In our study of the best the engine room has to offer, it's the clever guys in the center who come out on top.
Marcos Llorente is number ten (Atletico Madrid)
When Real Madrid sold Llorente to Atletico Madrid in 2019, eyebrows were raised. Seriously, a bright young center midfielder to lead La Liga competition?
They should have expected it. The Spaniard had a fantastic 2020/21 season, scoring 12 league goals and assisting 11 more as Diego Simeone's side won their first La Liga title since 2014. Llorente ranks among the greatest players in Spain's top division in terms of vital passes and defensive contributions, demonstrating his versatility. The 26-year-old is a valuable asset to both his club and his nation, and he will be looking to add to his current tally of 12 caps.
9. Nicolo Barella
Nicolo Barella has swept 2021, with Inter Milan dominating Serie A and the Azzurri winning Euro 2020 at Wembley - it's been a wonderful year for Italians in general, with the country also winning Eurovision and the Olympic 100m final. Even an Italian is vying for the title of Great British Bake Off champion.
Yet, in the previous 12 months, Barella's performances have been even more magnificent than Giuseppe's in the tent. For club and country, the midfielder has been a metronome, never giving the ball away and capable of influencing play at any phase. He's extremely dependable, both in and out of possession, and his passing is exceptional. Bellissimo.
8. Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Leon Goretzka had already established himself as a top midfielder when he joined Bayern Munich from Schalke in July 2019. He's been a phenomenon since then.
Much of this can be attributed to a training regimen that has seen him bulk up to Mr. Universe level while maintaining the agility and quickness that made him such a promising box to box player in Gelsenkirchen. Goretzka's combination with Joshua Kimmich sets the basis for success for both club and country. In possession, the former creates chances and scores goals, while his buddy takes care of the grunt labor behind him. It's a perfect combination, which makes Goretzka's desire to leave Bavaria all the more perplexing.
7. Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
Ilkay Gundogan was a guy who drifted in and out of the starting XI for club and country for a long period after switching from Borussia Dortmund to the Premier League in 2016. That everything changed last season.
Gundogan had a breakout season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, including 13 in the Premier League, thanks in large part to his improved movement and calmness in the penalty area. He also became Germany's first-named player on the squad sheet, and he will be trying to lead them to the World Cup next summer.
Gundogan has always been a brilliant playmaker, and he continues to be such, but he has now added a goalscoring aspect to his game, which has propelled him to new heights.
6. Marco Verratti (PSG)
England was doomed from the start. It was always going to be difficult to wrestle the ball away from Marco Verratti and another Italian midfielder on this list, who both entered the Euro 2020 final in the top ten players for passes completed.
Verratti ended the competition with 30 tackles, more than any other player, demonstrating his usual range. He is, very simply, the complete midfielder and a major factor in Italy's Wembley victory. It's hard to believe the 28-year-old has been at Paris Saint-Germain for a decade. Over that time, the Italian has been a true force of nature for both club and country, becoming the throbbing heart of every team he has played in.
5. Jorginho (Chelsea)
What an incredible year for the Italians. From the foundation of midfield, he won the Champions League and the Euros with Chelsea and the Azzurri, respectively, playing a significant role in both club and country's achievements.
Jorginho was second in both passes completed (529) and ball recoveries (42), at Euro 2020. He was instrumental in Roberto Mancini's side's triumph on their way to Wembley. So much so that he might be forgiven for almost losing his squad the tournament in the final shootout when Jordan Pickford saved his penalty (which would have sealed victory).
Jorginho is a coach's dream in that he goes unnoticed during a game, but when he comes off the bench, the wheels come off.
4. Declan Rice (West Ham United)
Declan Rice was expected to return to defense, where he is an imposing figure and great ball-player, at some point. But he's simply too excellent in midfield.
Rice's elevation to become one of Europe's best all-round midfielders has coincided perfectly with West Ham's ascendancy. He's everything you want in a player, starting to have an impact in the last third of the field while also being a terr
3. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
You simply have to ask the two most expensive forwards on the globe to persuade people of Joshua Kimmich's importance to Bayern Munich.
"The coach wanted me and Neymar to shut the passing lines on Kimmich," Kylian Mbappe said after PSG's 3-2 triumph against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg in April.
The message to opponents is clear: stop Kimmich and Bayern will be exposed. The small German is the core of one of the world's top club teams, the guy in charge of regaining possession, initiating offensive plays, and making those all-important fouls when necessary. Bayern clinched the title because to the 26-year-savage old's displays and calmness in possession.
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Still the game's top ball-winner. N'golo Kante averages 2.6 interceptions per game and runs over 11 kilometers each game for club and country, working in perfect unison with his midfield colleagues to perform the hard work and recover possession for his team.
When Thomas Tuchel came over as Blues manager in January, he stated that Kante had always been a player he wanted to work with, and it's easy to understand why. The Frenchman is a workhorse who is underappreciated in terms of his offensive abilities. He most likely continues to be underappreciated.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne has had a rough year. Although the Manchester City talisman has earned another Premier League winner's medal to his stunning prize collection, there have been some setbacks. Not to mention his injury issues. Then there was the shattered eye socket from City's Champions League final loss to Chelsea in May. Then there was the ankle injury, which forced Belgium's Euro 2020 campaign to be postponed.
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Despite these shortcomings, the flame-haired creative is still the standard by which midfielders are measured. He is the driving force behind two of the top teams in the world, creating 3.5 chances for City every 90 minutes and whipping balls in for Pep Guardiola's many false nines.
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