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Portugal has produced some of the finest technicians in the game and these midfielders are keeping their legacy intact.
Portugal has been home to some of the best midfielders we have seen in European football. Even today, there are plenty of Portuguese players plying their trade across the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 among others.
These days, Portugal is one of the best sides in the international realm as well and that is in no short part thanks to the barrage of talent that they have in midfield. Of course, they have Cristiano Ronaldo too but it's not just him that gets A Seleção ticking.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best Portuguese midfielders right now.
5 best Portuguese midfielders right now
#5 Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
One of the most technically gifted central midfielders in the Premier League, the Portuguese veteran Joao Moutinho wasd critical to Wolves' bid to crack into the top four last season.
Moutinho contributes on both sides of the pitch and though he has not hit the heights of last season, the 34-year-old continues to be a mainstay in the Wolves' lineup. One of his best attributes is his ability to conjure up killer deliveries from set-pieces and you can count them as one of Wolves' greatest weapons in their arsenal.
After a promising all-round season in 2019-20, Wolves have struggled this season. That can turn around if Moutinho can hit a green patch in terms of his form because there's hardly anybody better at pulling strings from a deep-lying role in the Premier League than the 34-year-old when he's on top of his game.
#4 Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain)
Portuguese defensive midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain in October on loan from FC Porto and is gradually becoming a regular feature in the Parisiens' setup. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder is a strong and stable presence in the centre of the park.
Pereira is good with the ball at his feet and uses his body well to wriggle out of tight spaces and find teammates in space. His short passing is exquisite and he averages a pass completion rate of 91.8% in the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League this term.
Pereira dominates aerial duels as well thanks to his huge frame. He drives forward well on occasion and is usually deployed in a more central position this season.
#3 Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Wolverhampton Wanderers is home to some excellent Portuguese players and one of the most prominent among them is Ruben Neves. A deep-lying central midfielder, Neves acts as the link between defence and attack and he plays that role with just the right amount of aggression that's warranted.
Neves can bomb from box-to-box and is a tireless presence on the pitch. Wolves' return to the top-flight and subsequent journey into a stable top-half side has got a lot to do with their midfield and Ruben Neves is right at the heart of it.
Ruben Neves also chips in with some absolute screamers and loves testing the goalkeeper from range. He also steps up in the big games. The 23-year-old has scored two goals this season and has completed 86% of his attempted passes in the Premier League.
In addition to getting involved in attack, Neves covers excellently for his backline and thanks to his ability to read the game, he is adept at breaking up play by and making interceptions. At 23, Ruben Neves has plenty of time to improve as well and we will surely see a lot more of him over the coming years.
#2 Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP)
Sporting CP have been on a roll in the league so far and are yet to lose a game. They were expected to suffer in the absence of Bruno Fernandes who left in January 2020, but Sporting have found a great replacement in the 22-year-old Pedro Goncalves.
He is almost a like-for-like replacement for Bruno Fernandes and he has been able to produce numbers of a similar nature as well. He is a pacy left-footer who loves to take on defenders and beat them and is a great finisher once he breaks into the final third.
Goncalves is a creative and intelligent midfielder and he also excels upfront by making runs off the shoulder of the last defender. In the Primera Liga, he has scored 11 goals and provided two assists from across 12 appearances this season.
Goncalves is technically proficient and his goals have come in all different ways be it tap-ins or headers or long-ranger scorcher. Just like the player he has replaced, Goncalves is excellent at drifting into and out of pace and just generally being a thorn in the neck of midfielders and defenders.
#1 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Manchester United's "Mr. Inevitable", Bruno Fernandes has taken the Premier League by storm. Ever since joining in the 2020 January transfer window, Bruno Fernandes has helped transform an otherwise hit-or-miss Manchester United side into one of the best teams in the league.
The attacking midfielder has been absolutely unstoppable and has been Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's main man on the field and has played the biggest role yet in their title-challenge this season.
Manchester United sit atop the Premier League table right now and Bruno Fernandes has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists from across 17 appearances. He has 16 goals and eight assists across all competitions so far this season. Mind you, he scores all those goals from midfield.
Detractors will say that Bruno Fernandes statpads thanks to penalties but even though his conversion rate from the spot is immaculate, no other midfielder has scored more from open play in the Premier League since Fernandes arrived at Old Trafford.
