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La Liga has always been the home of elite midfielders. It is known to have propounded and perfected the famed tiki-taka style, first used in the 90s, and reformed by Pep Guardiola's FC Barcelona.
Spanish teams have always made use of intelligent and technically excellent players in the middle of the park to execute their game plans to perfection. Players like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Guti are some of the elite midfielders to have played in La Liga in the past.
Many of the world's best midfielders play in La Liga
The latest midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or, Luka Modric (2018), plies his trade in Spain's top-flight with Real Madrid. A number of other top quality midfielders, such as Sergio Busquests and the world's best U-21 player Pedri, also play in the Spanish first division.
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Without further ado, here is a list of the five midfielders with the highest ratings in La Liga this season.
#5 Luka Modric (7.06)
The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric is one of the best midfielders to play the game in the 21st century. The 36-year-old continues to play at the top of his game despite his age. The Croatian midfielder joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and has helped the club win two league titles since then.
Modric is an elite midfielder with intelligence on and off the ball. As his athleticism has diminished due to his age, the midfielder has employed his brilliant reading of the game to aid his longevity.
He has managed 15 appearances in La Liga this season for Los Blancos and has one goal and four assists for his side. A very tidy midfielder on the ball, Modric has completed 88.3% of his attempted passes this season. He has also created six big chances. He hardly dives into tackles, but when he does, he has a 75% success rate this season.
Modric being the only player to win the Ballon d'Or apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 14 years is enough proof of his quality. The midfielder has been important this season for Los Blancos as they chase the Spanish title.
#4 Mikel Merino (7.19)
Mikel Merino joined Real Sociedad from Newcastle United in 2018 and has since established himself as a stalwart in the middle of the park. The all-action midfielder has been important for Real Sociedad this season as they pursue European football.
Merino has made 17 appearances in La Liga for Real Sociedad, and has two goals and an assist to his name for them. The 25-year-old has a 78.2% pass completion ratio and has created two big chances this season. He has won 30 of his 43 attempted tackles and made 22 interceptions this season.
Merino has matured greatly since his short spell in the Premier League. He has gone on to become a full Spain international and a key player for his club.
#3 Dani Parejo (7.20)
Villarreal got themselves a gem when they signed a top midfielder with La Liga experience, Dani Parejo, from rivals Valencia in 2020 for just €6 million. The midfielder was captain of Valencia before a crisis at the club forced him to change clubs. Since arriving at the Estadio de La Ceramica, Parejo has immediately raised the level of the team.
Parejo has made 18 La Liga appearances for Villarreal this season and has one goal and six assists for the side. The mercurial 32-year-old has created eight big chances and averages 2.2 key passes per game for the Yellow Submarines. He has a 83% pass accuracy and has won 18 of his 27 attempted tackles. Parejo also has 20 interceptions in La Liga this season.
Parejo will be looking to keep up his quality performances so far and help Villarreal achieve their goals in the league this season. The side are currently in seventh place in the league and will be looking to finish in European places.
#2 Toni Kroos (7.25)
Germany and Real Madrid ace Toni Kroos is easily one of the best midfielders in world football, so seeing him on this list is no surprise. A UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup winner, Kroos has been brilliant for Real Madrid this season, as always.
Kroos has played 15 times this season in La Liga and has a goal and three assists to his name. The 32-year-old midfielder has created six big chances this season, and averages 2.4 key passes per 90 in the league.
Kroos is an extremely efficient passer of the ball, with his 91.9% success rate a good indication of this fact. He has won 13 of 22 tackles and made 14 interceptions this season.
Kroos' contribution is a very big part of why Real Madrid are cruising in La Liga at present, as his presence in midfield gives his side an instant edge. The German will look to continue in this manner and lead Los Blancos to another league title this season.
#1 Casemiro (7.31)
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has established himself as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world for club and country. The 29-year-old has played a key role in each of Real Madrid's successes in his time at the club.
Casemiro has made 20 league appearances this season in the league and has three assists under his belt. The Brazilian does his job mostly on his side's half of the pitch to stifle opposition forays forward.
He has attempted an astonishing 68 tackles and won 49 of them. He also has 38 interceptions and has a passing accuracy of 86%. Remarkably, Casemiro has received only seven cautions in La Liga this season despite the number of tackles he has attempted.
Casemiro works in tandem with Kroos and Modric, both of whom he has played with regularly since 2015. The Brazilian is vital to Real Madrid's set-up and title pursuit this season.
