The Italian league is among the top five best in the world. The Serie A has played host to some best defenders like Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Javier Zanetti, and currently boast of some the highly-rated centre backs and defenders. Undoubtedly, best defenders in Serie A are rated among the best in the world.
In fact, it’s been a talking point that if you want to prove yourself as a defender, you go to the Italian Serie A. The same still holds true today, with many exceptional center backs still doing the business today.
In this article, we will take a look at the top 5 best defenders in Serie A in 2022. This list includes both centre-backs and full-backs.
1. Gleison Bremer
Gleison Bremer is a Brazilian center-back currently on the books of Italian giants Juventus.
The 25-year-old was formerly signed to fellow Serie A side Torino where he made a total of 98 appearances in 4 seasons. He cemented his place as one the best defenders in the Italian Serie A during that period.
What makes Bremer one of the best defenders in the Serie A is his physical strength, excellent aerial ability and remarkable sense of positioning. He is also a versatile player with notable pace, and tactical intelligence.
Besides his defensive ability and physicality, Bremer will also bring his offensive skills to the table, having scored 11 league goals in total during his time with Torino.
The young defender earned a well-deserved move to Juventus, and is definitely one to watch out for in the new Serie A season.
2. Theo Hernández
The France international was part of the impregnable AC Milan defense that won the 2021/2022 Scudetto title.
Theo Hernández has gradually established himself as one of the best wing-backs in football right now.
He was impressive in the colours of the Rossoneri with his strong and aggressive play. The 24-year-old was also a big asset in attack scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists in 32 league games.
His astonishing solo goal against Atalanta was named as the Serie A Goal of the Season.
Theo is arguably one of the best young defenders in Serie A who can only get better.
3. Fikayo Tomori
The English defender was the other half of a fantastic AC Milan defense that laid the foundation for a successful campaign that culminated in a Serie A title win for the Rossoneri.
Fikayo’s assured and calm defending was a stabilizing force for the league champions all season. Tomori featured in 31 league games last season, winning many man-of-the-match awards.
The Englishman can read the game quickly, win aerial duels, make good interceptions, and he possesses precise tackling ability and speedy. His defensive ability was crucial to AC Milan’s title triumph.
The 24-year-old is highly regarded and is currently rated one of the best defenders in Serie A, and has the potential to become of the best defenders in the world.
4. Giovanni Di Lorenzo
The Italian international right-back is highly rated in the Serie A, not just for his composure in defense but also for his offensive instincts, which often see him overlapping to join attacking forays.
The 28-year-old featured in 33 games for Napoli, scoring once and providing 5 assists to help the Naples-based side clinch 3rd position in the league.
5. Mário Rui
The Portuguese player is a impressive fullback who is on the books of Napoli. The left-backs is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the Italian League.
Last season the 31-year-old left-back featured in about 34 league games. Rui provided 6 assists that were instrumental in helping his side finish 3rd in the league table and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Notable Mentions:
Some top Serie A defenders who deserve a notable mention are:
- Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan)
- Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan)
- José Luis Palomino (Atalanta)
- Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)
- Ibañez (AS Roma)
- Chris Smalling (AS Roma)
- Merih Demiral (Atalanta)
- Amir Rrahmani (Napoli).
