Sports

20 Best Midfielders in the Premier League Right Now (2025)

Published

8 months ago

November 4, 2025

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The Premier League has been home to some of the best midfielders in the world over the years. Patrick Vieira, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes are just a handful of names that come to mind when discussing those who have patrolled the middle of the park since the league’s inception in 1992. That quintet, of course, have long since retired, and there are now a new batch of star names in England’s top tier.

The Premier League is the top league in the world, and thus, some of the very best talents on the planet tend to flock to the division. There is a vast array of impressive midfield players plying their trade in England’s top flight, and picking the best of the bunch is not an easy task by any means. But who are the current top midfielders in the division?

Below is an attempt to answer that question. Be warned – this list is only our opinion and is not definitive. A whole host of factors have been taken into consideration when formulating the standings below. It also has to be considered that some midfielders are more defensive-minded, while others are tasked with making more telling contributions going the other way. The following factors have been taken into account when making this list.

Ranking Factors

How well they performed throughout the 2024/25 season.
Their status compared to other midfielders in the English top flight – where do they stand in the pecking order?
Injuries – any sustained periods on the sidelines were taken into consideration.
Overall importance to their respective teams – how well do their sides perform with/without them?
Success – how successful they have been at their current sides, both collectively and individually.

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20

Youri Tielemans

Aston Villa

Youri Tielemans was vital for Aston Villa during their memorable Champions League run in 2024/25, and was just as important in another impressive league season. The Belgian is as tenacious as he is technical in the middle of the park, with his hard-working nature complementing the wonderful passing range he possesses.

He has missed a substantial chunk of action because of injuries this term, but he has shown just how valuable he can be to the Villans’ setup. Unai Emery looks to have turned the club’s fortunes around after a difficult start to the season, and you would imagine Tielemans will provide additional impetus in midfield once he returns to full fitness.

19

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

It’s no coincidence that the top teams in England were closely monitoring Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window. After a big-money move to Nottingham Forest from Wolves in 2023, the creative midfielder has gone from strength-to-strength.

Although Nottingham Forest have had a tough start to the new term, with both Nuno Espirito Santo and successor Ange Postecoglou shown the door, Gibbs-White has continued to drive his team forward as they aim to turn their fortunes around under new boss Sean Dyche. Also now a regular member of Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad, Gibbs-White’s intricate ability on the ball could carry him to the 2026 World Cup.

18

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers was one of the standout performers at Aston Villa last term, and it’s been brilliant to watch. The originator of the ‘Ice Cold’ celebration Cole Palmer regularly displays, the former Man City academy prospect is as powerful as he is technically astute.

Emery has a wealth of talent at his disposal at Villa Park, yet it’s no surprise that the English youngster is one of the first names on the teamsheet each week. The sky is the limit for the 23-year-old, who looks set to be a Champions League-level player for many years to come.

17

Granit Xhaka

Sunderland

While Arsenal might have made the correct decision to part ways with Granit Xhaka, what the Switzerland international has accomplished since then has been nothing short of remarkable. An invincible with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side, the veteran returned to English soil following Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League.

Since joining the Black Cats, Xhaka has continued to show just impactful he can be. He’s captained the side to some mammoth victories this term, catapulting the Wearside outfit into the top half of the Premier League. The 33-year-old is the heartbeat of the team and will be pivotal to their ambitions this term.

16

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

Adam Wharton is well on his way to becoming the next £100m+ midfielder in the Premier League. The very biggest clubs in England will all be keeping a close eye on his progress at Selhurst Park over the next 12 months.

Ever since arriving at Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers, the 21-year-old has exuded intelligence and confidence at the heart of his team. Another youngster who could be heading to the World Cup in America next year, Wharton’s price tag could become eye-watering if he continues to improve at his current rate.

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15

Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

Newcastle United will live to regret allowing youth academy product Elliot Anderson to leave St James’ Park. Sacrificing the young Englishman to help the club’s PSR situation, the Magpies will already be wondering exactly why they allowed him to leave under any circumstances.

Anderson made his England debut at the start of the 2025-26 season, and looked like a player who had been part of the international set-up for many years, such was his comfort in the middle of the park. His passing range has improved immeasurably, while Anderson also isn’t afraid of driving forward with the ball at his feet. Nothing fazes the 22-year-old.

