THE 10 BEST DEFENDERS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, RANKED​

According to the venerable manager of Liverpool, "form is transient but class is permanent," the persons on the list below are unquestionably of the highest caliber. However, they are also the defenders that have performed the best in the 2021/22 season in the top leagues throughout the world.

Here are our current top 10 defenders in the world. Since the beginning of the season, we've used a variety of measures to quantify our rankings, as well as a player's recent overall impact on the game. Who then ranks in our top 10?

The talented young Frenchman Jules Kounde is at the heart of the stingiest defense in La Liga, which has allowed only seven goals and kept three shutouts in 11 games. Due to an outstanding second season at Sevilla, the center back, who will turn 23 in November, made his international debut at Euro 21 and has carried over his form into Spain's domestic championship.

Virgil van Dijk, who missed all but five of Liverpool's championship defense because Jordan Pickford's horrific tackle severely damaged his right knee, says, "I'm still on the road." "I am my own harshest critic, and I can always tell when I need to improve as well as when things are going well. I think the best I can do is just get better, and I feel very sure about that." Van Dijk has played every minute of the Reds' 10 Premier League games, a feat only matched by Mo Salah, despite Jurgen Klopp's comments about controlling the Dutchman's workload before the season.