Top 10 Best Defender In Premier League 2025

As the 2024/25 season ends, people all over the internet are divided on the question of who were the best defenders in Premier League for the current season. The 2024/25 Premier League season has showcased an array of exceptional defenders, each excelling in a modern game that demands both defensive solidity and technical prowess. Unlike other media outlets, we won't give you the rankings based on the players PR or hype created by fans of the respective clubs, but the ranking of the 10 best defenders in Premier League will be based on the the following ranking factors - defensive stats (tackles won, interceptions, clearances) at 30%, aerial duels won at 20%, progressive passes at 25%, and overall impact on the game at 25%.

These stats mainly cover all aspects of a defender, and they made it easy for us to find out the best defender in Premier League 2025. Standout names like Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhaes have set the standard, combining physicality, tactical awareness, and ball-playing skills to lead their teams, but to be the best you have to excel in other parameters also. Let's find out the best defender in Premier League.

List of Top 10 Best Defender in Premier League Right Now

Below is the comprehensive table containing the top 10 best defenders in Premier League. This ranking is completely based on the ranking factors you will find after this segment, which includes stats like tackles, interceptions, progressive passes and other factors.

How We Ranked the Best Defenders in Premier League?

To rank the 10 best defenders in EPL 2025, we considered several metrics like the defensive aspect (tackles, interceptions, aerial duels), then the attacking aspect (progressive passes, G/A), and lastly, we have also checked whether a player is injury prone or not. Let's have a look at the weights given to different ranking factors.

Who are the Best Defenders in EPL?

After knowing the 10 best defenders in EPL and the ranking factors behind them, let's look at their stats and impact on the team, which cemented their place in our list of top 10 defenders in Premier League.

10. Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)

Romero signed for Spurs from Atalanta on an initial season-long loan in August 2021 and the club activated the option to make his deal permanent the following year. Since joining, the hard-tackling Argentine has established himself as a key member of a new-look Tottenham side. Romero also has the knack for scoring odd goals and making some crucial clearances. His 4.4 clearances per 90 show how many times he solely saves the team by putting the ball out of play.

The 26-year-old has made 115 appearances for Tottenham since joining and has scored seven goals and provided an assist. He has helped his team keep more than 20 clean sheets, making him one of the key components of manager Ange Postecoglou’s plans. However, this season, he was the only defender who looked like he was defending compared to other defenders on the team. Despite a turbulent season, Romero was able to keep the defensive line intact and gave his 100% to stop the goal threats coming from the opponent.

9. Antonee Robinson (Fulham)

Antonee Robinson is one of the most underrated defenders this season. Robinson plays for Fulham, who finished the league in 11th position with Fulham. Fulham have been quite delightful to watch this season, with their left wing being dangerous for opponents this whole season. Guess whose work rate was higher on the left side? Yes, it's Antonee Robinson with his assists already in double digits, showcasing great defensive work at back. He won 61 tackles out of 95 attempted tackles in the season 2024/25, which shows how important Robinson was in clearing out possible threats.

Antonee Robinson has made 189 appearances for Fulham and has also scored 3 goals and provided 21 assists. Of those, 189 appearances majority have come in the Premier League, where he has helped his team throughout, maintaining a good defensive record. Helping his team upfront and at the back makes him stand at number 9 in our list of best defenders in Premier League.

8. Rúben Dias (Manchester City)

The Portuguese defender has been regarded as one of the best defenders in the world for the better part of the last decade. He joined Manchester City from Benfica in September 2020 and signed a six-year contract, with Nicolas Otamendi going the other way. Since then, he has been the heart of the team’s defense as they have won several trophies. Ruben Dias has made 220 appearances for the Blues, scoring four goals and providing five assists. Such has been his impact on his team that he has helped them keep clean sheets plenty of times in the 27 Premier League appearances he has made so far this season.

Ruben Dias plays a key role in deceiving the aggressive press of the opponent with the help of composure and ball-playing skills. Additionally, his 5.85 progressive passes/90 show his offensive contribution. Ruben Dias is a great defender as well, and his leadership plays a crucial role in keeping the backline intact.

