In brief
The top midfield players in the Premier League have been ranked according to their value to their teams, number of goals scored, and general performance during games.
Rodri is the league’s best midfielder because of his consistency and genius for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Following their prior setbacks, Moises Caicedo and Ryan Gravenberch have made significant progress, advancing into the rankings following a successful start to the 2024–25 season.
Over the years, the Premier League has produced some of the world’s top midfield players. Since the league’s founding in 1992, a number of people have patrolled the middle of the pitch, including Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, and Frank Lampard. Naturally, that quintet has long since retired, and the top division in England now has a fresh group of well-known players.
Since the Premier League is the greatest league in the world, some of the greatest players in the world frequently join the division. Selecting the finest midfield player from the many talented players playing in England’s premier division is by no means simple. However, who are the division’s best midfield players right now?
An attempt to address the question is provided below. Please note that this list is merely our selection and is not final. When creating the ranks below, a wide range of factors were taken into account. Additionally, it must be taken into account that some midfielders are more defensive in nature, while others are expected to contribute more significantly in the opposite direction. When creating this list, the following considerations were made.
Ranking Elements
How well they are doing so far in the 2024–2025 season is their present form.
How successfully they played the entire 2023–2024 season.
Where do they stand in the hierarchy in relation to other midfielders in the English top flight?
Injury: any extended time spent on the sidelines was taken into account.
Overall significance to their teams: how well do they function both with and without them?
Success: the degree to which they have achieved both individual and group success at their current positions.
1Rodri
Manchester City
Rodri, one of two Manchester City players near the top of this list, has hardly missed a game since moving from Atletico Madrid to the Etihad Stadium in 2019. Although an ACL injury has limited his play this season, he is still arguably the league’s most important player at the moment. The Spain international was the long-term solution for Fernandinho that Pep Guardiola’s team had been searching for. Rodri has seldom, if ever, seemed out of place while playing for Diego Simeone, which may have been the ideal way to get used to the brutality of the Premier League.
He contributed eight goals and nine assists for his team in the 2023–24 season despite being a defensive midfielder. The previous season, he helped cement the historic treble by scoring the critical winning goal in the Champions League final. It’s difficult to claim that anyone can surpass him as the current Ballon d’Or winner.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
2.
Objectives
0
Helps
0
2Declan Rice
Arsenal
Given his leadership and power on the field, it might be easy to forget that Declan Rice is only 26 years old. West Ham United most likely wouldn’t have been a European team without him. He made his debut in east London and quickly established himself as a vital member of his team, earning a spot in their all-time best academy XI. Although he has always been gifted with strength and a keen sense of the game, his noticeable improvement in possession is the product of perseverance and hard effort.
After finishing his Hammers tenure with a Europa Conference League victory in Prague, Rice made the decision to go with Arsenal, a squad that is vying for the championship. The Gunners had fierce competition from other elite teams to recruit the Englishman, but Arteta’s team’s success in doing so last season has been one of the best business decisions. Rice, who is essential to Mikel Arteta’s midfield and is renowned for his absence whenever he is away, is already making an impact in the engine room.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
25
Objectives
One
Helps
5.
3Ryan Gravenberch
Liverpool
Ryan Gravenberch has been outstanding under Arne Slot this season after having a difficult second half of the 2023–24 campaign under former manager Jurgen Klopp. Although he wasn’t anticipated to start frequently, the Dutchman has done a fantastic job playing number six with Alexis Mac Allister.
The Netherlands international has demonstrated his amazing running ability on numerous occasions by making strong runs into the centre of opposing teams. After Slot’s team failed to sign top transfer target Martin Zubimendi, who is reportedly said to be headed to Arsenal, for the position at the base of the Reds’ midfield, Gravenberch has stepped up to the plate. He is showing signs of going back to his Ajax glory days, and his calm and confident displays in the engine room have been a welcome change for fans.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
28
Objectives
0
Helps
2.
4Martin Odegaard
Arsenal
Martin Odegaard’s early potential, which saw him become Real Madrid’s youngest-ever player and a goal scorer in the Norwegian top division at the age of just 15, seemed for years to be unfulfilled. However, after a brief loan stay during the second half of the 2020–21 season, Arsenal attempted to buy him permanently after he demonstrated his abilities during successful loan stints at Heerenveen and Real Sociedad.
Even though he has only been at the Emirates Stadium for four years, he is already one of the top players in the Premier League and the club captain. The north London team has emerged as one of the league’s most powerful teams over the past two seasons, with Odegaard masterminding many of their assaults. The £30 million Arsenal paid for his talents appears to have been a great deal, and he is playing at home under Arteta.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
19.
Objectives
2.
Helps
3.
5Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
Very few midfielders have created the kind of effect Bruno Fernandes has at Manchester United since joining the Premier League. After moving to Old Trafford in January 2020, the Portuguese player has been a huge success for the Red Devils, contributing a tonne of goals and assists while always being the team’s creator-in-chief. The midfielder scored 18 goals and sent out 11 assists in his first full season in the Premier League.
