Former French international Bacary Sagna has named Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi, of Paris Saint-Germain, as the best right-back in the world, praising the player’s remarkable development and growing influence on the pitch.
Speaking during an interview with ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on the “Kora Break” platform, Sagna said, “Achraf Hakimi is the best in his position at the moment, because of his great ability to attack, his intelligence in playing, his good choice of timing, and his respect for football.”
Sagna also highlighted Hakimi’s defensive improvement, noting, “I now see that he has also become strong defensively. Previously, I was not confident about his defensive level or positioning, but he has developed a lot over the past few years, and his impact on the team has become very significant.”
The former Arsenal and Manchester City defender was particularly impressed by Hakimi’s attacking contributions.
“He takes set pieces and free kicks, and he scores goals consistently. He scored around 20 goals last season, which is a very good number for a right-back. I played in that position before, and I only scored 5 or 6 goals, so I greatly appreciate the quality of this player,” he added.
Sagna rounded out his rankings by naming Dutchman Joren Timber, currently at Arsenal, as the second-best full-back in the world, followed by another Moroccan, Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United, in third place.