7. Nikola Milenković (Nottingham Forest)

The Serbian International has been solid at the back in the defense pairing with Murillo, leading Nottingham Forest to the top of the table in the 2024/25 season. The 27-year-old defender joined the English club from Fiorentina in 2024 and has been a standout figure in the defense in the Premier League, making him one of the best defenders in Premier League. Milenkovic has a clearance rate of 5.65 per match, which is one of the highest clearances/90 in our rankings.

This season, Milenković has made 40 appearances for the Tricky Tees, in which he scored 5 times and assisted 2 goals in the league, while helping Forest to remain among the top seven sides. Thanks to his form, Nottingham Forest has secured their place in the UEFA Conference League.

6. Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City)

The highly-rated Croatian signed for Manchester City for a whopping £77 million in August 2023, making him the second most expensive defender in the Premier League as well as in the world. Aged just 21 at the time of signing, Gvardiol was slowly and steadily integrated into the first team and did not start straight away. If we look at his progressive passing rate per match, it touches the 7.3 mark, which is the highest among others in our list of the top 10 best defenders in Premier League.

Since then, he has made 96 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s team and has chipped in 11 goals and 5 assists. He has slowly established himself as an irreplaceable piece of the first team. Gvardiol has the potential to climb higher in the list of the best defenders in Premier League.

5. Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)

The Reds signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in May 202, as they looked to secure their backline for the future, with the Frenchman aged 25 at the time of signing. He made a name for himself with his impressive performances with the German side RB Leipzig and was snapped up by Liverpool. His clearance rate per match is enough to tell his contribution to the defensive line.

The French defender has made 132 appearances for the club, scoring 5 goals and providing 4 assists. With age on his side, Konate will be among the best defenders in the Premier League for the foreseeable future.

4. Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

The towering English defender signed for Crystal Palace from Chelsea in June 2021 and has become an integral part of their defensive line since then. Aged just 24 at the time, he was quickly integrated into the starting XI by Patrick Vieira (Coach of Crystal Palace at the time Marc Guehi signing).

Marc has made 155 appearances for Crystal Palace since 2021 and has scored 8 goals while assisting 4 times. He is captaining the Eagles this season while playing a leadership role. His Clearance/90 and Progressive Passes/90 are enough to make him one of the best defenders in Premier League.

3. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)

Gabriel joined Arsenal from Lille in September 2020 on a long-term deal and instantly became one of the main pieces on the roster. A naturally left-footed defender, he fits in Mikel Arteta’s plans perfectly and has asserted himself as one of the best Premier League defenders with his aggressive style.

Gabriel is known for being solid in aerial duels and is also deceptively quick despite being 6’ 3″. The 27-year-old has made 210 appearances for the Gunners since arriving and has scored 20 goals and provided 5 assists as well. The Brazilian has helped his team keep more than 50 clean sheets.

2. William Saliba (Arsenal)

William Saliba’s rise to becoming one of the best defenders in the world has been phenomenal and can not be compared. The Frenchman joined Arsenal from AS Saint-Etienne in July 2019 and was loaned straight back to his parent club. He spent another short loan spell at OGC Nice the following season, followed by a season-long loan at Marseille in the 2021/22 season, where he truly developed himself. William Saliba in true sense is a leader in backline of Arsenal's defense.

A mainstay in the Gunners’ backline since the 2022/23 season, Saliba has made 134 appearances for the club, scoring 7 goals and providing 2 assists. Out of those, 92 appearances have been in the Premier League. Aged just 23, Saliba has a major chunk of his career left in front of him and he will be there in our list of best defender in Premier League for a long long time.

1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

At number 1 on our list is none other than, Virgil van Dijk, who joined Liverpool from Southampton in a deal worth £75 million in January 2018, making him the most expensive defender of all time. His impact at the club was instant and evident as he helped the club win their fifth UEFA Champions League title as well as the Premier League title after a 30-year-long wait.

His 4.55 clearances/90 and 5.05 progressive passes/90 shows how balanced he is and tries to contribute in both offensively and defensively. The Dutchman has made 319 appearances for the Reds and has scored 28 goals and provided 13 assists as well. He helped his team in keeping 96 clean sheets overall, making him one of the best defender in Premier League.