For a team that has occasionally lacked firepower, his offensive flair has been essential, and it’s difficult to predict where the team would have ended up without his influence in midfield. The 30-year-old’s impact on the squad cannot be overstated, as he has scored ten goals in each of his four seasons at the Theatre of Dreams. However, when his team most needs him, he frequently puts on frustrating performances and is dismissed out of hand. Wearing your heart on your sleeve might occasionally get you in hot water.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
26
Objectives
6.
Helps
7.
6Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool
The red half of Merseyside has seen Alexis Mac Allister blossom and come into his own. After joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion, he quickly and easily adjusted to the team’s style of play, even though he was frequently used in a position that was new to him: number six. The Argentine’s responsibilities on the south coast did not include screening the defence; instead, he was viewed as their creative centre. However, since his well-deserved transfer after Argentina’s World Cup victory, that has altered.
Arriving for £35 million in the summer of 2023, Liverpool was eager to upgrade their engine room in preparation for a championship run in the last season under manager Jurgen Klopp. As the Reds sit atop the Premier League table with less than a third of the season left, the 2022 World Cup champion, regarded as one of the German tactician’s best-ever deals, will be seeking to instill a winning attitude in the first season under Arne Slot’s new direction at Anfield.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
27
Objectives
3.
Helps
3.
7Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City
Given his impact and reliability for City, Kevin De Bruyne most likely would have been at the top of this list at any point in the last 10 years, but instead he takes home a silver medal. When he is in possession, the Belgian has a talent for enchantment, both of the rival defences and the supporters. De Bruyne is without a doubt the greatest Belgian player in Premier League history, and his tenure at the Etihad Stadium has given City supporters a wealth of unforgettable memories.
In three separate seasons, he recorded over 15 Premier League assists and scored goals at a healthy pace, with the exception of an injury-plagued 2023–2024. Even though he is arguably the best the Premier League has ever seen, he is still in third place since his fitness has been questioned even if he hasn’t been as troubled this season.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
18
Objectives
2.
Helps
6.
8Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United
When it comes to Eddie Howe and his team, Bruno Guimaraes is simply indispensable. The midfielder for Newcastle United, who was acquired for £33.3 million plus a further £6.5 million, according to Sky Sports, has played a significant role in the team’s comeback. The Brazil international has earned his money for the length of his Magpies career, in addition to being crucial to their Champions League-winning campaign.
It says volumes about the former Lyon player’s skill that teams like Manchester United were watching him before he moved to England, and since then, supporters have had a close-up look at that. The Brazilian is unquestionably one of the most important midfielders in the division, and Guimaraes is perhaps the guy who ignited Newcastle’s recent revolution.
2024–2025 Premier League Results
The way things look
27.
Goals
Two
Aids
Six
9Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool
Earlier in the season, Arne Slot pushed Dominik Szoboszlai to provide more goals and assists, and the Reds’ number eight has begun to accomplish just that at a pivotal point in the campaign. The Hungarian has added final product to his amazing work ethic by popping up with crucial goals against Tottenham, Manchester City, and Newcastle.
After adjusting to a more advanced and central role in the team, the 24-year-old former RB Leipzig player, who was criticised for some subpar performances at the beginning of the season, appears to have been well worth the £60 million the Merseysiders paid to acquire him from the Bundesliga.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
26
Objectives
5.
Helps
4.
10Moises Caicedo
Chelsea
During his first season wearing Chelsea’s colours, Moises Caicedo received a lot of criticism. His young shoulders were expected to immediately tighten up a leaky Blues midfield because he was the most expensive signing in the league’s history.
Towards the close of the previous season, the Ecuadorian destroyer’s performances significantly improved, despite a challenging start to life at Stamford Bridge. A consistent member of Enzo Maresca’s new team, Caicedo has improved steadily in west London. Against Manchester United, he locked down the midfield and scored a goal in one of his most remarkable games.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
27
Objectives
One
Helps
2.
11Morgan Rogers
Aston Villa
This season, Morgan Rogers has been Aston Villa’s best player, and it’s not even close. Cole Palmer, the former Man City academy prospect who invented the ‘Ice Cold’ celebration that he frequently does, is as strong as he is technically adept.
The English teenager is one of the first names on the teamsheet every week, which is not surprising given the abundance of quality at Villa Park that Unai Emery has at his disposal. For the 22-year-old, who appears destined to play in the Champions League for many years to come, the possibilities are endless.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
27
Objectives
7.
Helps
4.
12Morgan Gibbs-White
Nottingham Forest
Chris Wood, who has undoubtedly been one of the season’s most unexpected performers, has been the focus of a lot of discussion regarding Nottingham Forest’s amazing season, which has seen them reside inside the top four. But without Morgan Gibbs-White, he wouldn’t be in a position to be so powerful.
The midfielder, who made his England debut at the beginning of the 2024–2025 season, has maintained the form that has made him an important part of Forest’s attempts to stay in the Premier League in the previous two seasons. The goal of playing in the Champions League at the City Ground could be vital in securing his future, but rumours of a bigger move will only continue.
Performance in the 2024–2025 Premier League
Looks
23
Objectives
5.
Helps
5.
Transfermarkt provided the statistics. accurate as of February 27, 2025.
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