#3 Thiago Alcantara
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Age: 25
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Central Midfield
Interceptions per game: 4.3
Thiago Alcantara is probably the only name on this list that is familiar to the average football fan. Ever since leaving Barcelona for the Allianz Arena in 2013, the Spanish international has cemented himself as one of the best young midfielders on the planet.
He has never been much of a goal-scoring or box-to-box player, rather finding his calling in helping the midfield stay stable and keep its shape. He has an impressive pass accuracy, hovering constantly at the 90% mark for the past couple of seasons.
However, this season under Carlo Ancelotti, he has added another facet to the defensive side of his game – interceptions. Peaking at 4.3 per game this season, having never gone above 2.6 previously, this shows that he has the willingness to put himself about, and cover more ground, putting out fires for his side all over the pitch.
He is already one of the most coveted talents in world football, and his stock is only going to rise in the coming years.
