Since transferring from Southampton to Liverpool in 2017, Van Dijk has been a cornerstone of Liverpool's defense. Now 34 years old, he remains an indispensable part of Slot's plans. The Premier League is never short of excellent options for central defenders, with Saliba and Gabriel forming a formidable partnership at Arsenal. Marc Guéhi has also demonstrated world-class quality.
However, for a long time, Italy was the hub of the world's best defenders, and Nesta himself stood at the pinnacle for many years. The former Italian international maintained exceptional consistency throughout his career, and he is impressed that Van Dijk has been able to do the same, praising him as still the best in defense.
"For me, Van Dijk is still the best right now because he maintains the same high standard every year. He plays in the Premier League, which, for me, is the toughest league in the world, so for me, he is the best."
Since Inter Milan's triumph, no Serie A team has won the Champions League. Nesta pointed out that the fundamental shift in the ownership landscape of Italian football is one of the decisive factors behind this change.
"In Italy, the league is changing. Ten years ago, Italian clubs were controlled by the wealthiest families, who spent a lot of money to improve their teams and buy the best players in the world. Now, we are receiving offers from the United States; they come to Italy just for business. It's different. In my opinion, we didn't build a more solid foundation back then. Now, without the substantial funds from Italian families, the Premier League is crushing us."
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