The top 5 midfielders plying their trade in the 2018/2019 Serie A season

#3 Allan (Napoli)

Allan's performance against Milan was outstanding

Napoli signed Allan from Udinese in 2015 after he completed the 2014/2015 season with 127 successful tackles, a record in Serie A. He has since been spectacular for the Partenopei.

A fierce defensive midfielder, Allan had featured at the core of Napoli's midfield during the Maurizio Sarri era and his role remains intact under the newly arrived Carlo Ancelotti.

During the last season, the Brazilian was in exceptional form averaging an 87.7% pass accuracy while conceding only 1.8 dribbles per game. He was voted 3 times as MVP.

Allan embarked this season with an outstanding performance against Milan. According to the official stats, Allan has recovered the ball 9 times (only Zielinski did better with 11) and created at least 5 attacking situations for his team. Moreover, he is the player with the most ball touches (88), an indication of his role on Napoli's game development.

Armed with great defensive and passing qualities, Allan is widely considered as the best defensive midfielder in Serie A for the past few seasons. His ball-winning abilities combined with his high-level technique make Allan a versatile, dynamic midfielder that can provide for his team both in defensive and attacking circumstances.

Apart from his tenacious gameplay, Allan is also known for making clever buildup plays for his teammates by making a swift but accurate transition of the ball once he restores its possession.