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#3 Nicolo Barella
Inter fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that Nicolo Barella has extended his contract with the club. The Italian midfielder, who is in his third season with the Nerazzurri since joining on an initial loan deal from Cagliari, is now under contract until 2026.
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The midfielder was the subject of intense transfer interest in the summer following a successful season with Inter and a remarkable Euro 2020 with Italy. Barella has carried forward that same success and is at the heart of the Inter Milan side.
The Italian is the most progressive carrier in the Inter Milan side with 2029 yards completed this season. He’s also made an astounding 71 ball progressions and 38 carries into the final third of the pitch – also the most in the team. He has also chalked up five assists across all competitions.
#2 Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong is a supremely athletic and gifted midfielder who is arguably the best box-to-box midfielder in the world when in form. De Jong combines all the qualities necessary to be a world-class ball-carrier: he’s fast, he’s strong and agile, he dribbles well, and he can manage the final pass successfully.
De Jong has carried the ball 3359 yards towards the opposition goal across all competitions for Barcelona this season, which includes a progressive distance of 2079 yards.
Only Eric Garcia has a higher tally than De Jong. But to be fair, Garcia is a central defender who is able to find more open spaces than De Jong.
The 24-year-old has also completed 85 successful ball progressions. Nobody at Barcelona has moved the ball closer to the final third of the pitch than De Jong this season (31 times).
His consistency has been a bit of a concern for Barcelona, but the arrival of Xavi has seen him play at a really high level. The Catalan club will be counting on him heavily this season.
#1 Bernardo Silva
There was plenty of speculation surrounding a rumored exit for Bernardo Silva in the summer. Unhappy with not being given enough minutes, the Portuguese wanted to look for a new challenge. However, he ended up staying put at the club and it turned out to be the right decision.
Bernardo has roared back to life this season and has been in impeccable form lately. He has been mostly deployed in central midfield, but on a couple of occasions, he has also played the false-nine role to perfection.
With 2164 yards of progressive distance covered this season, the 27-year-old has been the standout player in City's midfield. He has also made an incredible 126 ball progressions. Bernardo is only behind Jack Grealish and Joao Cancelo in this regard, but both those players get more favourable zones to operate in.
The Portuguese midfield maestro also completed 35 successful carries into the final third of the pitch. Bernardo is at the center of Pep Guardiola’s plans and with him in this kind of form, they are expected to be a problem for any opposition.
