Following a slow start, Manchester United has made its move and is climbing toward the top of the Premier League standings. Much of that has to do with their play at the back end and goalkeeper David de Gea. While he may not get the credit he deserves, it’s important to point out how important he’s been to the team’s success. When the goalkeeper is a rock, just as he’s been, the rest of the team feeds off of it.
As instrumental as he’s been in Man U’s turnaround, he still doesn’t quite make the cut of our list of the four best men between the posts. Surprised? Have a look at our list of the four best goalkeepers in the world right now to find out who has trumped him.
Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich
It would be unreasonable to expect Bayern to have anything less than the best goalie from their own country tending their goal, so it makes sense that Neuer has made a home at Bayern. The German International is coming off a World Cup win and while there has always been plenty of talent in front of him both on the International stage and in the Bundesliga, there is no denying how good he has been when called upon to make the big save in close games.
Neuer has also done an excellent job of all of the little things asked of him, such as calling out where his players should be and doing an excellent job of distributing the football from the back end. Every one of the four goalies on this list is elite but Neuer’s age and ability to do everything well is why he is at the top of it.
Thibaut Courtois – Chelsea
At 22 years old, the Belgian has already established himself as one of the truly elite goaltenders thanks to the perfect mix of size, athleticism, and quick reflexes. His 6 ft. 6 in. frame, combined with explosive push and his lightning fast reflexes, allows him to explode from one side of the net to the other in order to make incredible diving saves. His focus is quite impeccable as he always seems to be dialed in. Leading Belgium back to the World Cup, and pushing Atletico past Barcelona and Real Madrid, has helped separate Courtois as a truly elite netminder. Given his age he will be in this place for a very long time.
Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus
The Italian International is reaching the end of his career but even at 36 years of age, he has remained one of the world’s truly elite goalkeepers. He has done an excellent job of staying in shape and his lightning fast reflexes have been sharp enough that even if there has been a minor drop off in his level of play, it’s hard to notice it. His experience and calm in big pressure situations is another asset. He’s also one of the few goalkeepers that is able to lead the team from the back end. He keeps his squads on point. Until he shows real signs of slowing down, he has to be considered one of the top four netminders in the world.
Hugo Lloris – Tottenham
Iker Casillas hasn’t played at the same level while splitting time at Real Madrid and that opened the door for Lloris to move in to the final spot on our list. The Frenchman is another keeper with a massive frame that does an excellent job covering distance from goal post to goal post. He has worked on his positioning to improve dramatically on the one area that may have hurt his stock in the past. Casillas is one goalie most people think deserves to be on this list but we have seen more from Lloris over the past year than him. Although Casillas has the better career resume, appreciate that Lloris is the better man for the job right now.
