4 young midfielders who have the potential to become the best in the world

1. Saul Niguez

Saul Niguez is already one of the best midfielders in the world

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.