Ranking the 7 best goal-scoring midfielders in the world right now

Strikers score goals, defenders defend the goal and midfielders do both. It is a hard time to be a midfielder right now, as the changes in tactics of the modern game has altered the expectations from midfielders. They are supposed to defend, win the ball, pass, set up attackers, cross, link up with the defence – in short, they are expected to do everything on the pitch. Yet perhaps the greatest necessity of a midfielder is to contribute in front of goal. A goal-scoring midfielder is an asset to a team and the envy of the neighbours, sadly.

The shift in responsibilities in the modern game means that teams no longer rely on their strikers alone for the goals. The goal-scoring midfielder takes the burden off a misfiring striker or a heavily marked one and is also a menace for the opposition defenders. As always, goals scoring midfielders are almost as old as the game itself and the present generation is also blessed with a fine crop of such players.

There is a thin line between midfielders and attackers nowadays, and as such, only players listed as midfielders have been considered here. Raheem Sterling is listed as a striker, as is Mohamed Salah, Eden Hazard, Paulo Dybala, Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane, which is why all of them have been left out.

Honorary mentions - Rony Lopez, Marco Asensio, Isco, James Rodriguez

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#7 David Silva (Spain, Manchester City)

Goals Scored Last Season - 10

David Silva scored 9 goals from 29 appearances in the Premier League in the 2017/18 season and scored 1 goal in 2 appearances in the EFL Cup. He had a further 14 assists in the season in total, which shows what an important player he is for the club. But Silva has always found goals from midfield throughout his career – he has scored 99 goals from 579 games in total in his club career. He has also scored an additional 35 goals from 125 games for Spain.

Silva is a technically gifted footballer, who is blessed with a great first touch and is very agile in tight spaces. He has great vision and always looks forward to set up the attacking players in his team, which is the reason why he regularly picks up assists. Additionally, his goalscoring form is a boon both for his club and country. And he is a very consistent player as well. He scored 8 goals and picked up 11 assists in the 2016/17 season. 2015/16 saw a dip in form as he could manage on 4 goals, but he did set up 12 for his teammates. However, the 2014/15 season was a breakthrough one for him, as he scored 12 goals and registered 14 assists.

Silva has scored 1 goal from 3 appearances for Manchester City this season and will be looking forward to another stellar year.

#6 Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium, Manchester City)

Arsenal v Manchester City - Premier League

Goals Scored Last Season - 12

The Belgian is currently recovering from an injury picked up at the start of the season which will keep him sidelined for almost 3 months. But that does not deny the fact that he is one of the finest goal-scoring midfielders around. Last season, De Bruyne scored 8 goals in the Premier League from 37 appearances, 1 goal in the Champions League from 8 appearances, 2 goals in the EFL Cup from 4 appearances and 1 goal in the FA Cup from 3 appearances. He also had 21 assists to his name, which clearly highlights why he is the main man at Manchester City.

De Bruyne also had a strong 2018 FIFA World Cup, as he scored 1 goal, picked up 2 assists and helped Belgium finish 3rd. Even though he is primarily an attacking midfielder, De Bruyne does not shy away from his defensive duties. He is technically gifted and has a composed head on his shoulders, which, along with his goal scoring abilities, makes him one of the best players in the world. But De Bruyne is also consistent in his performances. In the 2016/17 season, he finished with 7 goals and 23 assists. In the 2015/16 season, he scored 17 goals and had 15 assists to his name.

Manchester City will be hoping that their talisman will be back better than before because they will need him if they are to defend their title this season.

#5 Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Manchester City)

Goals Scored Last Season - 13

The Algerian has grown into one of the finest inverted wingers in recent times and has recently moved to Manchester City from Leicester City before the start of the 2018/19 season. Mahrez had been in the radar of Pep Guardiola for quite some time now and had a fabulous 2017/18 season for Leicester City. He scored 12 goals from 36 appearances in the Premier League and 1 goal from 2 appearances in the EFL Cup. He also registered 13 assists. While there might be some debate as to his inclusion in this list, he is registered as a midfielder in the Premier League and he is certainly a fabulous goal-scoring midfielder to say the least.

Mahrez is skilful, quick and has an exquisite left foot that was designed for curlers. His goal scoring abilities have been consistent over the years and that is what makes him special. In the 2016/17 season, the Algerian scored 10 goals and had 7 assists. In the 2015/16 title-winning season for Leicester City, Mahrez was monumental, certainly one of their finest performers, as he scored 18 goals and registered 10 assists!

He has started life at Manchester City quite well but is yet to score in the 2018/19 season. But Mahrez has the pedigree required to find the back of the net and the world will not be disappointed for too long.

