Ranking the 15 best defensive midfielders in the world, ft. Rice, Rodri & Caicedo | OneFootball

Declan Rice is on the verge of a major money move to one of the Premier League's top six this summer, but where does he rank among the best defensive midfielders in the world?

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Having just captained West Ham to their first trophy since 1980 and with more than 40 England caps to his name, the 24-year-old's stock is at an all-time high and the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are all reported to be interested in securing his services.

But Rice is far from the only impressive defensive midfielder in Europe in present. In fact, it's fair to say the football world is blessed with talent in this particular position.

While the previous generation boasted names such as Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane and Claude Makelele, there are a plethora of future greats coming through now.

With that in mind, we've ranked 15 of the best defensive midfielders in the world right now using a Tiermaker.

It's important to note that this list is subjective but we hope that you'll agree with our justification in each case.

5 Past it now - Sergio Busquets, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Fabinho

Let's make one thing clear - every player in this category used to be world-class. However, whether it be because of age, injuries or another reason, all are now far past their best.

Busquets has called time on his glittering Barcelona trophy, having won 32 trophies with the club. He is now linked with moves to the MLS and to the Saudi Pro League.

Similarly, Kante's time in the Premier League is now over with the Frenchman joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

Meanwhile, Fabinho and Jorginho are both still playing in England's top flight. Yet, the pair have gone from Ballon d'Or contenders a few years ago to struggling to nail down a starting spot for Arsenal and Liverpool respectively.

4 Future star - Moises Caicedo, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni

Brighton have made a habit of scouting talented youngsters out of nowhere and you can certainly mark Caicedo down in that category.

The 21-year-old has been hugely impressive for the Seagulls, with Arsenal and Chelsea keen to secure his signature ahead of next season.

Contrastingly, Real Madrid duo Camavinga and Tchouaméni have established themselves at a big club but will no doubt only improve further.

When Toni Kroos and Luka Modric eventually retire, Madrid already have their midfield sorted for the next decade, especially with the arrival of Jude Bellingham as well.

3 Solid as a rock - Marcelo Brozovic, Marco Verratti, Thomas Partey

Brozovic played an integral role in Inter's run to the Champions League final and despite turning 30, still appears to be in his prime.

Verratti is a similar case. The Italian is now 30 years old but continues to be PSG's best midfielder.

Partey struggled when he first joined Arsenal, but has been an undroppable member of Mikel Arteta's side for the past couple of years.

That being said, the Ghanaian has been linked with a move away from the Gunners as Arteta targetts big-money moves for Rice and Caicedo.

2 Simply world-class - Declan Rice, Casemiro, Joshua Kimmich

There were many who used to call Rice overrated, but any doubts about his ability have most definitely been silenced after the Englishman inspired the Hammers to European glory.

Casemiro, meanwhile, has been equally inspirational for United since joining. The Red Devils are a completely different team with the Brazilian in the side and he was unquestionably one of the best Premier League signings of last season.

Kimmich is another player who has been world-class for years and the German celebrated yet another Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich after a dramatic final day of the season.

1 Ballon d'Or worthy - Rodri

Once upon a time, Rodri and Fabinho were spoken about in the same breath, but the Spaniard has moved far clear of the Brazilian, and indeed anyone else in the world.

The Man City star helped Pep Guardiola's team win the treble and scored the all-important winner in the final.

He also played a key role in Spain's Nations League Final triumph over Croatia.

Given all his success of late, there is a strong case that Rodri should actually win the Ballon d'Or this season.