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Premier League 2018/19 was a remarkable season largely due to the neck-to-neck battle of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table. However, what made this season exciting for the neutrals was the rise of the mid-table teams. Clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City have punched above their weight by causing quite a few upsets over the course of the season.
The reason behind this rise and the excellent display of football from these mid-table teams are some fantastic players. We look at 5 of those players who are ready to step-up for the challenges at a bigger stage.
1. Declan Rice
Every year the Premier League gives birth to several new young talents, and this season, Declan Rice has been one of them. The young midfielder caught everyone’s attention through his impressive performances for West Ham.
At 20 years of age, the midfielder’s rise has been a speedy one. Rice started out as a center-back under ex-boss David Moyes which helped him strengthen his defensive skills. However, the new manager Manuel Pellegrini decided to play him in front of the backline as the defensive midfielder.
Apart from his defensive abilities, the youngster has excellent composure on the ball and the vision to quickly convert defense into attack. With 2 goals and an average of 2.9 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, the defensive midfielder was a central figure to the Hammers’ success this season. The impressive run of form did not go unnoticed as he got his first call-up to the England national squad for Euro 2020 qualifiers.
After a magnificent first season at the London Stadium, the young midfielder has shown that he could be ready to take his career to the next level by playing for a top-six side. He can be a great addition in either of the Manchester teams as both Manchester City and Manchester United are looking for a quality defensive midfielder to replace Fernandinho and Nemanja Matic respectively.
2. Lucas Digne
Leighton Baines and the left back position at Everton have been synonymous for the last decade. But at 34, the veteran left back was past his prime and the Toffees were in need of some fresh legs in the left back position.
They signed Lucas Digne from Barcelona last summer and the French international in a short span of time managed to replace Baines in the starting line up. The 25-year-old was quick to adapt to the Premier League and improved game after game.
Digne is stylistically an attack-minded left back. With 4 goals, 5 assists, and an average of 2 tackles per game in his first season at Goodison Park, he has shown creative abilities going forward as well as excellent solidarity in the defensive phase. After an excellent first season, Digne has cemented his place in the starting line-up and is now one of the crucial members of Marco Silva’s squad.
With such high caliber and previous experience at top clubs, it is fair to say the left-back has the talent to play for a top-six club in the Premier League. The French international can be a great addition to teams like Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal who are lacking quality and depth in the left back position.
3. James Maddison
Maddison joined Leicester City a year ago from Norwich City and it is fair to say that the Englishman has had a dream debut season in the Premier League. The midfielder was in fine form and showcased immense potential this season.
The 22-year-old contributed to 14 goals this season, scoring and creating 7 each. However, it is not the goals but the goal scoring chances he has created that reflect his creative prowess in the midfield. The playmaker averaged 2.8 key passes per game and created 100 chances - the highest in the Premier League 2018/19. With an average of 1.4 tackles per game, he has also improved defensively this season.
The Leicester star is slowly evolving into one of the finest playmakers in the league and despite just one season into the Premier League, he is ready for a move to a top-six side.
Often compared to David Beckham, Maddison can thrive at Manchester United. With the Red Devils lacking a playmaker, the 22-year-old can perfectly fill that void.
Raul Jimenez:
In a Premier League season where all the limelight was on the top teams - Manchester City and Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers still managed to gain enough attention. Wolves had a season to remember as they surprisingly finished 7th in the Premier League 2018/19 and secured a place in the next edition of Europa league. It is fair to say that Raul Jimenez had a crucial role in this successful campaign.
The striker was bought by Atletico Madrid in 2014 and was considered to be an exciting prospect back then. However, things did not go according to plan for the Mexican, who just scored a single goal in the entire campaign. Jimenez was then sold to Benfica after a disappointing first season with Los Colchoneros.
Even though the Mexican had a couple of decent seasons at Benfica, his rise was yet to come.
A loan deal to Wolverhampton Wanderers last season proved to be a game changer for the striker. Jimenez displayed excellent form and contributed to 19 goals this season, scoring 12 and creating 7. Apart from the goals and assists, his high work rate and strong mentality have been crucial to Wolves’ success this season.
The 28-year-old is in his prime years now and with a strong season behind him, he will be an asset to any top-six side in the Premier League especially a club such as Chelsea. they need a strong leading man to link up with the wingers and score goals week in week out.
5. Wilfried Zaha
Zaha was hyped since his early days as he was, after all, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last-ever signing. However, after Sir Alex’s retirement, the winger was not able to impress either of the next two managers, David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal. As a result the Ivorian was sent out on loan spells at Cardiff City and Crystal Palace before finally completing a permanent move to the Selhurst Park in 2015.
Since then, the winger has played under various managers and improved season after season and now finally seems to on course to realize his potential. The 26-year-old was the talisman for the Eagles this season by contributing to 14 goals, scoring 10 and creating 4.
With his lightning-fast pace, solid strength and amazing dribbling skills, the Ivorian is ready for bigger challenges at the European stage. He can be an ideal fit in teams like Manchester United and Arsenal who are in dire need of a quality winger.