#4 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia, Lazio)

Goals Scored Last Season - 14

The Serbian is the rising star of world football. Still only 23 years old, Milinkovic-Savic has generated interest from almost all the big clubs in the world, with a handful of them regularly monitoring him right now and it is easy to see why. The Serbian is a perfect mix of a big burly frame and silky ball skills, with the goalscoring cherry on top. In the 2017/18 season, Milinkovic-Savic scored 12 goals from 35 games in the Serie A and 2 goals from 8 games in the Europa League. He also registered 9 assists to his name.

The Serbian is often referred to as the Paul Pogba of Serie A, to highlight the fact that he is a complete midfielder. But in truth, Milinkovic-Savic is rapidly overtaking Pogba in all fields. The Serbian can defend, he can attack, he can tackle, he can score goals, he is the perfect blend of attack and defence, adjusted as per the requirements of the game. And he is showing the kind of consistency that is doing wonders to his reputation. In the 2016/17 season, Milinkovic-Savic scored 7 goals and had 10 assists to his name, a huge improvement from the 3 goals and 1 assist in the 2015/16 season.

The Sargent is yet to score a goal this season, but with his qualities, you know it is coming sooner than later.

#3 Christian Eriksen (Denmark, Tottenham Hotspurs)

Goals Scored Last Season - 14

Perhaps the most underrated midfielder of this generation. Christian Eriksen has been consistently playing well for both club and country for years now and perhaps has one of the finest footballing brains in the modern generation. Last season, Eriksen scored 10 goals from 37 appearances in the Premier League, 2 goals from 6 appearances in the Champions League and 2 goals from 3 appearances in the FA Cup. He added a further 13 assists to his name. Over the summer, Eriksen represented Denmark in the 2018 FIFA World Cups and finished the tournament with 1 assist and 1 goal.

Eriksen likes to play as an attacking midfielder and is terrific with his passes. He tends to drift around the box and picks up empty spaces to works his magic. His goals are an added incentive to an already fabulous midfielder and Eriksen has been consistently playing well for a few years now. In the 2016/17 season, he finished with 12 goals and 23 assists. In the 2015/16 season, Eriksen registered 8 goals and 16 assists.

The Dane has started this season on a good note as well, and while he is yet to score, he has already picked up an assist so far. He is certainly one of the finest goal-scoring midfielders in the world right now.

#2 Angel Di Maria (Argentina, PSG)

Goals Scored Last Season - 21

Angel Di Maria is another winger who will divide opinion regarding his presence in this list, but he is listed as a right winger and to say the truth, we are delighted to have him here. Which is because the Argentine had a phenomenal 2017/18 season for PSG, where he showed once again why he is one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in the world. Di Maria scored 11 goals in 30 games in Ligue 1, 7 goals in 6 games in Coupe de France, where he was the top scorer of the tournament, 1 goal in 5 games in the Champions League and 2 goals in 4 games in the Coupe de la Ligue. He also finished the season with 12 assists.

Over the summer, Di Maria was a part of a disappointing campaign for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but he still managed to score one scorcher against eventual Champions France in the quarterfinals. Di Maria is blessed with speed and technique and can attack and defend with equal ease. He has a sense of urgency in his game that makes defending him a nightmare. Yet it is his consistent ability to score goals that makes him invaluable to his team. The Argentine finished the 2016/17 season with 14 goals and 15 assists. In the 2015/16 season, he scored 15 goals and registered an astounding 25 assists.

Di Maria has shown no indication of stopping this season either, he has already scored 3 goals in 5 games so far and has registered 3 assists as well. It is this ability and consistency that makes the Argentine one of the greatest goal-scoring midfielder right now.

#1 Philippe Coutinho (Brazil, Barcelona)

Goals Scored Last Season - 22

The Brazilian is the best goal-scoring midfielder right now and a look into the last season will explain why. Coutinho started the summer as a Liverpool player, but transferred to Barcelona in the winter transfer window. For a normal player, it takes some time to settle in a new league, even if he has spent 1 season, on loan, more than 5 years ago. But Coutinho is not your average footballer. In the 2017/18 season, Coutinho scored 7 goals in 14 appearances in the Premier League and 5 goals in 5 appearances in the Champions League in the colours of Liverpool and then scored a further 8 goals in 18 appearances in the LaLiga and 2 goals in 4 appearances in Copa del Rey for Barcelona. He finished the season with 14 assists. He starred for Brazil in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, scoring 2 goals and registering 2 assists. None of these come as a surprise, because Coutinho is an outstanding midfielder and it is his consistent knack for goals that made Barcelona pay the big money for him.

In the 2016/17 season, playing for Liverpool, Coutinho scored 14 goals and had 9 assists. In the 2015/16 season, he finished with 12 goals and 7 assists. This season, Coutinho already has 1 goal and 1 assist to his name from the 4 games played. He is destined to hit even higher standards this time since he is playing with the greatest footballer in the world right now by his side, who will certainly inspire him to have his best season yet.