In the fast-paced, attack-oriented era of the beautiful game, a good tackler adds a lot of depth to the team. There are quite a few talented tacklers in world football right now, but who are the top 5 among them? Read on to find out.
5. Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria, Leicester City)
Leicester City’s impressive run this season has made everyone sit up and take notice. Brendan Rodgers deserves all the praise in the world for putting together a team that is hungry and determined. Along with the Scottish manager, players like Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and even Ricardo Pereira have been praised for their performances, but the unsung hero in this Leicester City team is Wilfred Ndidi.
The title-winning team of 2015/16 had N’Golo Kante doing the dirty work in the middle of the park. Ndidi operates from a similar position but is entrusted with a role that demands a lot more discipline. While Kante had the freedom and the heart to cover every blade of grass on the ground, Ndidi is a lot more restrained in his operation. The Nigerian prefers to sit ahead of the backline, providing them ample cover and ensuring that the defense is never compromised. He is one of the reasons why Leicester City have successfully coped with the departure of Harry Maguire this season.
Ndidi is almost flawless in his defensive work on the pitch. He has the most tackles in the Premier League this season - 59 from 11 appearances. He is also the league leader in interceptions, registering 36 interceptions so far. It is quite clear that Ndidi is pivotal to Brendan Rodger’s plans this season.
The Nigeria stations himself at the base of a midfield three, allowing the more attack-minded players all the freedom to express themselves. Ndidi’s distribution has been vital for the Leicester City full-backs to flourish so far as he has averaged 2.7 long balls per game. The Nigerian has also picked up 2 goals this season.
Ndidi is averaging a stupendous 5.4 tackles per game, which makes him one of the best tacklers this term. In addition, the Nigerian is averaging 3.3 interceptions and just 1.6 fouls per game.
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4. Casemiro (Brazil, Real Madrid)
The Brazilian joined Real Madrid from Porto in the summer of 2015 and soon became an integral part of Zinedine Zidane’s plans. Casemiro made 35 appearances for Real Madrid in his first season and his qualities were there for all to see. Since then, the Brazilian has been the enforcer in the midfield, working hard selflessly and letting others take all the credit. He was one of the ever-present members of Zidane’s champions league winning team at Real.
On the field, Casemiro is a safety guard in front of the backline. He is a midfield destroyer whose main aim is to break down the opposition play, a role he is very good at. The Brazilian is an excellent tackler and has been consistently averaging more than 2 tackles per game since his move to Real Madrid. He also reads the game pretty well, interception the opposition play quite often. Casemiro proves a shied to the Real defense and is a fail-safe during counter-attacks. He also anchors the midfield well and his distribution has been decent so far. However, his greatest asset is his tackling ability.
The Brazilian uses controlled aggression on the pitch to dominate the opposition and is not afraid to get his hands dirty if required. This season, he is averaging 3.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game. However, he has also conceded 2.2 fouls per game on average. Casemiro continues to be a vital member of the Real Madrid team this season and is one of the best tacklers in the world at the moment.
3. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (England, Manchester United)
The Englishman emerged as a fantastic prospect last season at Crystal Palace, prompting Manchester United to pay big money for him this summer. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has continued his brilliant form at Old Trafford and is one of the first names on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team sheet at the moment. The Englishman is a player who loves defending; he has pace to burn, which allows him to cover for his teammates. He also loves tackling, which means that getting past him is no easy task.
Wan-Bissaka oozes maturity beyond his age on the pitch, where he is calm, composed and always relaxed. He can be aggressive when required and his positioning is almost always immaculate. Despite being just 21 years old (he turns 22 this month), the Englishman has a wise head on his shoulders, which enables him to read the game very well. While he has improvement opportunities going forward in attack, at the right-back position, Wan-Bissaka is very close to being perfect.
The Englishman registered 3.7 tackles per game on an average for Crystal Palace last season. This year, the Englishman is averaging 5.4 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. The fact that he has given away just 0.4 fouls per game shows his brilliance so far. Wan-Bissaka is certainly one of the best tacklers in the football world at the moment.
2. Idrissa Gueye (Senegal, Paris Saint-Germain)
The Senegalese midfielder secured a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer after a string of impressive displays for Everton in the Premier League over the past few years. Idrissa Gueye is a livewire in the middle of the park, closing down opponents and intercepting their play with a sense of urgency. He does not shy away from a battle on the pitch and can be extremely tenacious when winning back the ball. The Senegalese is also an excellent tackler and loves a challenge during games.
Gueye started his career at Lille, rising through the ranks and playing for 5 seasons for the first team. He was a constant presence in the League 1 side, before joining Aston Villa in the 2015/16 season, where the Senegalese looked completely at home in a new league. His performances earned him a move to Everton in the following year. During his 3 years with the Toffees, Gueye earned a name for himself and developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the league. He was especially in top form in the 2016/17 season, when he completed the most tackles in the Premier League.
Since making the move back to Ligue 1, the Senegalese has managed to cement his place in a star-studded team. Gueye is averaging 3.5 tackles and 2 interceptions per game this season and has also scored 1 goal.
1. N’Golo Kante (France, Chelsea)
The Frenchman is indispensable to both his club and his national team. N’Golo Kante is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and he has been integral to two title winning teams in the Premier League. Kante rose to fame with Leicester City in the 2015/16 season, powering them to the Premier League title. The Frenchman’s impressive display earned him a move to Chelsea in the very next season, where he carried forward his brilliant form and helped the Blues to win the title. Since then, he has also won the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea.
Kante’s biggest strength is his work ethics on the pitch. The Frenchman is known to cover every blade of grass on the ground during games. He is a willing runner who thrives in a box to box role. Kante can cover great distances on the field and can both attack and defend with equal ease. In the middle of the park, he is rarely known to lose a midfield battle, while he also likes to join in the attack whenever possible. His intensity in the middle of the park has been vital for his country too, as he helped them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title.
The Frenchman is also inch-perfect with his tackles. In the Premier League, Kante boasts of a 66% tackle success rate so far. This season, the Frenchman has averaged 2.9 tackles per game and continues to be a vital cog in Frank Lampard’s tactics. N’Golo Kante is the best tackler in world football right now.
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