14

Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal

A smooth operator from the base of midfield, Martin Zubimendi was subject to a transfer tug of war between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the turn of 2025, only for him to reject them both and sign for Arsenal in the summer — a move that Jamie Carragher attributed to Mikel Arteta’s influence.

He may not get in on the goals or assists, but the Basque Country product is a metronomic midfielder that will play a huge role in transition for the Gunners throughout the 2025/26 campaign. While he might be new to the Premier League, his physicality has allowed him to adapt quickly, with him providing the control that has allowed Arsenal to become early favourites for title success this term.

13

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle United

Sandro Tonali celebrating scoring against Manchester United

After the whole betting scandal and subsequent ban that followed it, Sandro Tonali could have been forgiven for not being in the right frame of mind to play football and for him to have taken a while to get up to speed. Instead, the Italian produced his most influential performances to date in a Newcastle shirt in the 2024/2025 season, and was instrumental in the Magpies’ success in the Carabao Cup and a return to the Champions League via a top-five finish.

There’s every reason to believe that Tonali will just keep getting better and better, and Eddie Howe’s deployment of him in the pivot role has certainly seemed to transform Newcastle’s fortunes. He’s continued to play his part in midfield, keeping things ticking while contributing with assists in both domestic and European football this term.

12

Tijjani Reijnders

Manchester City

Tijjani Reijnders was always expected to be a success at Manchester City after signing for £46 million from AC Milan in the summer. However, the Netherlands international hit the ground running quicker than even Pep Guardiola would’ve expected.

Netting a debut goal against Wolves before more impressive displays against the likes of Arsenal in the early parts of the season, Reijnders is already among the finest midfielders in the division. His ability to arrive inside the penalty area at the right time is uncanny, as is his cute ability in possession of the football.

11

Florian Wirtz

Liverpool

There have been plenty of teething issues with Florian Wirtz, who has gone missing in several high-profile matches for Liverpool this term. His £116m transfer fee meant that he was always going to be under a microscope — and fans really haven’t seen the best of him yet.

But there can be no doubt about the quality he possesses. During his time at Bayer Leverkusen, the 22-year-old won back-to-back Bundesliga Player of the Season awards, scoring 21 goals and registering 23 assists in 63 appearances during that timeframe. Should he get to grips with the physicality of football’s best division soon, he could well become the Merseyside club’s key man.

Sports

2026 World Cup Player Ratings and Match Highlights

Published

3 hours ago

June 29, 2026

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The World Cup’s first giant-killing unfolded on Monday evening as Germany crashed out in the Round of 32 after losing on penalties to Paraguay.

Paraguay sat back for the majority of the first half and frustrated Julian Nagelsmann’s men. That said, they were the ones who went closest in the opening 45 minutes when Junior Alonso arrived at the far post, but Manuel Neuer blocked his effort.

The Germans then dominated possession but couldn’t break down a stern Paraguayan defence. Other than Alonso’s attempt in the first minute, the South Americans rarely made it out of their 18-yard box.

The game sprang into life in the 42nd minute when Paraguay took a shock lead through Strasbourg striker Julio Enciso. The former Brighton & Hove Albion man produced a fine header that left Manuel Neuer rooted to his spot.

Germany levelled in the 53rd minute after Florian Wirtz delivered a dangerous cross into the box. The faintest of touches from Kai Havertz’s head guided the ball past Orlando Gill.

The game opened up heading into the final 15 minutes of the second half, and both sides searched for a winner. Jonathan Tah thought he’d bagged it during extra-time with a tidy header only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out.

A feisty finish to regulation time saw Jamal Musiala escape a red card after a reckless challenge on Matias Galarza. The Paraguayan got revenge and perhaps also counted himself lucky not to receive his marching orders.

Havertz and Nick Woltemade were denied from the spot as Nagelsmann’s side woefully exited the World Cup. A tournament to forget for one of the biggest nations in world football.

Match Highlights

Still to come…

Germany Player Ratings

It’s easy to see why Germany fans have been critical of Julian Nagelsmann as his men were lacklustre throughout the first half. Wirtz isn’t a winger, and the Germans lack width when he’s playing on the left.

Wirtz put a quiet first-half behind him to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Havertz’s equaliser. The Arsenal man is a nuisance in the box and he also grew into the game.

