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#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.
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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.
