'%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 Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Manchester City youngster Phil Foden is one of the most promising midfielders on the planet. His deft touches, excellent passing range and vision make him one of the most technically adept midfielders in the Premier League.
Foden also packs a lot of pace which enables him to play as a winger as well. He started down the right flank for England at the recently concluded Euro 2020 and that was only possible due to his speed and acceleration on the ball.
Foden clocked a top speed of 23.07 mph in a Premier League game against Aston Villa in the 2019-20 season. He has kept it up and still possesses that explosive pace which allows him to flit past opposition players in the blink of an eye.
#2 Renato Sanches (Lille)
Renato Sanches is just 24-years-old but has already seen a lot of ups and downs in his career. After securing a big move to Bayern Munich following a great outing at Euro 2016, he failed to make a mark. An extremely underwhelming loan stint with Swansea City didn't help his credentials.
But Sanches has become an influential player for Lille and he was a creative force in midfield as they pipped Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title. He is a well-rounded midfielder whose defensive and offensive aspects of his game are quite refined.
Sanches was a standout performer for Portugal at Euro 2020. His dribbling ability coupled with his pace makes him an excellent all-action midfielder. Sanches has been likened to midfield greats like Clarence Seedorf and Edgard Davids.
#1 Rafa Silva (Benfica)
Rafael Silva is arguably the quickest midfielder in Europe. His blistering pace and quick feet enables him to play as an attacking midfielder as well as a winger. Silva is an excellent dribbler as well and showcases wonderful close control.
Rafa Silva's dancing feet and acceleration in short spaces make him a huge threat on counter attacks. The 28-year-old is an intelligent campaigner with great spatial awareness and vision. Benfica benefits a lot from his smart runs into pockets of space in and around the final third.
In 45 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, the Portuguese international scored nine goals and provided 10 assists.
