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Football is one of the most dynamic sports in the world and changes by the minute. The tactical inventions and uncertainties provide the ultimate spectacle as strategies which are the vogue one day are swiftly labelled as out-dated on the next morning.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the box to box midfielder was an essential commodity with several teams preferring to play with two out and out strikers. Thus, the midfielders were entrusted with performing their tasks adroitly in both penalty boxes.
However, over the years, there has been a shift towards specialized attacking central midfielders and defensive central midfielders. While the former breed inevitably hogs the headlines for its capability to weave pretty patterns, the latter often gets ignored for its workmanlike nature.
Hence, through this article, we would provide the defensive midfielders with their time in the sun and indulge in compiling a list ranking the best in the said position.
Without further ado, here is a look at the best defensive midfielders on the planet at present.
Honourable Mentions: Fabinho and Steven N’Zonzi
#5. Rodrigo (Atletico Madrid)
The Spaniard has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top in the past couple of years. After impressing at Villarreal in 2017-18, he found himself packing his bags for Atletico in the 2018 off-season. And since moving to the Red and White half of Madrid, Rodrigo has been brilliant.
A midfielder who loves to put his foot in, Rodrigo has been solid and averaged more than three tackles per game in the LaLiga this term.
An imposing figure at 1.91 m, opponents find it extremely hard to get past the Spaniard. In addition, his turn of pace is quite deceptive and he is rarely overrun in midfield.
However, the most impressive aspect of his play is his composure on the ball. Dubbed by some as the new Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo boasts an extraordinary range of passing and hardly gives the ball away. The midfielder’s passing accuracy of 90.2% this term in the league a testament to the fact.
One would’ve been forgiven to have missed out on Rodrigo’s name among the galaxy of stars in the LaLiga. Yet, with each passing week, he is carving a niche for himself.
And if he continues in the same vein, he could well be the long-term replacement for Busquets that Spain crave.
Thus, he slots into our list at No.5.
Also see : La Liga Transfer News, EPL Transfer News, Barcelona Transfer News
#4. Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Fernandinho has been sensational for Manchester City since completing a move from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013. But since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, the Brazilian has taken his game up a notch.
When fit, the midfielder is the first name on City’s team sheet. His ability to control the tempo of the game while providing a screen in front of the back four is unparalleled.
In the current season too, he has averaged 2.1 tackles in the league to supplement the 1.5 interceptions he makes per game in the league. Hence, he is rightly considered as one of City’s most valuable assets.
However, Fernandinho still looks a little suspect when he goes deeper into his own half to bring the ball out of the back. Though he comes through unscathed more often than not, that slight weakness slows him down in the race for our prize.
Thus, the City midfielder has to settle for the fourth spot on our list.
#3. Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona)
The silky Sergio Busquets has been around the higher echelons of the footballing circuit for the better part of this decade. Having formed a vital cog of Spain’s successes at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Euros, he has been an essential component of Barcelona’s conquering side.
Blessed with a brain quicker than a computer, the Spaniard snuffs out danger in the blink of an eye. Moreover, his exemplary reading of the game allows him to offset his dearth of pace as he is in the right place at the right time on most occasions.
A metronomic passer of the ball; there aren’t many better sights in football than watching Busquets humiliate his opponents by an extraordinary first touch or a sumptuous half-turn.
Over the past few years, the Spaniard has changed the way people look at a defensive midfielder with his blend of steel and style capturing everyone’s imagination.
However, with age not on his side, the midfielder has started getting exposed recently due to his lack of pace.
Yet, with Busquets being Busquets, he has found ways to be effective even with the apparent weakness. Unfortunately for him though, the above deficiency drags him down on our list.
Thus, he only rounds off the top three of our list.
#2. Casemiro (Real Madrid)
The Brazilian signed for Real Madrid way back in 2013 but wasn’t able to cement a starting spot straightaway. However, after catching the eye at Porto in a loan spell, Casemiro has forged his place in stone at Real Madrid.
Initially, the midfielder was panned by the Madrid media for his propensity to be conservative with the ball. Yet, in recent years, the Brazilian has expanded his horizons and he looks a lot more accomplished on the ball.
In the 2018-19 league season, he averages more than four long balls per game to go with his tally of 55.2 passes per game.
Although he may have become more of a threat with the ball in the last year and a half, there is no denying that his strongest suit remains shielding the back four from attacks.
With an innate ability to sense danger, Casemiro is very seldom caught out of position and is on hand to thwart the opposition’s advances.
Real Madrid possess several Galacticos in their ranks, yet Casemiro could be the most important of them all. And for a defensive midfielder, that’s as high as praise gets.
Thus, he takes the runner up spot on our list.
#1. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
The best defensive midfielder across the globe doesn’t even ply his trade in front of the back four these days. But, one would be extremely naïve to not regard Kante as the premier holding midfielder on the planet.
The Frenchman has fallen victim to Maurizio Sarri’s puzzling tactics and now plays on the right of a midfield three. Yet, Kante has averaged nearly 2 tackles per game. Though the number dwarfs significantly in comparison to his tally in the last three years, the decrease is caused by a positional switch and not a fall from grace.
At the moment, Kante is still the best defensive midfielder in the world and hence, it is just a pity that he can’t take his rightful place in front of the back four each week. However, everything in life happens for a reason and maybe the new role could help enhance his game further.
Yet, when it comes to ranking the midfielders in the aforementioned position, the Frenchman takes the top spot without a shadow of a doubt.