Nathaniel Brown has been hailed amid a move to Bayern Munich, but on today’s showing he needs to improve defensively. The young left-back reacted poorly to the cross that led to Enciso’s goal.

The four-time world champions lack a prolific goalscorer, and Deniz Undav is no Miroslav Klose. Nagelsmann’s decision to start the Stuttgart forward didn’t pay off.

Felix Nmecha will be hoping Manchester United scouts weren’t in attendance, as the Red Devils’ midfield target wasn’t at his best. Neither was Joshua Kimmich, whose defensive weaknesses make clear he should be playing in midfield.

Player	Position	Rating out of 10	Minutes played
Manuel Neuer	GK	6	120
Joshua Kimmich	RB	5	120
Jonathan Tah	RCB	7	120
Antonio Rudiger	LCB	6	120
Nathaniel Brown	LB	6	120
Felix Nmecha	CM	5	45
Aleksandar Pavlovic	CM	4	79
Leroy Sane	RW	5	88
Florian Wirtz	LW	5	110
Kai Havertz	ST	6	120
Deniz Undav	ST	5	63
Leon Goretzka	CM	7	110
Jamal Musiala	CAM	5	57
Waldemar Anton	RB	5	41
Nick Woltemade	ST	5	32
Malick Thiaw	CB	6	10
Nadiem Amiri	AM	6	10

Paraguay Player Ratings

Julio Enciso (Paraguay) celebrates scoring at the World Cup

Paraguay’s defence did well in the first half and were well organised to handle Germany’s attack, who grew frustrated. Jose Canale, in particular, performed like a brick wall, preventing the Germans from getting through the spaces.

Julio Enciso came up with a fine header to give his side the lead, and his movement caused problems for Nagelsmann’s defence. So too did former Newcastle United attacker Miguel Almiron, who worked hard on and off the ball for the South Americans.

Gustavo Alfaro was handed a massive headache when Ensico and Gabriel Avalos both went down with injuries and couldn’t continue. That said, Gustavo Caballero came on, and the Portsmouth loanee nearly made Germany pay on the counter on several occasions.

Player	Position	Rating out of 10	Minutes played
Orlando Gill	GK	8	120
Juan Jose Caceres	RB	7	99
Gustavo Gomez	RCB	8	120
Jose Canale	LCB	8	120
Junior Alonso	LB	7	120
Miguel Almiron	RM	7	90
Andres Cubas	CM	6	120
Damian Bobadilla	CM	6	99
Matias Galarza	LM	7	120
Julio Enciso	ST	8	57
Gabriel Avalos	ST	6	55
Gustavo Cabellaro	ST	7	65
Mauricio	ST	7	63
Gustavo Velazquez	CB	5	30
Braian Ojeda	CM	5	21
Antonio Sanabria	ST	6	21
Fabian Balbuena	CB	N/A	1

2026 World Cup: Brazil 2-1 Japan Player Ratings and Match Highlights

A last-gasp Gabriel Martinelli winner breaks Japanese hearts.

Sports

Neymar Hits Back at Mathematician Who Predicted Japan to Beat Brazil

Published

4 hours ago

June 29, 2026

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Neymar’s tweet immediately after Brazil’s last-gasp World Cup win against Japan has gone viral. The veteran didn’t get on the pitch, but was quick to shut up one major doubter.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men made a second-half comeback after falling behind to a Kaishu Sano strike to progress to the Round of 16, where they’ll meet either Ivory Coast or Norway. Casemiro and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals to send the South Americans through.

Not content with just winning in stoppage time, Brazil’s players have been on a mission to prove a point to their doubters. First, Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha was spotted shouting a five-word message to a Japan player who claimed Brazil were no longer a powerhouse.

Neymar Sends Message to Economist After World Cup Win

Now, Neymar has turned his attention to a man who predicted Japan would knock Brazil out of the biggest international competition. After the five-time world champions sealed a place in the last 16, the Santos forward jumped straight on social media.

In a tweet, which has since gone viral, the legendary attacker said: “Mr. Joachim Klement… please try again at the next World Cup.”

2026 World Cup: Brazil 2-1 Japan Player Ratings and Match Highlights

A last-gasp Gabriel Martinelli winner breaks Japanese hearts.

