The Full-Back Market for Summer 2026

The Athletic's highly anticipated Transfer Tiers series continues with a comprehensive look at the full-back market heading into the summer 2026 transfer window. After analyzing goalkeepers and defenders, the expert panel has identified nine players who could make the biggest impact this summer.

The methodology divides players into three tiers: Tier One represents elite clubs, Tier Two encompasses those from the level just below, and Tier Three covers the wealthy middle-class. However, it's worth noting that if top-tier options move or become unavailable, elite sides could easily fit a Tier Three player into their squads.

One striking observation from the panel was the weakness of the full-back category. As one technical staff member from a World Cup-competing national team noted: "Dumfries is very much a functional player who needs to play a specific role, and has his limitations. What I like about him is physical profile: ability to repeat high-speed running actions – getting forward to support the attack and recovering in defensive transition. Strength in duels – ground and aerial. As well as his ability to arrive in the penalty box."

Tier One: The Elite Options

Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan, Age 30)

Despite his age and specific tactical requirements, Dumfries tops the list as the premier option in the full-back market. His strength in transition is a major attraction, along with his rounded defensive game and regular attacking contributions. However, his age – he turned 30 in April – and his typical role as a wing-back at Inter Milan, where few other elite European clubs employ a back three, present potential challenges for prospective buyers.

Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen, Age 30)

Grimaldo is described less as an orthodox full-back and more like a playmaker operating in full-back positions. A private skills coach praised him, saying: "My favourite set-piece taker in the world. In open play, he's a very good player. Over a dead ball, he's a brilliant one."

Grimaldo joined Bayer Leverkusen the summer before they completed an undefeated domestic double under Xabi Alonso. While the team's level has declined in recent years – particularly after Alonso and Florian Wirtz departed in 2025 – Grimaldo has remained remarkably consistent. He is an exceptional crosser and one of the best free-kick takers in Europe, capable of playing infield and cutting passes upfield from positions away from the touchline.

Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur, Age 26)

Porro's inclusion in Tier One requires extraction from Tottenham's troubled context. Two particular issues stand out: the club's instability and, for a player whose value is best seen from crossing or cut-back positions, he was a natural victim of Spurs' lack of attacking quality.

Despite these concerns, Porro featured heavily in Tier Two but attracted more Tier One votes. The theory is that surrounding him with better-quality teammates – something Spurs themselves might achieve this summer – would accentuate his strengths and not expose his weaknesses as much. He's a dynamic, metronome-like player who plays in strong bursts and is a very clean striker of the ball.

Tier Two: The Rising Stars

Michael Kayode (Brentford, Age 21)

Kayode was almost evenly split between Tier One and Tier Two. The general feedback was straightforward: Kayode is a terrific player with no real weaknesses. In particular, the quality of his back-post defending received multiple mentions and was praised as rare among modern full-backs.

Given that Brentford only signed him on a permanent basis in July 2025 for €17.5 million, there would be a prohibitive cost involved in buying him. However, at just 21 years old, the consensus is that Kayode has significant potential and that his attacking output would develop within a more offensive system.

Tino Livramento (Newcastle United, Age 23)

Livramento received more Tier One recommendations than Michael Kayode but ended up in Tier Two, which reflects his current place in the game with Newcastle United. A couple of respondents noted that while he has been playing at Premier League first-team level for five years, he has made fewer than 100 appearances in that time.

Injuries have gotten in the way and slowed his progress, including a cruciate ligament tear in his first season with Southampton. Despite this, he has built an excellent CV, having played in the Champions League with Newcastle United and earning his first England caps in 2024. Experts particularly noted how well he performed when asked to play on the left rather than his natural right side, and how competent he looks when carrying the ball infield.

Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund, Age 28)

A video analyst at a Premier League club offered insight: "What I like about him is that he can play on both sides. He's stronger on the right, but there really isn't much difference."

Ryerson enjoyed a remarkable season for Borussia Dortmund, recording 18 assists across all competitions – four times more than any other season of his career. This better reflects how Dortmund's style of play under Niko Kovac prioritised the creation of crossing positions and the quality of set-piece work. He's a fine full-back: nuggety and aggressive, a combative and capable defender who has operated within a back four and a back three during his Dortmund career.

Tier Three: Experienced Options

El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United, Age 21)

Diouf was the most picked player in this category, featuring in Tier Two as well but not selected by anybody for Tier One. West Ham's season showed both sides of his game – the quality of his crossing jumped off the page, and his ability to get into advanced positions and reliably deliver made him one of the most dependable sources of attacking output in what was, for most of the season, an extremely poor side.

However, he has plenty to learn defensively. While the modern game prioritises the attacking thrust that full-backs provide over the security they offer, Diouf showed some naivety this season. Experts believe West Ham's likely relegation makes him more obtainable for teams without a limitless budget.

Andy Robertson (Liverpool, Age 32)

It's surprising how few teams are expected to take risks in this tier, with respondents thinking that teams at this level will prioritise experience over young talent. Robertson left Liverpool this season after an enormously successful nine years.

While his very best football is clearly in the rear-view mirror – he only started 16 games in the Premier League and Champions League combined this season – he's evidently still seen as being able to contribute. The broad trend in Tier Three, Diouf aside, was for known commodities – players who could also be used as auxiliary centre-backs or those who added intangible value to the club.

Raphael Guerreiro (Bayern Munich, Age 32)

Another veteran option, Guerreiro is a free agent after his Bayern Munich contract ended. He left the club after three years and 40 starts in the Bundesliga, having been more involved than expected when he arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

That's partly because he is so positionally versatile – he played left-back, defensive midfield, and even attacking midfield for Bayern, as he did for Dortmund before. The Portuguese was picked exclusively in Tier Three and by over half of the people asked, most likely in recognition of that usefulness rather than impact in one specific role.

Market Observations

Several elite full-backs were deemed unobtainable, including Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Nico O'Reilly, and Jurrien Timber. Alphonso Davies has had an injury-disrupted few years and has also signed an enormous new contract with Bayern Munich.

Experts were given the option to add their own players and supplement the lists, but few did. That might partly explain the prevalence of older players in the lowest category, which came as a surprise. Inclusion in these tiers does not mean a player wants to move or will necessarily be available this summer – rather, it represents who experts would present in a recruitment meeting going into the window.