10 Players Who Could Dominate a Premier League Midfield
Signing a central midfielder of the highest quality can have a dramatic effect on a club's season: Just ask Leicester City and Chelsea, whose purchase of N'Golo Kante led them to Premier League titles in his first season.
The France international was plucked from relative obscurity (Caen, in Ligue 1) by the Foxes and proved to be a masterstroke of a transfer for both English clubs.
Now everyone's on red alert for the next Kante—not necessarily an elite box-to-box midfielder but a game-changing one who can alter your outlook for the better.
Here, we have identified 10 players across Europe who could walk into at least one of the Premier League top six's midfield setups and contribute. They are of varying styles and ages, but they share one thing in common—they are brilliant and well worth a look this summer.
Jorginho, 26, Napoli
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To play as Napoli do, you need an unflappable signal-controller such as Jorginho.
The Italy international's ability to dictate games from a deep-lying central-midfield role has the rest of Europe fawning.
His reputation is so high that former Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura was harangued into parachuting him in for an Azzurri debut at the death to try to save their flailing World Cup qualifying campaign.
Players who are so efficient in the one-touch passing game are truly rare, making Jorginho the equivalent of gold dust for Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri. He's been coached well, but the fact remains there aren't many who possess his blend of skills.
Napoli's insane buildup passages from deep are at least partially instructed by Jorginho, who utilises wall passes and flicks to blitz man-marking schemes in the middle. His clipped through balls are also a true delight, creating clear-cut chances every game.
Perfect for: Liverpool, Manchester City
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 22, Lazio
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A player who can play as a No. 6, a No. 8 or a No. 10 is an incredible tool for a manager to have, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is one of those.
Standing 6'3", you take one look at the Serbian and peg him as a Nemanja Matic-like, deeper-lying player, but he actually does his best work further forward. Surging into attacking spaces and unleashing unstoppable strikes on goal, he's been one of Lazio's most effective final-third players this season.
His 2017/18 statistics indicate just how much of an all-rounder he is: He takes the most shots per game (2.5) of any Lazio midfielder and has the joint-most goals (seven), while he also averages two tackles (more than any starting defender) and 2.5 aerial duels (more than anyone at the club) per outing.
His short career to date has seen a series of incredibly impressive periods, from winning the Under-20 World Cup with Serbia in 2015 to helping Lazio pip Juventus to the Supercoppa Italiana last year. He'll be a success wherever he goes and in whichever midfield role he's deployed.
Perfect for: Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea
William Carvalho, 25, Sporting CP
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Unlike most in Portugal, William Carvalho was robbed of the chance to carve out the beginnings of his career in relative seclusion. He's been linked to the Premier League's elite year upon year now, with David Kent of MailOnline linking him to Manchester United as early as 2014.
He wasn't ready for a move then, and it was to his benefit that nothing transpired. Fast-forward almost four years though, with the player now aged 25, and he is most certainly capable of taking that next step.
There are elements of Carvalho's game that can be hard to feel the impact of through the television screen; a player of his physical size brings a dominant edge to a midfield that can sometimes only be appreciated in person, a la Victor Wanyama.
His proactive defensive work hems teams into their own defensive third. His ability to anticipate and nip in front—or simply barge others off the ball and restart attacks—is among the best in Europe, with both Portugal and Sporting CP benefiting greatly from it.
Carvalho's use of the ball has steadily improved over the last few seasons, meaning he is not just a defensive rock but also a playmaking option from deep. Threaded passes with the perfect weighting have become a steady feature in his game, and he's willing to use his weaker (left) foot.
Perfect for: Liverpool, Arsenal
Mateo Kovacic, 23, Real Madrid
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Much was made of Real Madrid’s stellar "B" team in 2016-17; the crew that swept in between Champions League games and took care of business without a hitch.
Many thought Zinedine Zidane's reserve squadron could easily have finished in La Liga's top four had they been given a season. Mateo Kovacic was a key part of this setup, and there has long been an argument that he might carefully consider his position and perhaps opt for a key role elsewhere.
There isn't a club in the world that couldn't find a use for him, and at a large majority of other locations, he wouldn't be stuck behind a world-class, immovable trio such as Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
The Croatia international's versatility within the central-midfield context has made him invaluable to Real Madrid and would make him the same to others.
His ability to play as a distributing No. 6, spread play neatly and dispossess opponents with opportune tackles, is what we've seen come to the fore more often than not at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, it's his ability to act as a rampaging No. 8, galloping forward and taking on players with ease—last seen consistently at Inter Milan—that might entice potential buyers more.
Perfect for: Liverpool
Fabinho, 23, Monaco
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"If a move to a new league or a club with a bigger structure and bigger expectations, I would be interested," Fabinho told Lancenet (h/t Sky Sports) in January. "My time with Monaco was good, but I feel my time here is coming to an end."
It was expected that the Brazil international would leave last summer, but he watched Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Kylian Mbappe and, perhaps crucially, midfield partner Tiemoue Bakayoko depart instead.
He and Bakayoko performed superbly out of a demanding 4-4-2 system in 2016-17, with an understanding that Fabinho was the smarter, more cultured of the two. That's certainly proved true this season, as he's continued to excel for Monaco while Bakayoko has toiled with Chelsea.
