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The central midfielders are essential for any team, as they hold several important roles. They have tasks to dictate the tempo, help the attack, and win the ball. They may not be the best at attacking and defending, but they have to become the heart for their team.
As the season ended, we have witnessed many great midfielders showcasing their skills. Paul Pogba even became Manchester United's top goalscorer despite playing as a midfielder. However, the 26-year-old will not be included in this list due to his inconsistent play.
Nevertheless, many other midfielders had consistently impressed for their respective team throughout the latest campaign. Without further ado, let's take a look at 5 best central midfielders in the world this season.
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#5 Giovani Lo Cleso
The Real Betis midfielder made a headline after his impressive debut season at the Spanish league. His enormous talent has been evident since his second season at Ligue 1 Champion PSG, registering 4 league goals and 3 assists from 18 starting appearances in the 2017/18 season.
Unfortunately, he was starving for game time in his last season at the French outfit and failed to convince Thomas Tuchel. PSG eventually loaned him to Betis with an option to buy after the player struggled to compete with other starlets such as Adrien Rabiot and Julian Draxler.
However, he quickly adapted to his new club and amassed 27 La Liga starts, contributing 9 goals and 4 assists for his team. He also became Betis's standout player at European level, registering 5 goals and 1 assist in the Europa League.
Aside from his brilliant offensive play, Lo Celso has also been a defensively sound midfielder, as he recorded an average of 3.1 tackles and 1.3 intercepts per game in the Europa alone. His lightning-quick rise to stardom has led to interest from Champions League finalist Tottenham Hotspur.
#4 Axel Witsel
Not many believed that the Belgian midfielder could become such an instant hit for Borussia Dortmund. Witsel was playing for Chinese League last year, despite he spent most of his professional career at European highest tier.
The Belgian did impress for Chinese side Tianjin, starting in all of the club's league games and scoring 5 times. However, he has attracted even more attention since his impressive debut spell at Bundesliga. He quickly adapted into Lucien Favre's system and was benched just once in his entire 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign.
Witsel's average passing accuracy has stood at very high 93 percent while his contribution in other aspects was also impressive. He has recorded 5 goals and 1 assist combined in domestic and Champions League.
His defensive stats have also stood at decent 1.6 tackles and 1.2 intercepts on average per game.
#3 Miralem Pjanic
The Bosnian midfielder has turned into a revelation for Juventus since joined from AS Roma 3 years ago. He was regularly benched in the beginning of his debut season for the Serie A champion, but the 29-year-old was able to sneak into the starting XI gradually.
His reputation as one of the world's best midfielders has further soared in his last two seasons with Juventus, as he has amassed 55 Serie A starts throughout the period. Pjanic has received tough competition from other stars such as Blaise Matuidi, Emre Can, Sami Khedira, and Rodrigo Bentancur.
However, he has successfully retained his status as Juventus' first choice for most of the campaign. A creative, dynamic and tenacious player with pinpoint passes, Pjanic has stood apart from the rest of Juventus midfielders once again.
He has been the most productive central midfielder for the Old Lady with 2 goals and 6 assists throughout 31 Serie A appearances this term. His passing accuracy has stood at high 92 percent, and he has also created 2 key passes on average per game.
Pjanic's impressive spell at the Champions League has become the difference between him and Witsel or Lo Celso. Thus, he deserves to be on number 3 on this list.
#2 Ivan Rakitic
Frenkie de Jong's arrival at Barcelona might have put Rakitic on alert. The Ajax sensation had been widely praised for his display at both club and European level.
Nevertheless, the Croatian had put another excellent display for the Catalans despite fierce competitions from Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo. He still managed to retain his reputation as one of Ernesto Valverde's first choice, starting in all of Barcelona's Champions League games and amassing 29 La Liga starts.
An avid passer with excellent productivity, Rakitic turned out to be the engine of Barcelona's lethal attacks this campaign. He has recorded a high 91.4 percent pass completion rate at both La Liga and Champions League.
His goal contributions were also impressive for a central midfielder, as he has scored 4 goals and provided 7 assists combined in domestic and European competition.
#1 Bernardo Silva
The former Monaco winger had endured tough debut season at the Premier League, making just 15 starting appearances. However, his opportunity came after Kevin de Bruyne suffered a lengthy injury in the 2018/19 campaign. Pep Guardiola had a hard time to find a reliable center midfield option to replace the Belgian at that.
Hence, the Spaniard assigned Bernardo for a deeper role at the midfield alongside Fernandinho and David Silva. The 24-year-old paid Guardiola's trust perfectly, as he quickly blossomed at his new position.
A quick, agile and productive midfielder, Bernardo has outperformed De Bruyne.
Aside from his notable offensive presence, Bernardo has also been excellent in defense, recording an average of 1.6 tackles and 0.7 intercepts per game. He has further cemented his reputation as one of Europe's finest after becoming the best player at the UEFA Nations League tournament. Thus, he deserves to be on top of this list.
