Real Madrid: 5 most important players heading into 2019-2020

3. Raphael Varane

Entering the prime of his career at 26, Raphael Varane has firmly established himself as one of the world’s most impressive defensive players after being arguably Real Madrid’s top prospect for years. The World Cup winner wasn’t at his best last season, but his importance to the squad will only increase as the end nears for veteran Spanish center back Sergio Ramos.

Varane’s pace at the position is well-known, and he’s also one of the most composed defenders in La Liga, making him a perfect partner for the more aggressive Ramos. It looks like Varane could be headed for his best season yet, and there may honestly only be two center backs in the world — Virgil van Dijk and Kalidou Koulibaly — who can definitively say that they are superior players than Varane.

His standing as one of the world’s top five center backs alone makes him one of Real’s most important players going into 2019-2020. He is one of the most intelligent at his position at reading the game, and his strength in the air or in the tackle have been constantly on display. It’s rare for him to put a foot wrong, as he only averaged 0.3 fouls per game last season, per WhoScored.com. And whenever there’s the slightest bit of danger in the penalty box, Varane has a cool head to deal with the situation.