The Premier League is home to some of the very best defenders in world football.
From Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, to Arsenal‘s main man William Saliba, to Man City‘s Ruben Dias and John Stones, the league is cluttered with genuinely brilliant defenders.
But who do we think will be the best of the bunch during the 2024/25 season?
Well, as part of our Top 90 series, that’s what we’re here to find out.
Here’s our top 20 defenders in the Premier League – ranked.
20. Gabriel Magalhaes
After starting the 2023/24 season rather unsure of his place in the Arsenal lineup, Gabriel Magalhaes forced himself into the forefront of Mikel Arteta’s plans consistently impressive performances throughout the campaign.
Now, at the start of 2024/25, Gabriel is one of Arteta’s most trusted squad members and will play a huge part in the Gunners’ inevitable title challenge.
Signed as a replacement for Aaron Wan Bissaka at right-back, it’s been easy to see why Erik ten Hag wanted Noussair Mazraoui in the summer window.
Unlike Wan Bissaka, Mazraoui is able to provide some genuine quality in the final third.
He can also defend his flank pretty well too.
£17.2m could end up looking like a bargain for the Red Devils.
After a bit of a lost season due to injuries, Levi Colwill is back to full fitness and looks set to have the breakout campaign Chelsea fans have been waiting for.
The defender certainly has all the attributes needed to thrive in Enzo Maresca’s possession-based tactical system.
He’s great on the ball, positionally malleable, and adept at reading the game too.
This could be his year.
Very few summer signings made as much sense as Arsenal’s acquisition of Riccardo Calafiori.
The Euro 2024 will plug an explicit hole in the Gunners’ defence as an inverted left-back who can not only drift infield and create on the ball, but actually defend too (something Oleksandr Zinchenko doesn’t excell at).
Without Josko Gvardiol’s four goals at the end of the 2023/24 season, Manchester City may not be the current Premier League champions.
That’s how important his contributions were last season.
And this season, we’re expecting the left-back to be of similar importance to a Pep Guardiola side set to fight on all fronts.
The first ‘big bold shout’ of this list.
Murillo wasn’t a player anyone was too familiar with heading into 2023/24 – he had played 27 pro games in his entire life after all – but by the end of the campaign, it was clear that Nottingham Forest had a serious talent.
From his last ditch challenges, to his multiple attempts to score from the halfway line, Murillo seems to have a bit of everything in his locker.
Don’t be surprised to see one of the big six try and sign him next summer.
When Real Madrid are hellbent on securing your services, chances are that you’re quite good at football.
And that’s exactly what Leny Yoro.
The youngster opted to join Man Utd instead during the summer, and it’s a decision they are set to reap the benefits of for the next decade.
Although injured at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, when Yoro returns he’ll become a key player for his new club.
He may be rash at times, he may have the odd brain fart, but on his day one can’t deny that Cristian Romero is a genuinely brilliant centre-back.
If Tottenham are to find a route back into the UEFA Champions League this season, those days will need to a bit more frequent than they were in 2023/24, and we have faith that they will be.
12. John Stones
If we could guarantee that John Stones will be fit for the full 2024/25 campaign, then chances are he’d be much nearer the top of this list than he is.
Thanks to his consistent injury woes though, we struggled to put him any higher than 12th on this list.
That’s not to say he can’t contribute this season, as when fit he most certainly will. He’s a top, top player.
Having cemented his place in the England starting lineup during Euro 2024, Marc Guehi heads into 2024/25 looking to cement his place among the best centre-backs in world football.
Considering his talent and the improvements manager Oliver Glasner has made to Crystal Palace, we’re back him to do so.
10. Ruben Dias
After a period of surprise underperformance and lack of gametime, former FWA Footballer of the Year Ruben Dias looks to have re-found his mojo.
The defender was thoroughly impressive during City’s title-winning campaign last time out, and will be key to their search for yet more silverware in 2024/25.
Ben White is one of those players that you should have in your Fantasy Premier League team this season.
He’ll start every game, he’ll get you clean sheets, and he’ll pop up with the odd goal contribution too thanks to his adeptness in the final third.
He’s one of Arteta’s most trusted players.
After seemingly being signed as a rotation option back in 2020, Nathan Ake has developed into one of Man City’s most reliable defensive options in recent seasons.
Be it at centre-back, left-back, right-back or even midfield on occasion, Ake is a consistent performer for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Have you seen how bad Everton are when Jarrad Branthwaite isn’t available?
They’re bloody awful.
With him though, they looked extremely solid at the tailend of 2023/24.
Expect the Toffees to be much improved upon his return.
Matthijs de Ligt was once the most exciting defensive talent in world football.
After a mediocre spell at Juventus and a failed one at Bayern Munich however, he finds himself in a bit of a last chance saloon situation at Manchester United.
Luckily for the Dutch defender, Erik ten Hag – the man who previously got the best out of him at Ajax – is the current boss, so there’s plenty of hope that De Ligt can rejuvenate his career at Old Trafford.
Despite England’s struggles to work out how to utilise Trent Alexander-Arnold, at club level the Scouser is rightfully considered to be the best right-back in the Premier League.
Alexander-Arnold has been impressive in the early weeks of the campaign, and we’re fully expecting him to continue that form after the September international break.
When Lisandro Martinez was out injured last season, Manchester United’s defensive unit looked utterly hopeless.
When he returned to action for the FA Cup final, they were good enough to beat Manchester City.
Coincidence? Definitely not.
The Argentine is a gamechanger for the Red Devils, and his availabilty will largely dictate how the club perform in the Premier League in 2024/25.
Micky van de Ven may be the fastest man on the planet.
It’s that recovery pace which makes him one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and allows Tottenham to play an outrageously high defensive line.
2. Virgil van Dijk
After three weeks of the 2024/25 Premier League season, a Virgil van Dijk-led defence has conceded zero goals.
That tells you all you really need to know about the sort of form the veteran defender is in this season.
He’s an all-time great.
From an all-time great, to a future all-time great.
In the past two years, William Saliba has developed into the best defender in the Premier League, and this year we’re backing him to take his game to another level altogether.
The France international will be key to Arsenal’s title hopes this season.
