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#3 Casemiro
Built like a tank, Casemiro provides an extra line of defence for Real Madrid all by himself. He is the spine of that Real Madrid midfield and the reason why the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos etc. have thrived is in great part thanks to the platform provided for them by the Brazilian.
Don't get us wrong though, physicality is just one aspect of his game. Casemiro is an intelligent footballer and breaks up play quite regularly thanks to his ability to read the game better than those around him.
Casemiro is great when it comes to aerial duels as well. He bombs forward on occasion too and does reward himself and help the team out with a few goals. He has already scored three goals this season from 12 appearances playing from a defensive midfield position.
Last season, he scored four goals and provided three assists and was arguably their best player as Real Madrid became La Liga champions.
#2 Marcos Llorente
Marcos Llorente's transformation from a sparingly used defensive minded midfielder to that one of the best goalscoring attacking midfielders has been nothing short of remarkable. Credit goes to Diego Simeone who guided him through his change in position and then integrating him into the team at the right time.
Llorente has been excellent for Atletico Madrid and he has scored five goals and provided two assists from just 10 appearances in the league so far. He took a while to settle down after joining from Real Madrid in the summer of 2019. But towards the end of the season, Llorente started becoming a menacing presence in attacking midfield.
From being one of the best ball stealers in the league, Llorente has moved on and become an aggressive, technically gifted and creative attacker will surely drop several more spectacular performances before the season draws to a close.
#1 Mikel Merino
Real Sociedad are challenging for the La Liga title this term and their excellent run of form has a lot to do with how well 24-year-old midfielder Mikel Merino has been going about his business at the centre of the park.
Mikel Merino looked destined for a journeyman career before eventually finding home and settling down at Real Sociedad. Merino contributes on both sides of the pitch with his excellent close control and ability to hold on to the ball in addition to his intelligence which makes him great at reading what's going on around him and intercepting passes.
Merino also breaks up play incredibly well and is an absolute joy to watch with the ball at his feet. He loves finding his way out of tight spaces and playing a killer pass into the final third to release one of the forwards. Merino is simply the kind of deep lying playmaker that every manager wants to have on his team.
Merino recently earned a well deserved call up to the national team as well and is expected to hit greater heights in the years to come.
