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The Premier League has no dearth of quality in the midfield department and boasts some of the most technical players across Europe. Controlling the middle of the park can be crucial and these maestros play a huge role in this aspect.
Midfielders are arguably the most complete footballers in the side and have to make considerable contributions at both ends of the pitch.
The Premier League has some of the best midfielders across Europe
The Premier League's Big Six has a plethora of midfield gems such as Kevin De Bruyne, Thiago, Ngolo Kante, and more. However, other teams also have extraordinary talent in the midfield department.
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Here, we take a look at the five most valuable midfielders outside the Premier League's Big Six:
(Players are ranked according to their value on Transfermarkt)
#5 Tomas Soucek: £40.5 million
Tomas Soucek has been one of the best players for West Ham over the past couple of seasons and has transformed their midfield. The 27-year-old has been a terrific acquisition for the Hammers since signing for them permanently in July 2020 for a fee of around £19 million.
Soucek’s market value has been on the rise ever since he joined the Hammers. The Czech international is currently valued at £40.5 million by Transfermarkt. Soucek has been a vital part of West Ham’s squad and has missed just two games in the entire Premier League campaign.
West Ham had an impressive transfer window last season and signed Said Benarhama and Vladimir Coufal along with Soucek. David Moyes has ensured that there is steady progress and has built a terrific squad whose future looks bright.
#4 James Maddison: £45 million
Leicester City's James Maddison has been lighting up the Premier League this season. The 25-year-old has been the Foxes’ creative outlet and has shown tremendous development under Brendan Rogers.
Maddison is currently valued at £45 million by Transfermarkt. The Englishman has been quite impressive this season and has eight goals and three assists so far. Maddison has already equalled his best ever goal tally and is sure to add to it over the remainder of the campaign.
The Foxes have greatly benefitted from Maddison’s terrific ball striking ability. Since joining Leicester at the start of the 2018-19 season, Maddison has scored the most league goals from outside the box (13). After being heavily linked with Arsenal, it is still unclear where Maddison’s future lies. Given his caliber, he certainly deserves better than the mid-table finishes he is used to.
#3 Youri Tielemans: £49.5 million
Youri Tielemans has been a fantastic addition to Leicester’s engine room ever since signing for the Foxes at the start of the 2019-20 season. Leicester paid Monaco a considerable fee of £40 million for the Belgian’ services.
Like Maddison, Tielemans is also blessed when it comes to striking the ball. The Belgian has six goals and two assists from midfield this season. The Belgian is currently valued at £49.5 million according to Transfermarkt. Tielemans has earned plaudits from his national coach and captained his side in their recent friendly against Ireland that ended 2-2.
Tielemans is entering the final year of his contract with Leicester and the 24-year-old has admitted that he wants to play Champions League football in the future. Leicester will not risk losing the midfielder on a free transfer and could be forced to cash in this summer. Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly favorites to sign the Belgian.
#2 Wilfred Ndidi: £54 million
Wilfred Ndidi has been a key figure for Leicester City over the past several seasons and is one of the best defensive midfielders in the league. The Nigerian signed for Leicester on the back of their successful 2016-17 Premier League campaign and was key in their FA Cup victory last season.
The 25-year-old’s market value has risen over the course of his career with the Foxes and is currently valued at £54 million as per Transfermarkt. Ndidi is reportedly out for several weeks after an unfortunate injury against Stade Rennais in the Conference League. His absence will be a huge blow for the Foxes as well as the Nigerian national side who face Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers.
Leicester’ season has once again been full of ups and downs. The Foxes are currently 10th in the league and their chances of a spot in the Europa League are slim to none. However, they can still qualify for the competition’s group stages if they win the Europa Conference League.
#1 Declan Rice: £67.5 million
A West Ham academy graduate, Declan Rice has bossed the midfield over the past few seasons and is one of the best in the league. The 23-year-old has shown tremendous potential and will be an invaluable asset to the England national side.
Rice is the most valuable player irrespective of position outside the Big Six. The Englishman has a value of £67.5 million on Transfermarkt. Since Mark Noble announced his retirement, David Moyes has entrusted Rice with the captain’s armband and the 23-year-old has not shied away from the responsibility.
Rice has been a key figure for the Hammers in their phenomenal Premier League form over the past year or so. West Ham are currently seventh in the Premier League and are also looking to get their hands on the Europa League. They face Lyon in the quarterfinals of the tournament in a few weeks’ time.
