Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld and Southampton ace Virgil van Dijk are two of the best centre-backs in the Premier League
Alderweireld and Van Dijk are two of the best central defenders in the Premier League, and former Arsenal striker Wright prefers the former.
| Team | Season | Passing Accuracy | Tackles Won | Interceptions Won | Ball Recovery | Headers Won | Outfielder Blocks | Effective Clearances | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil van Dijk | Southampton | 2017-2018 | 86% | 7 | 29 | 71 | 60 | 13 | 78 | 12 | 993 |
| Toby Alderweireld | Tottenham | 2017-2018 | 86% | 10 | 3 | 41 | 13 | 4 | 40 | 10 | 900 |
| Virgil van Dijk | Southampton | 2016-2017 | 84% | 30 | 54 | 109 | 98 | 15 | 127 | 21 | 1,854 |
| Toby Alderweireld | Tottenham | 2016-2017 | 83% | 35 | 26 | 130 | 42 | 21 | 157 | 30 | 2,604 |
| Virgil van Dijk | Southampton | 2015-2016 | 83% | 44 | 96 | 163 | 163 | 22 | 218 | 34 | 3,060 |
| Toby Alderweireld | Tottenham | 2015-2016 | 80% | 32 | 66 | 161 | 59 | 33 | 211 | 38 | 3,419 |
Both Alderweireld and Van Dijk are very good central defenders, and it would not be easy to pick one of them.
Alderweireld is injured at the moment, but when the 28-year-old Belgium international is fit and on his game, the Spurs star is one of the best central defenders on the planet.
Van Dijk’s performances for Southampton so far this campaign have been mixed, but there is no doubt that the 26-year-old is one of the best and most elegant centre-backs in the Premier League.
The Netherlands international has been on the books of Southampton since the summer of 2015 when he joined from Celtic for a transfer fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £13 million.
Alderweireld joined Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2015 for a transfer fee reported by The Guardian to be worth £11.4m.
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