'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Jorginho (Chelsea)
Chelsea's midfield lynchpin Jorginho has had one of the best summers a footballer could dream of. He won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea before embarking on a triumphant run at Euro 2020 with Italy.
Jorginho also won the UEFA Super Cup as Chelsea beat Villarreal on penalties. The Italian midfielder was a very divisive figure in his first couple of seasons at Chelsea. Critics were harsh on him and claimed that he couldn't keep up with the intensity or the pace of English football.
However, Jorginho put a lot of work in and kept improving and has now become undroppable from the Chelsea lineup. He is an extremely smart footballer who makes up for his lack of pace with his spatial awareness and tactical intelligence.
Jorginho is firmly in the running for the Ballon d'Or this term and that speaks volumes of the quality he possesses.
#2 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
Toni Kroos is one of the most elegant footballers on the planet. It's a joy to watch him go about his business. Whether it be dropping his shoulder before easing past an opposition player or pinging balls into the feet of his teammates from 50 yards out, he does it all with grace.
Kroos is the midfield metronome for both Real Madrid and Germany and he has never been a pacy presence in the center of the park. The 31-year-old compensates for his lack of pace with his vision and technical abilities.
Kroos is also one of the most intelligent footballers on the planet. He knows which pockets of space to move into in order to create space for his teammates and also possesses an excellent reading of the game.
These attributes make him effective in attack and in defence and he will go down in history as one of the best central midfielders of the modern game.
#1 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller traded elegance for effectiveness and no one who has seen him play could complain. A self-styled Raumdeuter or 'space interpreter', Muller is one of the most versatile footballers on the planet.
He can play in any position across the frontline and is easily one of the most intelligent footballers of all time. Muller's positional awareness, coupled with his movement in and around the final third, make him a thorn in the neck of opposition defenders.
Muller is always looking to disrupt the order of the opposition backline. He pops up in pockets of space in and around the final third and his off-the-ball movements help create plenty of space for his teamamtes.
The 32-year-old is not very quick but no player needs to be very quick when they are as smart as Muller is. The ever consistent German international has scored five goals and provided eight assists in 15 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich this term.
In the 2020-21 season, he scored 15 goals and provided 24 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. His numbers show just how effective he is in the final third.
