The best Premier League centre-backs of 2024-25 ranked
Arsenal‘s Gabriel is the best centre-back in the Premier League right now.
That’s according to our Squawka Score, which puts the Gunners defender 2% ahead of his closest challenger. But it is a close battle.
Following Gabriel with intent is Nottingham Forest‘s Nikola Milenkovic, who will go down as one of the best signings of the season. Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk completes the top three, having led the charts at times this season. Manchester United‘s Lisandro Martinez is fourth, while Van Dijk’s Liverpool teammate Ibrahima Konate is fifth.
- Gabriel (Arsenal) – 75%
- Nikola Milenkovic (Nottingham Forest) – 73%
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 72%
- Lisandro Martinez (Man Utd) – 69%
- Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool) – 68%
NB: Only players who have played half the minutes available during the 2024-25 season have been considered (1,530+ minutes).
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More Premier League player rankings:
- Who are the Premier League’s best wingers in 2024-25?
- Who are the Premier League’s best right-backs in 2024-25?
- Who are the Premier League’s best strikers in 2024-25?
5. Ibrahima Konate
- Team: Liverpool
- Squawka Score: 68%
Playing alongside Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate’s development in Liverpool’s defence has accelerated. He’s turning into a king in the air, winning 70.87% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season. That places him in the 80-95th percentile among central defenders.
Konate has also proven tough to beat on the floor, with just 0.39 challenges lost per 90 and 1.86 possessions won in the defensive third. He’s one of the first names on Arne Slot’s team sheet and is part of arguably the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League right now. With Konate in the team, Liverpool have conceded just 0.85 goals per 90.
4. Lisandro Martinez
- Team: Man Utd
- Squawka Score: 69%
Man Utd have not had the best defence this season, but Lisandro Martinez is one player to be able to hold their head fairly high. His season-ending injury in February was a big blow for the Red Devils. Martinez was one of the more pass-focused centre-backs in the Premier League this season before his injury, completing 77.62% of his attempted forward passes. He also averaged 4.77 passes into the final third completed per 90 minutes in the Premier League. In terms of defensive metrics, Martinez averaged 1.61 interceptions retaining possession and 1.23 tackles won per 90, alongside 0.15 last man tackles — sitting in the 95th percentile and above for the latter.
3. Virgil van Dijk
- Team: Liverpool
- Squawka Score: 72%
Form is temporary, as the old saying goes. Virgil van Dijk would be the first to admit he played below his usual (lofty) standards in recent times. But he is back, and better than ever. Perhaps he has been helped by taking over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson.
In the Premier League this season, Van Dijk has averaged 3.24 aerial duels won per 90, placing him in the 80-95th percentile among central defenders, with a success rate of 70.97%. He’s also lost just 0.26 challenges per 90 and averaged 5.15 clearances, showing it’s still so tough to get past him. Van Dijk’s forward passing accuracy of 80.02% is in the 80-95th percentile among central defenders.
2. Nikola Milenkovic
- Team: Nottingham Forest
- Squawka Score: 73%
Standing 6’5″, Nikola Milenkovic is a man mountain. Last season he was one of just two defenders with at least 30 games to have an aerial duel success rate above 70% in Serie A. It’s a similar case in the Premier League.
The Serbian has won 71.09% of his aeriel duels for Nottingham Forest, placing him in the 80-95th percentile among central defenders. Milenkovic has also lost just 0.19 challenges and had only 0.06 unsuccessful touches per 90 minutes, both in the best percentiles.
1. Gabriel
- Team: Arsenal
- Squawka Score: 75%
When building a reputation, perceptions change. Whenever Arsenal have a corner, all eyes are inevitably on Gabriel. The Brazilian has developed a knack for scoring from Bukayo Saka’s deliveries. His manager, Mikel Arteta, will also be pleased with the Brazilian’s defensive work.
Gabriel has averaged 1.1 blocked shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, in the 80-95th percentile among defenders. He also ranks in the 80-95th percentile for last-man tackles retaining possession. William Saliba is the centre-back to get a lot of the attention at Arsenal, but it’s Gabriel scoring higher. And he’s been the best in the Premier League this year, which makes his season-ending injury all the more sad.
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How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s new player rating system is completely stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
Using extensive research and our expertise, we tailored each score to the players’ respective positions. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes and so on.
