Who are the Premier League’s best midfielders in 2024? | OneFootball

Who are the best midfielders in the Premier League right now?

The Premier League has always been home to some of the best midfielders in world football, from the age old debate of Gerrard vs Lampard vs Scholes to Yaya Toure putting in some incredible displays for Man City. But which midfielders are currently the best in the Premier League in 2024? You’re about to find out…

More Premier League player rankings:

We have three midfield scores to rank the different profiles within the league. Every player is eligible for all three rating categories (No.6 Score, No.8 Score and No.10).

Only players who have played half the minutes available during this calendar year have been considered (495+minutes).

5. Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma started the season incredibly for Tottenham, looking as their perfect number six. However, his performances dipped after picking up some unecessary red cards, as Spurs struggled but now seems to be getting back to his best again in recent weeks. His ability to cover a lot of ground as well as being strong in the duel is exactly what Spurs need in Ange Postecoglou’s system and it’s important that he continues to improve and get back to his early season form.

The former Chelsea man has formed an incredibly strong midfield partnership with Declan Rice in an Arsenal side that have won 10 and drawn one of their 11 Premier League matches in 2024, conceding just four times. Back in February Rice was asked about the Italian’s calmness on the ball and gushed over his partner in crime, saying: “He’s the best at it. No, obviously, before I signed for Arsenal, the prospect of playing with him, Partey, playing against him before, knowing how he controls games, how calm he is on the ball, he’s got qualities that not a lot of other midfielders have.”

3. Alexis Mac Allister

Alexis Mac Allister comes in third for our No.6 Squawka Score ranking, but comes in even higher lower down the page in our other midfield rankings.

2. Pascal Gross

What a season Pascal Gross is having. The German set a new record for the most assists provided in a single Premier League campaign for Brighton in the Seagulls’ biggest ever away win in the competition against Sheffield United, with no player providing more assists so far in the Premier League in 2023/24 (10) . In his performance against the Blades, he became the first player on record (from 2003-04) to create that 8+ chances, while also completing 100+ passes with an accuracy of over 90%.

1. Rodri

When he’s in the team, Rodri knits everything together for Manchester City with his passing, composure and ability to turnover possession at key moments. When he’s missing, everything sort of falls apart, as proven by the fact that all three of Man City’s Premier League defeats this season have all come when he hasn’t been in the side. While Erling Haaland’s goals steal the headlines, the Spaniard just goes about his business being the true star for Pep Guardiola.

This season however, he has also added goals and assists to his game, with his seven strikes and seven assists becoming his best ever tally for goal involvements in a single top-flight campaign. He is also the only player averaging more than 100+ successful passes per 90 in the Premier League this season and has not lost a single game across any competition for Man City in over a year.

What a season Pascal Gross is having. The German set a new record for the most assists provided in a single Premier League campaign for Brighton in the Seagulls’ biggest ever away win in the competition against Sheffield United, with no player providing more assists so far in the Premier League in 2023/24 (10) . In his performance against the Blades, he became the first player on record (from 2003-04) to create that 8+ chances, while also completing 100+ passes with an accuracy of over 90%.

4=. Ross Barkley

After a spell with Nice last season, Ross Barkley returned to the Premier League for the 2023/24 campaign with newly promoted Luton Town and so far, it has looked like a masterstroke. He has put in fantastic performances week-in, week-out and there have been calls from fans and pundits alike for him to return to the England set-up under Gareth Southgate. The 30-year-old has helped give the Hatters a huge chance of staying in the top flight this season.

Bruno Guimarães is a huge reason to why Newcastle have been so successful since their takeover. The Brazilian has won more fouls than any other midfielder in the Premier League so far in 2023/24, while only Fulham’s Joao Palhinha has won more duels and only four midfielders have won possession more times than the Toon Army’s number 39. Since making his debut in the competition, he is the only player to win 300+ duels, make 300+ ball recoveries, make 100+ tackles and win 100+ fouls.

He has also become Eddie Howe’s lucky charm with Newcastle winning all 10 Premier League matches when he has found the back of the net.

3. James Maddison

Tottenham haven’t had a player like James Maddison since Christian Eriksen left the club for Inter back in 2019/20. The former Leicester midfielder started the season on fire and you have to wonder where Spurs would be now had James Maddison not succumbed to injury. The England international came off in that 4-1 drubbing to Chelsea, with Spurs then going on to take just a single point from their next four games. Despite missing two months, he has provided six league assists away from home, with only Mo Salah (7) providing more in Europe’s top five leagues on the road.

He was the first player to create 30 chances in the 2023/24 Premier League season and scored two goals and provided two assists in his first three away appearances for his new club and will be hoping to get back to his pre-injury form and fire Spurs into the Champions League.

2. Alexis Mac Allister

The £35 million Liverpool paid Brighton for the World Cup winner is starting to look like more and more of a bargain as the season goes on. The 25-year-old has put in some incredible performances for Jürgen Klopp’s side, especially as we come into the business end of the season, chiming in with five goals and five assists in his last 11 appearances across all competitions.

1. Rodri

Coming in the top five for our No.6, No8 and No.10 score and first for the top two, it’s no surprise Rodri is the favourite to be named PFA Player of the Year, especially due to the fact that he is unbeaten in each of his last 65 games for Man City across all competitions.

5. Rodri

Despite playing further back, Rodri performances have been so good for Man City this season he has even made it into the top five in the number 10 rankings and with seven goals and seven assists you can see why.

4. Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace’s form without Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise has shown just how crucial these two players are to how the Eagles play, with Michael Olise assisting Eberechi Eze seven times in the Premier League, the joint-most one Crystal Palace player has assisted a single teammate in the competition. The 25-year-old has recently returned from injury having been missing since the end of January when he scored twice against Sheffield United and new manager Oliver Glasner will be glad to have him back.

Martin Ødegaard is living his best life at Arsenal. Given how dominant the Gunners are under Mikel Arteta, he rarely has to worry about getting stuck in defensively. He also doesn’t really have to commit to lung-busting, dazzling dribbling. That’s what Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are for. Instead, the Norwegian can just float around, threading the needle, splitting defences and making Arsenal tick. He’s really, really good at it, too. The Norwegian has created more chances from open play than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, while he also tops the Premier League charts for most through balls attempted and has completed more passes into the penalty area than any other player in 2023/24.

2. Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne has returned from injury like he has never been away. The Belgian has created more big chances (15) and provided more assists (12) across all compeititions in 2024 than any other Premier League player, while only Cole Palmer has been directly involved in more goals. He recently scored his 100th goal for Man City across all competitions with a brace against Crystal Palace.

1. Phil Foden

After bagging his third Premier League hat-trick in Man City’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa, Phil Foden has now scored more goals in the Premier League (14) and across all competitions (20) in 2023/24 than he has in any other campaign. With Kevin De Bruyne only returning to the side recently, Pep has utilised the 23-year-old in a more central role and it has paid off big time, with the England man being directly involved in 21 goals in 30 Premier League matches.

Here are the metrics used and weighting given to each metric to come up with the overall Squawka Score:

Number 6:

Number 8:

Number 10: