surprising he tops our list for the Premier League’s best centre-back.
He is a man mountain at both ends of the pitch.
Quick, strong, skillful and a complete defender both on the floor and in the air.
Virgil van Dijk is one of the best players in the world and certainly the best centre-back in the Premier League
His contribution to the Reds’ historic season cannot be understated and if he continues this form for years to come he will be remembered as one of the league’s all time best.
Liverpool have managed 12 clean sheets from his 29 League appearances this season and he has even popped up with four goals.
2. AYMERIC LAPORTE
The Frenchman was desperately unlucky to miss most of the season before the football blackout after picking up a knee injury at Brighton in August.
And such is his importance to Manchester City, many blame their failure to keep pace with Liverpool in the title race on the 26-year-old’s absence.
Aymeric Laporte missed most of the season with injury but is still one of the best in the division
Laporte had surgery on his knee and managed a return to Pep Guardiola’s side before lockdown but was forced off against Real Madrid with a hamstring injury during their Champions League tie in February.
But having used the recent time off to recover, he looks set to return to the starting XI and add to his paltry seven League appearances this season when City kick-off proceedings against Arsenal on June 17.
However, despite his almost season long injury lay-off, Barcelona are still sniffing around the exceedingly talented World Cup winner and City will do well to hold on to him this summer.
3. CAGLAR SOYUNCU
The darling of almost every Leicester City fan.
A maverick Turk who has taken the Premier League by storm with his rough and ready yet strangely elegant style of play this season.
Caglar Soyuncu has become in instant hit with Leicester City fans
The relatively unknown summer signing from Freiburg has won over Foxes supporters with his raw power, commitment to the cause and almost certainly in part, his luscious locks.
His 28 appearances and ten clean sheets have helped the East Midlands side soar to third in the table and are on course to cruise their way to a Champions League spot.
The 24-year-old rough diamond looks like he will be a permanent Premier League fixture for years to come.
4. WILLY BOLY
Wolves have been admired across the Premier League this season as Nuno Espirito Santo has worked the 5-3-2 system to perfection.
Boly and his centre-back partners Conor Coady and Romain Saiss have been rocks at the heart of the set-up.
The latter pair had strong claims to be included in this list especially given Boly has only managed 13 League appearances this campaign because of a serious ankle injury picked up in October.
Willy Boly is an integral part of Wolves’ 5-3-2 system
But speak to any Wolves fans and they’ll tell you the Frenchman’s return to the team was a huge boost.
At 29, Boly’s football brain and positional awareness combined with powerful physique make him one of the division’s unsung heroes.
However, Wolves fans may have to learn to live without him as Arsenal were interested before Christmas and with David Luiz’s future still not decided, Mikel Arteta could come sniffing again.
5. HARRY MAGUIRE
The £85million Manchester United paid for Maguire was a world record fee for a defender.
And the ex-Leicester man has, perhaps understandably, struggled to live up to the enormous price tag since his move last summer and only just made this list.
Sheffield United’s Jack O’Connell, aforementioned Coady and Burnley’s James Tarkowski were all in with a shout.
But despite a difficult start, the Englishman has begun to flourish again in 2020 and was even made club captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January.
Harry Maguire had a shaky start to his Man Utd career but has begun to flourish again in 2020
The 27-year-old has scored once in his 29 League appearances this season – a thumping header in United’s 2-0 win away at Chelsea in February.
And his team have also managed eight clean sheets with him in the XI.
A rocky start to his Old Trafford career but Maguire seems to have bedded in and will be an even more imposing force if United can land him a solid defensive partner in the summer.
Sheffield United’s Jack O’Connell has been a stand out performer for Chris Wilder’s Blades
James Tarkowski has also impressed for Burnley
And Conor Coady was also unlucky to miss out on the top fiveCredit: PA:Press Association
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
