Ranked: The most important player for each of the 10 biggest clubs

#6 Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne has been a key player for Manchester City.

Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best midfielders in the game at the moment. The 30-year-old is the crown jewel of Pep Guardiola's star-studded Manchester City team.

De Bruyne has made a name for himself as a premier assist creator in Europe's top five leagues. The three-time Premier League winner has registered an impressive 107 assists across competitions for City, while also scoring 67 times.

Kevin De Bruyne is the only player in Europe's top five leagues to create 200+ chances since 2019/20.In a league of his own. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/6ozM2ij9nu

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 30, 2021

The Chelsea reject has also excelled in international football, making 62 goal contributions (22 goals, 40 assists) in over 80 appearances for Belgium.

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#5 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid

Karim Benzema has been a key player for Real Madrid.

Karim Benzema has been a standout player for Real Madrid since arriving at the club in the summer of 2009.

Despite operating under the shadow of his illustrious former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo for almost a decade, the three-time La Liga winner has been a steady performer for Madrid.

The 33-year-old Frenchman has upped the ante since Ronaldo's departure three summers ago. Benzema has scored 92 times across competitions during this period, including five in just three games this season.

5 - Karim Benzema 🇫🇷 has been involved in five goals in his first three games of a @LaLigaEN season (two goals and three assists) for the first time in his @realmadriden career. Exquisite. pic.twitter.com/7Cs5n7qai1

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 28, 2021

The Frenchman, who has won four Champions League titles with Madrid, is only 16 strikes away from becoming only the third player to score 300 goals for the club. Considering his blistering start to the season, Benzema, who has also racked up 148 assists, should be able to achieve that milestone this campaign.

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#4 Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea

Romelu Lukaku has hit the ground running at Chelsea.

Romelu Lukaku is one of the hottest strikers in the game at the moment. Last season, he became the first player in almost two decades to score 20 league goals and provide ten assists in a Serie A season. Thanks to his exploits, Inter Milan won their first league title in 11 years.

Since returning to Chelsea on a big-money transfer this summer, the 28-year-old striker has hit the ground running. He scored against Arsenal on his second debut for the club to become the 20th-most prolific scorer in Premier League history. Lukaku netted a brace against Aston Villa last weekend.

114 - Romelu Lukaku has scored his 114th Premier League goal, overtaking Ian Wright to become the competition's 20th highest scoring player. Lukaku has also become the eighth non-Englishman to score 50+ goals both home and away in the competition. Romaissance. pic.twitter.com/moWMFEGpfW

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 22, 2021

His arrival has already added a cutting edge to Chelsea's attack that was sorely missing last season. If he keeps up his early-season form, Thomas Tuchel's men would be serious contenders for the Premier League title, and could also go deep in Europe.