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Perhaps the most important position in football is that of a midfielder. Protecting the defense, controlling the tempo, creating chances, holding the ball, splitting defenses, and understanding the game - all these are skills that every midfielder hopes to perfect in his career.
In a footballing world where controlling the midfield has been a crucial path towards success, the requirement of world-class midfielders who can impact the game almost single-handedly has increased. Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Sergio Busquets and Christian Eriksen have only set the bar higher.
To reach that level of quality would be the dream of every young midfielder in the world. Some are already showing signs of being the next big thing in football. In this article, we look at 4 midfielders who have shown the potential to become world-beaters.
4. Julian Weigl
The closest thing we have seen to the tactically brilliant, insanely press resistant Sergio Busquets, is this 22-year-old from Borussia Dortmund.
Weigl started his early days playing as an attacking midfielder. Right from his time at 1860 Rosenheim, his ability to keep the ball in possession with light touches and to make quick turns to get away from challenges has been a consistent part of his game.
Weigl's time as an attacking midfielder made him a good dribbler, as he was constantly exposed to the need to dribble in tight spaces. However, it was his positional intelligence and great vision that caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund, whose then-manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactics were based on those two attributes.
Tuchel saw Weigl's ability to play as a deep midfielder and helped him get accustomed to his new role almost instantly. Right from his first season at Dortmund, Weigl was a key part of the squad. His role was to drop back and be open for a pass by the center-backs and move into the midfield. There, he was supposed to connect the two sides of the midfield and move the ball in the heart of the pitch.
He would stay deep and support the attack, rather than move forward and be a part of it directly. Sounds familiar? That’s the role Sergio Busquets has played in his entire career for Barcelona.
No wonder Barcelona want to bring him to Camp Nou; he could be the perfect replacement once Busquets retires. However, Manchester City are also looking for this young man’s signature, since he would fit perfectly into Pep Guardiola’s system of positional play (basically the same as Barça’s).
Weigl's role is greater than what simple statistics show. However, even the numbers have been great for him last season. He has a pass accuracy of 86%, having completed 849 passes last season, with an average pass length of an amazing 18 meters. With six chances created, that isn't bad for a player in his role.
Tactically smart and technically strong, Weigl could blossom into one of the best central defensive midfielders in the game.
3. Leon Goretzka
German giants Bayern have secured the signing of Leon Goretzka, after competing against Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool. This alone should tell you the potential that Goretzka possesses; not many midfielders attract attention from Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich at the same time.
Although his team Germany had a disappointing World Cup Campaign, that shouldn't be a negative for Goretzka, as he didn't have many opportunities to impress. However, in the international tournament where he did get an opportunity, he played a very key role, as Germany went on to claim the Confederations Cup.
There has been a decrease in the role of box-to-box midfielders in football. But Goretzka is precisely what describes that role.
He is only 23, but shows the maturity of an experienced midfielder. Moreover, he’s physically strong, which helps him impose himself over other midfielders when battling for the ball.
His talent is so greatly appreciated that he was made the vice-captain at Schalke even though he was only 22.
Goretzka’s primary role is to transition the defense into attack by bursting forward with the ball when possession is retained, and launching quick counter-attacks. His dribbling skills are quite good, which is unusual for a player of his physical stature.
In 23 appearances last season, Goretzka created 18 chances. He also maintained a passing percentage of 80%, even though his average pass length was a whopping 18 meters. Moreover, although he often uses his physical strength on the pitch, he only got three yellow cards the entire season.
Goretzka also scores regularly, having netted six goals in his first 12 appearances for Germany, which is rather amazing for a box-to-box midfielder - or any midfielder for that matter. Goretzka's career has got the jump it needed by moving to Bayern, and if he lives up to his potential, he could be the next big thing in German football.
2. Dele Alli
Alli is already quite famous; with his goalscoring exploits as an attacking midfielder, he has earned a lot of acclaim from football pundits.
Alli’s instincts are to go forward as often as possible, and his skillset has helped justify his instincts for the Spurs. His stamina is impressive, since he brings a lot of energy into the team, constantly making forwards runs and being annoying to deal with.
Alli isn't a traditional attacking midfielder or a traditional playmaker. He contributes most as an additional target in the opponent box, looking for spaces to get into and knock the ball in. The constant unorthodox vertical runs are one of the strongest assets he possesses.
In 36 matches last season, Alli scored 9 goals. That's a goal every four matches - insane for a midfielder. He also created 16 big chances and made 10 assists. He has bolstered the defensive part of his game too; he has a surprising tackle rate of 65%, which is quite hard to achieve.
Unlike the other players featured in the list, Alli doesn’t possess extraordinary tactical intelligence; instead, he is more about raw talent. And a 22-year-old with an insane amount of raw talent isn’t a bad thing.
Alli can continue to improve in England, but that way he’ll just be another great midfielder who can score. If Alli wants to improve tactically, Spain or Italy would be an ideal choice.
"He is probably the best young midfielder I have seen in many years, probably going back as far as Gascoigne," said Sir Alex Ferguson. That is certainly a tremendous validation of Alli's potential.
1. Saul Niguez
There’s one thing about Saul Niguez that separates him from the rest of the players in this list. He doesn't just have potential; he is already one of the best midfielders on the planet.
A product of the La Fabrica academy of Real Madrid, Saul has grown into one of the most important players for Atletico Madrid.
Saul is incredibly versatile, to say the least. He can pull the strings from setting deep, charge into the opponent backline with force, pick put players with excellent passes, or even use his physical strength to muscle past his opponents.
His best attribute is perhaps his ability to read the game and find space, and then exploit it by dribbling into that space or by giving a delightful pass to his teammates. He has excelled in almost all the attributes a midfielder must possess.
To top all of that, he’s only 23. Saul has insane potential, and he just keeps getting better. He has no noticeable weaknesses in his game.
Unfortunately, Saul couldn’t get the chance to play for the already talented Spain midfield at the recently concluded World Cup. However, it is almost certain that he’ll be a key member of the national team in the future.
Last season, Saul managed to create 20 chances in a team which has a defensive mindset, which speaks volumes about his quality. He scored two goals, with the one against Barcelona coming in sublime style. He also completed 1,310 passes with a pass accuracy of 83% in his 33 league appearances for Atletico Madrid.
Still quite young, Saul getting even better is a frightening thought. He is definitely Spain’s next big midfielder. He could combine well with Isco and Thiago to form a really strong midfield trio for Spain in the near future.
