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Luka Modric broke the Messi-Ronaldo streak by winning the Ballon d'Or earlier this season. The Croatian was voted as the footballer of the year for his impressive performances in the World Cup and UEFA Champions League. The midfielder captained his national team to the World Cup final where they were unfortunate to lose against France. He played a crucial for Croatia in its route to the final of the competition. Meanwhile, on the club level, his tireless performances for Real Madrid brought home the 13th European Cup for the record winners of the tournament. The 33-year-old who was once considered as a flop signing from Tottenham Hotspurs is now considered as the best player in the world.
Following Luka’s steps is Celta Vigo’s Stanislav Lobotka. The Slovakian is very similar to the Croatian in terms of their style of play. The 24-year-old controls the movement of entire Celta’s midfield and attack. Although Celta are struggling at 17th in the La Liga, the midfielder has performed consistently for the Spanish side. He has got great concentration on the game which keeps him alert in any situation. He is the unsung hero of the team. He showed a lot of quality while playing for his country in the UEFA Nations League games earlier this season. He averaged a passing accuracy of 94.4% while playing for Slovakia in the Nations League.
Just like Luka, the Slovak likes to shoot from distance. He likes playing short passes as well. His movement on and off the ball is outstanding. He creates spaces for his fellow teammates to run into through his movement on and off the ball. He swiftly passes through his opposition players and then with his amazing passing skills, he creates goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. The player is like glue in Celta’s side. He is the person who sticks the entire team together. The 24-year-old has got a low centre of gravity on the ball just like Luka Modric. He has a great vision which helps him pick out the perfect through balls for his teammates.
Lobotka is a technically gifted player. He is an exciting player who is fun to watch. The Slovak is quite unpredictable in terms of his passing. With Celta struggling at the bottom of the league, it seems like Lobotka should move to the Premier League or Bundesliga for the next stage of development. In England, clubs like Spurs and Arsenal need a midfield controller like him. He has definitely got the potential ability in him to shine in the Premier League. At Spurs, he can play alongside playmaker Christian Eriksen in the heart of their midfield while at Arsenal he can play alongside Xhaka and Torreira in Arsenal’s midfield trio. A move to the Premier League could be the next step in the Slovak’s career. He can definitely help Arsenal and Spurs compete for the title.
