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They say that a game of football is often won in midfield and it's not very far from the truth. The bits and pieces that the strikers might salvage inside the area or a flurry of last-ditch tackles in their own defensive third can only get a team so far.
To dominate games, teams need technically deft midfielders who can control the proceedings from the centre of the park. There are different kinds of midfielders and each position in midfield comes with its own variants.
For example, there can be defensive midfielders whose job is to destroy opposition attacks while that of another could be to conduct play from a deep-lying position. Casemiro is a destroyer while Sergio Busquets is a deep-lying playmaker.
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It changes from team to team but every team can use versatile and technically proficient players who can play anywhere across the midfield. This lends to a greater degree of flexibility to the side and it facilitates better in-game management as well.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most complete midfielders in football right now.
#5 Georginio Wijnaldum (Paris Saint-Germain)
Georginio Wijnaldum snubbed Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain as a free-agent this summer. The Dutchman was a very important player for Liverpool since joining in 2016 up until he left a few months ago. He was a vital cog in the side that won the Champions League and the Premier League titles in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons respectively.
Wijnaldum is a hard-working midfielder whose technical abilities enable him to slot anywhere in midfield. He has played as a pivot in midfield, providing cover to his backline. Wijnaldum shines as a central midfielder who can press high up the pitch.
He loves breaking up play and the defensive side of his game is well-rounded. He also has a knack for making late and effective runs into the box to score some vital goals for his team.
#4 Franck Kessie (AC Milan)
Franck Kessie is one of Serie A's best midfielders. The Ivorian midfielder is a man of many talents and usually plays as part of a double pivot in midfield. But more importantly, Kessie is the glue that holds AC Milan together.
The 24-year-old is an all-action midfielder. He is usually the one that starts the high-press. He is adept at passing through the lines and is thus a great ball progressor. Kessie is also often seen bombing forward to join in attack.
He has a strong physical presence and uses his body well to shield the ball and this enables him to be a good ball-carrier as well. Kessie is also an extremely fit footballer with his durability being an attribute worthy of commendation. He played the most minutes of any outfield player for Milan in the 2020-21 season.
Kessie scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 37 Serie A appearances last term.
#3 Frenkie De Jong (Barcelona)
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong is flush with all the qualities you'd expect from a player who graduated from Ajax's youth academy. The philosophy of 'Total Football' taught at Ajax forces players to be versatile and their youngsters are usually great technicians.
De Jong is one of Barcelona's most prized assets right now. The Dutchman is so good with the ball and tactically intelligent that he was even deployed at centre-back on multiple occasions last season.
Ronald Koeman admires De Jong's qualities as a ball progressor and has been given full freedom to make lung-busting runs to join the attack. He is an excellent passer of the ball and dispenses his defensive duties to perfection thanks to his excellent reading of the game.
In 51 matches across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, De Jong provided eight assists and scored seven goals.
#2 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Paul Pogba is one of the most naturally talented and gifted footballers we have seen in recent times. The Frenchman does so many incredible things seemingly effortlessly but there are some parts of his game that have always needed improvement.
Pogba has all the qualities you'd expect of a deep-lying playmaker. However, he is not great at tackling or pressing the opposition. But as long as he is playing in a midfield pivot with a partner who is predisposed to doing the dirty work, Pogba will do great. This is exactly how the Pogba-Kante double pivot works for France.
But at Manchester United, Pogba shines in an advanced role. His eye for a pass and ability to pick out teammates is unmatched and his passing range is worthy of being studied by young kids aspiring to be playmakers.
Pogba has been at his best when unleashed in the role of a left-sided midfielder. It was a stroke of genius from Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Pogba has got off to a flying start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, registering seven assists in four games so far.
#1 Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Leon Goretzka is one of the most dynamic midfielders in the world. The Bayern Munich man, alongside Joshua Kimmich, has provided the Bavarians with a strong core that is likely to stay intact for years to come.
Goretzka's physical transformation since joining Bayern has been immense and it's incredible that he bulked up without losing a yard of pace. As a result, he just became a stronger version of the box-to-box midfielder that he already was.
Goretzka is pretty direct with the ball at his feet and loves bombing forward, creating chances and scoring goals for his side. Having a partner like Joshua Kimmich helps the 26-year-old attack with abandon at times as the former will do the job of sweeping up behind him.
He can play anywhere across midfield and is as good at dispensing his defensive duties as he is at affecting play in the attacking realms. The German international provided eight assists and scored eight goals in 32 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich last term.
