#2 Kevin de Bruyne
The second round of Premier League fixtures saw Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur. And Kevin de Bruyne reminded fans all over the world why he is possibly the greatest midfielder in the world right now, as he put up a masterclass of a performance.
His passing range, precision and vision are better than anyone else in the world, perhaps even greater than Lionel Messi. The heart of the Manchester City midfield, De Bruyne is a player every team in the world would want to have.
Owing to his extraordinary passing ability, the Belgian is known for his defense-splitting through balls, and over the top deliveries that can break any defensive setup. He also has a venomous shot in his arsenal and is one of the finest goalscoring midfielders in the world today.
De Bruyne was the brightest star in Manchester City's 100-point campaign in the 2017-18 season. And along with Eden Hazard, he was also inspirational in Belgium's World Cup run in 2018, where they ended up as semi-finalists.
Last season, due to De Bruyne missing a majority of the campaign due to injuries, his spotlight was taken by his teammates Bernado Silva and Raheem Sterling; the two served as Manchester City's driving forces in De Bruyne's stead. But the Belgian still made his mark at the end of the season when he made his return to the team, showing the extent of his impact on the team.
This season, if injuries don't get in his way, De Bruyne could possibly regain his title as the finest midfielder in the world. He would, however, face competition from players like Paul Pogba, Christian Eriksen and Frenkie de Jong.
Real Madrid aces Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who had a disastrous 2018-19 season, would also be looking to redeem themselves. But with age, their abilities have begun to ebb, and that puts Premier League's De Bruyne clear of all of his rivals from the other leagues who could compete for the title of the best midfielder in the world.