5) Ignazio Abate – AC Milan
Another Italian defender on our list, Abate is entering his prime aged 28, and is seemingly going to let his contract run down until the summer. He was once rated as one of the most promising young fullbacks on the planet, and while he’s not developed into the world-class fullback some expected, Abate is still good enough to play for a top club. He passes the ball well from right-back, and makes few defensive errors – something our current back-line could learn from.
