Three centre-back summer signings that have impressed in the Premier League so far
In a season headlined by Erling Haaland, Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Tuchel among other popular faces in the Premier League, the contribution of many that have slotted into the heart of a new back line has flown under the radar.
For the third time in the last five years, the English top-flight oversaw a combined net expenditure of €1 billion or more. Only a year from now, we’ll wonder where some of Nottingham Forest’s newcomers are.
Amongst all the bank-breaking deals and coups stand a few shrewd signings at center-back. A host of names have taken the Premier League by storm, with some already having considerable experience under their belt.
Without further ado then, we dive into the performances of three centre-halves that signed this summer and are already leading their respective sides to clean sheets and wins.
#1 Conor Coady
They said the man couldn’t play in a back four. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ own skipper, who led by example for seven seasons at the Molineux and made no fewer than a whopping 38 appearances for the Midlands club last season, was seemingly out of Bruno Lage’s plans for this term.
In stepped Everton, in dire need of experience and solidity at the back themselves. Frank Lampard’s Toffees narrowly escaped relegation last season and found it a mammoth task to record three points in a game.
Winless in seven league games before the 1-0 win over West Ham, Everton broke the shackles and ran away deserved winners on the day.
It wasn’t pretty as it was far from rapturous at Goodison Park, where tensions were rising with each passing minute. The first half was slower than you think, and both sides were more uninspiring than the total of six shots on goal and 19 corners that were peppered throughout the match.
And that’s exactly where Coady set himself apart from his recent predecessors in the Everton back line. Doing the basics, protecting the goal from the middle and fending off late danger with blocks.
The ever-so-consistent Coady is a leader by trade, someone who will play week-in-week-out without any hassle and give 100% every match.
It’s not a coincidence that Everton have kept two clean sheets on the bounce.
#2 Armel Bella-Kotchap
The job Ralph Hasenhuttl has done at Southampton goes unnoticed from time to time. Yes, they always leak goals and when they lose, the score line often makes for grim reading. They also aren’t prolific goalscorers, but they find a way.
They offloaded Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens to Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth on loan, respectively, and traded in a bulk of Manchester City’s youth products.
The Saints are building a team for the future, relying on shrewd scouting and personalities that have learnt their trade from teams consisting of world-class facilities.
And you wouldn’t bet against Armel Bella-Kotchap to be the commander-in-chief for this team on the rise. The 20-year-old, signed on a four-year contract from VfL Bochum has made defending look very easy in the Premier League.
He knows his positions, be it in front of the goal he’s guarding or at the back post. Bella-Kotchap has this tenacity in him, to cover ground at pace even when exposed.
Hasenhuttl is not afraid to trust young players, even when at times the press has reported his job is on the line.
Courtesy of this act of bravery, Southampton have wrought a complete center-back who walks on the pitch like he’s got 500 games worth of senior experience behind him.
On a maiden Germany call-up, Bella-Kotchap thanked Hasenhuttl, claiming “The club showed me a very good plan and I have the opportunity to work on my weaknesses every day. The coach trusts me, the relationship between us is very good and I hope it will continue like this. I just want to show good performances here (with Germany) and convince the coach.”
And just like that, while players from across the world face the music in this fast-paced league, the young German has established himself as an able partner to Mohammed Salisu.
#3 Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez’s lack of height, compounded by Manchester United’s shocking 4-0 defeat at Brentford raised eyebrows and topics for prime-time debates to an extent one can’t imagine, in the Premier League’s opening days.
Safe to say in exactly that much time, he’s put all his doubters to bed. Alongside the evergreen Raphael Varane, the duo has been terrific in a run of four straight Premier League victories.
It’s a fire and ice combination that trusts the method and pace at which Erik Ten Hag wants to play his football. Both are impeccable with the ball at their feet, with Martinez seemingly the more aggressive out of the two.
He’s the type of player who will always be a step ahead of you. And if he’s not, he’ll still end up winning the challenge because he’d always want it just a little bit more.
That type of character, perhaps, is what Manchester United require if they are to bring the glory, glory days back. All the while he’s chasing attackers and shrugging them off, Martinez only concedes an average of 0.9 fouls per game. His quick reactions are complemented by an impressive aggregate of four clearances per match to boot.
It’s scary what he can become, under the continued tutelage of ten Hag and with a serial winner in Varane by his side.
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Catherine Kortsmik. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.