Five midfielders who have announced themselves to the world this season

#5 Saul Niguez

Niguez has become one of the best No. 8s in the world

A stunning strike in last season’s Champions League semi-final confirmed what many experts in Spain had been saying for a while - this Saul Niguez is something, but this season, the 22-year-old has become the darling of the Calderon, showing a level of dedication that has endeared him to the Atleti faithful.

“I put my health at risk in order to defend these colours and to fulfil this dream [of playing for Atletico]," he revealed in an interview with Mega.

"For the last two years, I've been playing with a catheter. I urinated blood after every training session and match, it was really uncomfortable.”

Two years of urinating blood, and still he has been able to score four goals in the Champions League knockout stages. That attitude could take him to the very top.

Fantastic in the air, Saul has become one of the best No. 8s in the game, and is as good as any at grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck and lifting his side. A future captain in the making, Manchester United’s long-term interest is not unfounded.