Since relocating to central midfield from right-back, he has become the brains of Monaco's operation. The owner of a firm, well-timed tackle, a masterful positional sense, an underrated passing ability and a hell of a set-piece strike, it's no wonder head coach Leonardo Jardim was so reluctant to lose Fabinho last summer—he really is the glue that holds it all together.
Perfect for: Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City
Kai Havertz, 18, Bayer Leverkusen
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At just 18 years of age, Kai Havertz is already closing in on 50 Bundesliga appearances and has become a key figure for Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite his now-towering size—his latest growth spurt has seen him shoot up to in excess of 6'0"—he's still hurting teams from the tight spaces a No. 10 plays in, with a two-footedness shining through in his game that makes him difficult to stymie.
He has proved to be equally effective in several different scenarios, be it threading passes for speedsters Leon Bailey and Julian Brandt to chase, or a constant, metronomic involvement in periods of possession. He's tidy but deadly, depending on the situation and the need.
He won't be everyone's cup of tea when it comes to scouting No. 10s—his build is hardly that of a typical creator in that position—and it's possible a coach such as Jose Mourinho might see a regista-like future for him and send him on the same route Andrea Pirlo, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Verratti have been on.
Perfect for: Manchester United, Liverpool
Carlos Soler, 21, Valencia
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Carlos Soler represents a slight deviation from the norm in this article, as he's the only one of the 10 who has largely played in wide midfield this season. That said, his skill set and build suggest he might be more at home in a central role in the future.
Valencia's flat 4-4-2 allows him to play from a tucked-in wide position on the right flank, enabling him to burst outside and isolate defenders one-on-one, or drift inside and pick passes. His quick feet and ability to shift and feint to create space means he can go either way and succeed.
In direct contrast to La Liga, where all of the top four utilise some form of a 4-4-2 formation, there aren't many (top) teams in the Premier League who follow suit. That would inevitably shift Soler inside into a more classical No. 8 position, or perhaps even to No. 10.
Soler needs to work on his productivity—too many of his shots seem to go just wide, and he does squander some good positions—but the raw understanding of the game and technical ability are there.
Perfect for: Tottenham Hotspur
Fred, 24, Shakhtar Donetsk
8 of 10
Signing Brazilian midfielders plying their trade in Ukraine is an established and effective strategy.
Where Fernandinho, Willian and Douglas Costa have walked before, Fred will too soon. It appears both Manchester clubs are locked in a battle to sign him, per the Daily Express, with an eagerness to settle the deal ahead of the World Cup—due to the altered transfer deadline this summer—fuelling constant speculation and updates.
It’s easy to see why. Fred combines expert passing skills and ease on the ball with a strong defensive work ethic, creating a complete midfielder's skill set. His good performances against the likes of Napoli and Manchester City in the Champions League will have convinced many he's up to a bigger task.
You can rely on the Brazil international to take the ball in tight spots and switch play, creating a new angle. His launched long passes are good, and he's been known to make them with both feet when the time calls for it.
Defensively he works and fights. His tackles aren't particularly clean, and he does kind of throw himself in off-balance, but he has a knack of ending up with the ball anyway.
Perfect for: Manchester City, as Fernandinho's rotator
Tanguy Ndombele, 21, Lyon (on Loan from Amiens)
9 of 10
One might think it's too soon to include Tanguy Ndombele in a list such as this, and he might well need another season with Lyon to refine his game.
However, the early signs this season are of a player who could be spectacular; and if a player has dominated Paris Saint-Germain's midfield twice in a season, you can't keep him sat to one side one when discussing the best.
Mousa Dembele's recent episodes of brilliance have reminded everyone how effective a powerful midfield carrier from deep can be, and the France under-21 international is cut from this cloth. His overwhelming upper-body strength and ability to beat players transitions Lyon from defence to attack in a heartbeat.
Les Gones' forwards are comfortably in tune with Ndombele, and they know once he's stepped past his marker, he'll be looking for a through-ball opportunity. Their runs are timed perfectly, and he's already showcasing a stellar weight of pass when looking to play the likes of Mariano in behind.
It's difficult not to look at Ndombele, 21, with just a shade over 50 league appearances to his name, and see glorious, world-class potential.
Perfect for: Tottenham, as a future Dembele
Leandro Paredes, 23, Zenit Saint Petersburg
10 of 10
Leandro Paredes' decision to move to Zenit Saint Petersburg last summer was questioned by many—particularly fans of clubs such as Liverpool, who felt he was exactly what their team needed.
As strange as the defection to Russia felt for a player ostensibly entering his prime years, though, it appears to have helped hone his skill set and make him a far more complete player.
Those who watched him at AS Roma were quickly able to identify his clear best trait: tackling. The precision with which he dispossessed opponents was marvellous; hooking his leg like a mini-corkscrew, he would rob players of the ball seemingly every few minutes.
In Russia, he's had to do a little less of that, playing for a team significantly better than most, and instead he has become the creative fulcrum of his side. Averaging the most passes per game of any midfielder on his team, he sees more of the ball than ever and is lifting passes into dangerous areas constantly.
His ability in this area has led to him taking on set-piece duties, and some of the free-kicks he's firing into opponents' boxes are near-unstoppable, bent low so strikers need only guide it goalwards and incredibly hard for goalkeepers to deal with.
Perfect for: Liverpool, Arsenal
All statistics via WhoScored.com
