The Top 10 Midfielders in World Football
Midfielders are always in a fine line between destroying football and creating it.
For this reason, wingers will not be included in this list and will be on my attackers list for next Friday.
This list will be all about central midfielders, the ones who destroy, create or do a little bit of both.
I've already done the Top 10 defenders and Top 10 goalkeepers, so with no further pause, these are the top 10 "pure" midfielders in football...
10. Sergio Busquets
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Why No.10?
Underrated by many, Sergio Busquets is perhaps the world's best holding midfielder when he's in a single man role.
In Barça's formation, he's simply priceless and is especially proficient in distributing play from the backline. This, added to what might be the best tactical positioning in football make Busquets an easy top-10 pick for this list (which he might be rising on years to come).
All of the goos things said, he does have a nasty habit of diving and play-acting that only harms him.
Future:
Barça's holding midfielder of the present and the future at only 22 years of age.
Transfer Value:
His "real" value is around €30 million, butyou won't lure him out of Barça for less than €70 million.
9. Esteban Cambiasso
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Why No.9?
Another massively underrated player, Cambiasso's presence is always felt when he's on the pitch.
Even though he's a small bodied midfielder he can play holding midfielder with his incredible knack for knowing what opposing players will do and anticipating plays.
Added to this, he's a proficient box-to-box midfielder on the left if you want him to play there and can even play attacking midfielder or center back if you're in trouble on those areas.
One of those men that technically don't seem as good, but that instantly takes your team to another level just by being there.
Future:
He's 30 and won't be going up on this list, and a good offer economically from another team might be good for the end of his career.
Transfer Value:
Moratti and Cambiasso would part ways for €25 million .
8. Michael Essien
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Why No. 8?
The Chelsea midfielder has been at it for a while now and is a force to be reckoned with.
He probably has the best athletic qualities for a midfielder in a while and uses them to his advantage in every game.
With these advantages he can play almost every single position in midfield added to central defender and right back, and like Cambiasso, is one of those players that adds every time he sets foot on the pitch, no matter where you put him.
Future:
He's turning 30 soon and might look for a last club to make him a nice big check to finish off his career.
Transfer Value:
Roman Abramovich would get someone else for €30 million (he'd be nuts to let him go, though).
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7. Yaya Touré
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Why No.7?
In Barcelona he was good, but now that he plays a more offensive role with Manchester City he is truly playing up to his huge potential.
That's a good thing for the Citizens because they paid a hefty price by making him the Premier League's best earner to get him.
Yaya has it all: gargantuan size at 1.91m, technique that rivals the best in the world and the tactical awareness that will let him play in almost every central position in football covering from center-back to attacking midfielder.
Future:
He's 28 and earning world-class money at City, so he'll be there for a while.
Transfer Value:
He cost City €30 million, so nothing short of €50 million would even be considered worthwhile.
6. Mesut Özil
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Why No.6?
Ah, yes. A player not only on the rise to compete for the top spot on this list, but for one of the top spots in the world, Mesut Özil has out-of-this-world talent.
His technique on the ball just might be the best in the world, and so is his vision when assisting (he had 29 this season).
His detractors state that he is non-existant in defending, and that he's intermittent and shuts off when he plays more than 60 minutes. They're quite right. But even with that defects, he still deserves a spot here.
Now imagine for a moment what he'll do when he gets fit.
Future:
If nothing weird happens, at 22 he's Madrid's No. 10 for years to come.
Transfer Value:
He cost Madrid €18 million, and in one season, Real would be crazy not make €80 million would be a good initial asking price.
5. Wesley Sneijder
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Why No.5?
Right now, Sneijder is the best pure No.10 on this list. He is followed closely by Özil though.
Sneijder has everything you look for in a man that plays "in the hole": long distance shooting, free-kick ability, assisting ability, and promoting passing play with other midfielder.
He's also feisty, won't fear getting gritty and dirty and is a natural winner. Not bad qualities to have when you're one of the best players in the world by pure talent already.
Future:
He's 27 and has a few more top years in him. As always with Moratti and Inter, if the right price comes in, he'll leave.
Transfer Value:
€45 million on Moratti's dinner table will make the dutchman your player next morning for sure.
4. Cesc Fábregas
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Why No.4?
Arsenal's skipper is a fantastic midfielder that can really do it all.
He has the tactical awareness to play defensive midfielder, the stamina and power play to play box-to-box, and the creative qualities to be and offensive midfielder.
All of those added to amazing technique on the ball and amazing vision to create goal-scoring opportunities to his teammates.
Future:
It's a known fact he loves Barcelona and that Barça love him back, and at 24, he's at a perfect age to leave the Gunners.
Transfer Value:
His "real value" is nothing short of €60 million, but for his transfer to happen this summer Arsenal will have to take almost half of that or decide to keep him.
3. Andres Iniesta
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Why No.3?
If it wasn't for Barça teammate Xavi (who you'll see on this list shortly), Andrés Iniesta would be way higher on this list and would be the best ball distributor in the world.
Still, he has qualities Xavi doesn't have and is a more offensive player that can even play on the wing thanks to his dribbling skills when needed.
It's almost pointless to say he has magnificent vision when passing and that he's a natural assister, isn't it?
He's not higher on this list and on the world stage because he just doesn't score that many goals.
Future:
He's 27 and will probably die a Barça player.
Transfer Value:
Bring €100 million and your lunch money to the Camp Nou and someone might take you seriously
2. Bastian Schweinsteiger
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Why No.2?
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a player I personally like and that trumps Iniesta by a very slim margin at No. 2.
He's severely underrated and can do it all on midfield even though he's a former winger.
He can play holding midfielder simply because he's smarter than everybody else and has a non-stop motor every game he plays. But his best position is as a box-to-box central midfielder like he's deployed on National Team duties with Germany.
When he plays there, he's a playmaker, a play-destroyer, a goal-scorer and a passer all in one player.
Simply magnificent and quite underrated.
Future:
He's 26 and has his best years ahead of him. If a big offer doesn't come to Munich, he'll gladly stay there forever.
Transfer Value:
By a big offer, I mean €50 million or more to make the Germans really think about it.
1. Xavi
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Why No.1?
Did you expect someone else?
You all know about Xavi's passing, playmaking and assisting ability. But what you might not know, and what makes him the best in the world, is that he's the player that runs the most on Barça.
Not Dani Alves, not Busquets, not Pedrito. Xavi is the man that is the brains, lungs, and that simply personifies what Barça is today.
Sadly he'll never ever be considered the Top Player in the World or win a Ballon d'Or because he doesn't score many goals and just isn't that flashy.
Future:
He's 31 and has one, maybe two years ahead of him. If he starts to see the bench he might leave soon like Guardiola did once upon a time.
Transfer Value:
€70 million would make Barça think about it for a player that old, but the truth might be that unless Xavi wants to leave, he'll be there for as long as he wants to.
Other Positional Rankings:
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Here are the positional rankings I've done so far and the ones that are coming up soon:
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