With the way football has become specialised, with its attacking midfielders and holding midfielders and the way managers like Pep Guardiola want their players to be able to interchange at will, there are fewer and fewer pure pivots anymore.
The list below however, is made up of the best all-round midfielders in the world. We’ve used a number of stats from last season to quantify our rankings, as well as a player’s overall contribution to the game in recent times. So who makes it into our top 10?
All stats come from WhoScored.com and are correct as of the publish date.
10. Toni Kroos
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 24 appearances
- 3 goals
- 10 assists
- 93.6% pass success
- 1.5 tackles per game
9. Marco Verratti
- 2020/21 Season Stats:
- 16 appearances
- 0 goals
- 2 assists
- 91.7% pass success
- 2.5 tackles per game
8. Paul Pogba
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 21 appearances
- 3 goals
- 3 assists
- 83% pass success
- 1.4 tackles per game
7. Sergio Busquets
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 32 appearances
- 0 goals
- 5 assists
- 91.3% pass success
- 1.8 tackles per game
6. Frenkie de Jong
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 35 appearances
- 3 goals
- 4 assists
- 91.9% pass success
- 1.2 tackles per game
5. Leon Goretzka
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 18 appearances
- 5 goals
- 5 assists
- 87.7% pass success
- 1.0 tackles per game
4. Bruno Fernandes
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 35 appearances
- 18 goals
- 12 assists
- 78.3% pass success
- 1.5 tackles per game
3. Joshua Kimmich
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 25 appearances
- 4 goals
- 10 assists
- 86.3% pass success
- 1.5 tackles per game
2. N’Golo Kante
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 24 appearances
- 0 goals
- 2 assists
- 86.5% pass success
- 2.6 tackles per game
1. Kevin de Bruyne
2020/21 Season Stats:
- 23 appearances
- 6 goals
- 12 assists
- 81.7% pass success
- 1.4 key passes per game
“For me, De Bruyne is the best playmaker in world football. The capacity he has to read the game, to play with appreciation of time and space is unique,” so says Belgium manager Roberto Martinez. Whether it’s linking play for Manchester City or his country or firing one of his laser-guided passes, the Belgian is world-class, hence his short-listing for the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for last season. Despite missing a chunk of the season through injury (and ending his Champions League Final early), he led the Premier League in chances created from open play and had twice as many assists as any of his City teammates.
Featured Image Credit: PA Images
