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The Premier League has never had any shortage for quality midfielders and today we take a look at the very best currently plying their trade in England.
The English top-flight has been and is still home to some of the finest playmakers in the game. In the high-intensity game that we see in the Premier League, midfielders are often forced to think and execute in quick fashion.
All the top clubs in the Premier League have some excellent midfielders on their payrolls. There are creative ones and defensive minded ones in equal measure. With more teams playing different styles of an expansive version of football, the role of midfielers as the connecting line between defence and attack has become even more prominent.
On that note, let's take a look at 10 of the best midfielders in the year 2020.
#10 N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante was the arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world when he won back to back Premier League titles with Leicester City and Chelsea. He also won the FIFA World Cup playing in a double pivot alongside Paul Pogba for France as a holding defensive minded midfielder.
The managerial changes at Chelsea has perhaps not affected many players as much as it has Kante. Kante was deployed in a more advanced role under Sarri and even Frank Lampard likes to play him more as a no.6 than a proper defensive midfielder.
Though Kante has taken his time, he has grown into the new role and has been doing pretty well there. That he has started all of Chelsea's 14 games so far this season is a testament to how much he has improved.
#9 Rodrigo
Rodrigo's entry into the Manchester City setup has had a telling effect on how easily they transition into attack. It's difficult to find another midfielder who dominates possession as much as Rodri.
The 24-year-old made the most number of passes in the 2019-20 season and was the player with the most number of touches on the ball as well. He is an excellent passer of the ball and averages 70 passes per game and completes more than 90% of attempted passes.
Rodri's passing range is incredible and he keeps playing some lovely diagonal long balls into the flanks.
#8 Mason Mount
The 21-year-old was the poster boy for Frank Lampard's resurgent Chelsea side that eventually made it to the top four last season. Lampard relied heavily on his youngsters and Mason Mount stepped up and delivered from the get-go to settle some early season nerves.
He was a maintstay in Chelsea's starting XI and started 32 matches in the Premier League and came off the bench on five occasions as well. He scored seven goals and provided five assists from attacking midfield.
He continues to create opportunities and do well for his side and already has a goal and three assists to his name from across 13 appearances in the Premier League. Mason Mount's exploits have seen him earn a call-up to the international side as well.
#7 Joao Moutinho
The Wolverhampton Wanderers' midfield maestro Joao Moutinho had an excellent 2019-20 season. Operating as a central midfielder, Moutinho was key to Wolves staying in the hunt for the top four for the majority of the 2019-20 season.
The Portuguese international is an incredible technician and with him, things hardly ever go wrong. He contributes as much defensively as he does at going forward. Moutinho is also a dead-ball specialist and whips in some beauties into the box from corners and set-pieces for his physically gifted teammates to attack.
He provided six assists from central midfield in the 2019-20 season and though his performances so far this season have been nothing to write home about, the 34-year-old is sure to find better form and start to make things tick for Wolves in the centre of the pitch once again.
#6 Fabinho
Since joining from AS Monaco, Fabinho has blossomed into Jurgen Klopp's most dependable midfielder in the span of two and a half years. An excellent defensive midfielder, Fabinho provides the steel to Liverpool's midfield and acts as an excellent cover for his defenders.
He is excellent at breaking down attacks and keeping things simple in the centre of the pitch. An assured presence on the ball, he also packs a scorcher of a shot. Fabinho has a lot of experience playing at right-back and now in the face of Liverpool's mounting injury concerns, he has been playing at centre-back and been doing a pretty good job at it.
The Brazilian has stepped it up a notch this season after Liverpool lost Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez to injury. Standing at 188 cms, the Brazilian is also good at aerial duels. In short, he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the game right now.
#5 Wilfred Ndidi
Wilfred Ndidi missed two and a half months of this season already to injury. Had he been around, Leicester City would have been even more of a force this season. Ndidi was hands down,the best defensive midfielder in the league last season.
He is an excellent tackler and made the most number of tackles in the Premier League last season. Ndidi is also really good in the air and negotiates aeriel duels with relative ease.
The Nigerian is just 24-years-old and has a long way to go and he definitely comes with the attributes to go the distance in sublime fashion.
#4 Jordan Henderson
The Liverpool captain has been written off far too many times and has been called a 'squad player' in many circles. However, Jordan Henderson's trajectory under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp has been nothing short of exceptional and he has led from the front as the Reds enjoyed success in the Champions League and the Premier League in successive seasons.
Jordan Henderson covers each and every blade of grass on the field and brings a lot of energy to the side. He leads from the front and never slacks off. Henderson has also become really good with his passing and plays some lovely give and gos on his side of the pitch.
In addition to that, Jordan Henderson is tactically intelligent and despite all the big names in Liverpool's midfield, the Englishman has earned himself a spot in the starting XI. He scored four goals and provided five assists in the 2019-20 season and that's impressive because he plays as a holding midfielder.
#3 Jack Grealish
Aston Villa's best player over the past few years without a doubt, it has been extensively suggested that Jack Grealish could walk into the starting lineup of any Premier League side and it's hard to argue with that line of thought.
Grealish was Aston Villa's main man as they schlepped their bottoms out of the drop zone by the finest of margins last time. The England international was Villa's standout performer last season and stayed put at the club despite being heavily linked with Manchester United.
Jack Grealish scored eight goals and provided six assists in the 2019-20 season. He has levelled up this season and is currently leading the chart for the most number of chances created in the league.
He has contributed massively to Aston Villa's early season form and already has five goals and six assists from just 12 appearances so far. He is without doubt one of the finest midfielders currently plying their trade in the English top-flight.
#2 Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United have not made a signing that has had as much impact as Bruno Fernandes since Robin Van Persie joined from Arsenal while Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge. Bruno Fernandes' arrival immediately made Manchester United a better team.
Since joining in early January, Fernandes pulled Manchester United out of a slump with his sublime playmaking and goalscoring abilities and led from the front as the Red Devils went on an impressive run to finish in the top four and win a place in the UEFA Champions League.
Bruno Fernandes scored eight goals and racked up seven assists from across 14 appearances for Manchester United in the 2019/20 season and despite joining in January, he won the club's Player of the Year award.
He has kicked on in the same vein this season and has played a major role in Manchester United being in the top 3 right now with a game in hand. He has scored nine goals and provided five assists so far from 13 appearances in the Premier League this season and has been nearly unstoppable so far.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is in a league of his own. In fact, he has been so ever since Pep Guardiola took charge of Manchester City. The Belgian is Pep's most trusted midfield general and he had a spectacular season last time around despite City not hitting the heights expected of them as a team.
De Bruyne was the PFA Player of the Year last time around and he earned that honour by scoring 13 goals and providing 20 assists from across 35 appearances in the Premier League. He is a genius midfielder and can see and pick out passes most football players wouldn't even be able to conjure up.
De Bruyne got off to a slow start to the new season but he has, of late, looked like he's hitting his stride. KDB has thus far scored two goals and provided seven assists from across 12 appearances in the league so far.
De Bruyne is an excellent footballer all-round. He has no issue tracking back when required, has an excellent shot in him and is a free-kick specialist as well. He is the closest thing we have to a complete package right now in the Premier League.
