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#3 Casemiro | Real Madrid | £57.6m
The man who has undisputedly been the most incredible defensive midfielder through the course of the 2019/20 campaign, Casemiro has been indispensable to Real Madrid's midfield. Regarded as one of the most pivotal figures in Zinedine Zidane's UCL three-peat and LaLiga-winning Los Blancos sides, the Brazilian is the perfect foil to the artistry and poise of the likes of Toni Kroos in the middle.
Casemiro is understandably one of the first names on the team sheet and appears to keep getting better with every passing year. The 28-year-old's passing range, eye for a goal, and efficiency in terms of winning the ball back have all been invaluable qualities for Los Blancos' midfield. His importance to Zidane's side is highlighted by the fact that he clocked up a whopping 3,091 minutes in LaLiga Santander over 35 appearances in the league. His tally of 4,081 minutes overall is the highest in Real Madrid's squad.
#2 Rodri | Manchester City | £57.6m
Rodri came to the club as part of Manchester City's 2019/20 summer spree and is undoubtedly set to become a key player at the Etihad Stadium for years to come. The Spaniard, widely likened to his compatriot and idol Sergio Busquets, is a strikingly intelligent personality both on and off the pitch. His ability to play the role of a metronome, calmy keeping the ball moving in the middle, bodes perfectly well with Pep Guardiola's approach.
The 24-year-old racked up a staggering 52 appearances over nearly 3,700 minutes for Manchester City last season, with 35 of them coming in the Premier League. He enjoyed an impressive debut campaign and has already shown the league what he's capable of with some stunning performances in the middle. The Spanish international and former Atletico Madrid man would go on to repay Guardiola's faith in him and emulate his idol Busquets.
#1 Joshua Kimmich | Bayern Munich | £76.5m
What an absolutely glorious 2019/20 campaign Joshua Kimmich has had.
The all-action German midfielder has been one of the most impressive footballers, let alone midfielders, over the last year or two. Kimmich is the embodiment of Bayern Munich's incredibly resilient and relentless approach to the game. The 25-year-old started all but one of the games in the Bavarians' triumphant UCL campaign and racked up an astonishing 4,354 minutes across all competitions — the most among any player on this list. He did so over the course of 51 games, scoring seven and assisting 17 in the process.
Kimmich is a player who can contribute to the team in a vast array of roles, including defensive midfield, right-back, centre-back, and more. However, it is from defensive midfield that he has shone through the most, covering practically every blade of grass for his side.
His admirable engine and ability to do an incredible number of things on the pitch — scoring goals, taking set-pieces, creating chances, and so much more — make him an outstanding asset for any team on the planet. He is currently the most valuable defensive midfielder in the world after his treble-winning campaign with Bayern Munich.
Also read: 10 Highest rated players on EA Sports FIFA 21