But that left many football fans confused. Who is Joachim Klement? Well, it proves Neymar has been paying close attention to what has been said about his country this summer. Klement is a man who claims to have correctly predicted the winners of the last three World Cups.

He’s a German economist who believes he has a ‘100% accurate formula’ after predicting Germany’s triumph in 2014, France winning in Russia four years later, and Lionel Messi’s Argentina lifting the trophy in Qatar.

Ahead of this year’s competition, Klement put his algorithm to work again. In terms of the winner, he concluded that the Netherlands would win their first-ever World Cup.

But, while he did have Brazil down with a 99% chance of progressing from the group stages, Klement’s algorithm had Brazil being knocked out by Japan in the Round of 32. That clearly hasn’t happened, despite looking very possible at one stage, and Neymar made sure to remind the mathematician. See his full group stage and knockout round predictions below.

Klement’s Predictions Scarily Accurate… Mostly

At the time of writing (June 29), Klement’s predictions for the Round of 16 fixtures look like they could be scarily accurate. Croatia vs Spain, Germany vs France and Netherlands vs Canada are games that could take place in reality, depending on results in the Round of 32.

Spain vs Belgium and Netherlands vs France could also be quarter-final fixtures he’s got spot on. Japan vs England can’t happen, but Neymar’s Brazil could meet Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions.

World Cup: Fans Want Ancelotti to Axe Brazil Player Who Was ‘Embarrassing’ vs Japan

Brazil are still struggling to reach their forgotten peak from decades ago, despite Carlo Ancelotti’s tournament know-how, and they got lucky again.

Klement predicted Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to meet in the quarter-final, but that now can’t happen until the final. However, most importantly, his prediction of the Netherlands winning it all could still come to fruition.

Sports

Tottenham Rocked As Man City Eye Sandro Tonali Hijack

Published

5 hours ago

June 29, 2026

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Tottenham appear to be facing some potential difficulty in landing a deal for Sandro Tonali this summer, as Marca reports that a rival is preparing a bid for the midfielder.

Spurs have been pushing to land the Italian international this summer as part of a major midfield overhaul, with the expectation of two possible arrivals in the central ranks in the coming weeks.

Talks are ongoing to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, with intense competition from Manchester United for his signature along with a host of other clubs such as PSG and Real Madrid.

However, it’s Tonali that Tottenham have accelerated their interest in. Spurs have already agreed personal terms on a huge £275,000-a-week contract, per reports, and are looking to close an agreement with Newcastle to land him.

The Magpies are believed to be holding out for £100 million to facilitate an exit, a fee that clubs are looking to dwindle down to a slightly more affordable price.

But now, Spurs face the possibility of a hijack with a first offer being prepared by their rivals.

Man City Ready Sandro Tonali Offer

While Tottenham have been in hot pursuit of Tonali, there has been interest from rivals Arsenal and Manchester City for the midfielder as well this summer.

However, with the former backing out and the latter landing Elliot Anderson for £116 million, it seemed as though the path had cleared for Spurs to seal a deal with relative comfort.

Now, however, Marca reports that Man City are lining up a huge bid to try and tempt Newcastle to part ways with their midfield maestro in the coming weeks.

It’s claimed that a bid in the region of €110m (£95m) is being prepared by the club, who are keen to add Tonali next to Anderson as part of a new-look midfield pairing.

It comes as a huge potential blow to Tottenham, and as a possible hijack for the North London side, who may need to change their approach in negotiations with Newcastle in the transfer market.

The amount prepared by Man City is not set to meet the valuation set by the Magpies, which may see them reject a sale, but would only further reinforce how much Spurs may need to pay to land him.

You scored

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Tottenham’s Challenging Market

Tottenham have done well in the market so far, landing four signings who will help bring some strength in depth across the whole of the squad.

The challenge was always going to come when other teams get involved for signings, especially if they hold the advantage in a potential battle.

Man City could offer more than Spurs, if they wish to, while there is also a certain guarantee of trophy opportunities and a chance to impress in the Champions League.

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Spurs may have moved one step closer to landing another dream Roberto De Zerbi transfer target

That is tough for Tottenham to compete with, and underlines how difficult the market could be for the club moving forward into areas, such as the midfield and forward lines.

It remains to be seen whether they can convince Tonali that N17 is the best place for him, but it will be a monumental task if Man City do push ahead with a bid.