5 best midfielders in the La Liga this season (2020-21)

Coutinho in action
Coutinho in action

#3 Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Borussia Moenchengladbach v Real Madrid: Group B - UEFA Champions League
Borussia Moenchengladbach v Real Madrid: Group B - UEFA Champions League

It's a pity that Fede Valverde will be out of action for a while now after sustaining a fracture on his right leg right before the international break. Valverde has been one of the best Real Madrid players so far this season and has scored three goals and provided an assist from six starts in the La Liga.

The 22-year-old is definitely one for the future as he is already a vital cog in Zinedine Zidane's system at Real Madrid. He has displaced several top players from the side at a young age and the future seems bright for the Uruguayan international.

Valverde is an excellent passer of the ball and can pick a pass. With several young runners in their attack, Valverde can put his skills to good use at Real Madrid and he has been doing exactly that so far.

#2 Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Atletico Madrid v RB Salzburg: Group A - UEFA Champions League
Atletico Madrid v RB Salzburg: Group A - UEFA Champions League

Selling Marcos Llorente to rivals Atletico Madrid could prove to be a decision that could come to bite Real Madrid in the back in the very near future. The 25-year-old has been excellent for Diego Simeone's side and has been one of the Rojiblancos' best players for a while now.

After initially slotting into a holding role, Llorente has now burgeoned into one of the finest attacking midfielders in the country. His role has become so advanced that he players more or less as a second striker these days and always pops up in dangerous areas to score goals or set one of his teammates up for one.

His excellent performances have now earned him a call up to the national side and the future is looking bright for Marcos Llorente. He already has three goals and two assists from seven appearances in the league so far and only four of them have been starts.

#1 Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad)

Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino

The 24-year-old Real Sociedad Mikel Merino has been outstanding this season so far. He has been pulling the strings from the heart of midfield for La Real alongside the veteran David Silva and is now one of the main reasons why they look like formidable title contenders for the season.

He is one of the best young central midfielders in the game right now and that's simply by virtue of his patience and sheer will after struggling to settle down at various clubs before finally washing up at Real Sociedad.

Merino is just as adept in joining his team going forward as he is in adding an extra layer of protection for his backline. He is an enterprising presence in the centre of the park. Merino loves to take on defenders and test the goalkeeper from range and also has excellent vision when it comes to passing.

Merino has finally become a reliable presence in midfield and also recently earned a call up to the national team. He has been impressive in his international outings so far and he is definitely one to watch out for in the future.

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