From Martin Odegaard, to Rodri, to Cole Palmer, to Phil Foden, the Premier League is the home of the some the very best midfielders in world football.
But who is the best?
Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.
As part of our Top 90 series, the 90min team have predicted who we think will be the top 30 best midfielders of the 2024/25 season.
You forgot he existed, didn’t you?
After serving his lengthy ban for breaching betting regulations, Sandro Tonali is finally back in action for Newcastle United and is looking to make up for some lost time at St. James’ Park.
He’ll be a huge asset to Eddie Howe once he’s back to firing on all cylinders.
Following 14 years on the books at Arsenal, Emile Smith Rowe upped sticks to join Fulham in search of regular game time during the summer transfer window.
And Arsenal’s loss will most certainly be Fulham’s gain.
When fully fit, he’s a genuinely top class creative midfielder.
Having barely got a kick under Antonio Conte, Pape Matar Sarr emerged as a key player for Tottenham following Ange Postecoglou’s arrival in north London.
Thanks to his prowess on and off the ball, and the fact that he’s just 21 years old, we’re backing him to only get better and better throughout the 2024/25 season.
Nottingham Forest are currently unbeaten in the Premier League and Morgan Gibbs-White has earned himself a maiden England call-up in September.
Yes, those things are very much linked.
The talented attacking midfielder looks set to have a career-best campaign in 2024/25.
Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the £107m man Enzo Fernandez since his arrival at Chelsea.
The midfielder has rarely shown that he was worth that huge outlay, however having been entrusted with the captain’s armband on occasion by Enzo Maresca this season already, he may finally be set to come good.
25. Edson Alvarez
Edson Alvarez is on this list for one simple reason:
He’s consistent.
The Mexico international puts in 7/10 performances week in, week out for West Ham United.
After a one-year jaunt at Barcelona, Ilkay Gundogan returned to Manchester City as a free agent late in the summer transfer window.
And while he isn’t expected to be the player he once was at City a few seasons ago, there’s no doubting that he’ll have a positive impact in Manchester once again.
The chips-fuelled engine room of Aston Villa‘s midfield, John McGinn is arguably the most important player in Unai Emery’s tactical setup.
He’ll be a key player for the club throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
Thanks to a multitude of unfortunate injuries, Mason Mount has yet to really make a mark at Manchester United following his move from Chelsea.
Having got a full pre-season under his belt, there’s plenty of hope at Old Trafford that Mount can finally have an impact during the current campaign.
21. Mateo Kovacic
It says a lot about Mateo Kovacic that, despite Manchester City’s main man Rodri being injured at the start of the campaign, the club comfortably won their first three games of the Premier League season.
The midfielder is as reliable a deputy as they come.
We’re just three weeks into the current season, and Romeo Lavia has already played twice as many minutes as he did during 2023/24.
The talented midfielder could be set for a breakout under Maresca.
On his day, Tielemans looks like an absolute world beater.
And while he hasn’t shown that particularly often at Aston Villa yet, his impressive early season performances suggest that he could be about to find some form in claret and blue.
Chances are, you didn’t know who Adam Wharton was this time last year.
After a breakout end of season under Oliver Glasner and a call-up to the senior England squad for Euro 2024 however, Wharton is now one of the most talked about young players in the Premier League.
A move to a big six club could be on the cards if he continues to improve.
The most important signing any Premier League made during the summer transfer?
Potentially.
Mikel Merino will be a game changer for Arsenal when he returns from injury.
At times during his debut season at Liverpool, Dominik Szoboszlai looked like one of the very best in the Premier League.
His form did dip late in the campaign, but thanks to Arne Slot’s reputation for getting the best out of players, we’re expecting Szoboszlai to impress.
Tottenham’s main creative threat, the club’s hopes of finding a route back into the UEFA Champions League will hinge on James Maddison’s ability to consistently create for the talented forward line in front of him.
Harvey Elliott showed signs of a potential breakout at the tail-end of 2023/24, and it looks like 2024/25 could be the season in which he emerges as a star player at Anfield.
Thanks to his versatility – he can play in midfield or out wide – he’s going to be a huge asset to Slot’s new-look Liverpool in the long-term.
As he proved time and time again in 2023/24 under a defensive-minded manager, Lucas Paqueta is a remarkably talented midfielder.
Now being coached by an attacking-minded one in Julen Lopetegui, expect the Brazilian to only get better and better.
When fit, Eberechi Eze is one of the most entertaining footballers to watch in the Premier League.
Thankfully for football fans up and down the country, he’s fit at the start of the new season and already impressing.
Check out his goal against Chelsea if you haven’t already, it was a thing of beauty.
There are very, very better big game players than Bernardo Silva in the Premier League.
The diminutive midfielder always comes up trumps when it matters most, and we’re expecting him to do the same in 2024/25.
In many people’s eyes, Alexis Mac Allister was the Premier League signing of the 2023 summer transfer window.
The midfielder provided prowess both on and off the ball for Jurgen Klopp’s side, and he’ll do the same under boss Slot this season too.
9. Bruno Guimaraes
The best bit of business Newcastle United managed during the summer transfer window was keeping hold of their main man Bruno Guimaraes.
The Brazilian is one of the best box-to-box midfielders around.
No one expected Kobbie Mainoo to be as good as he is already.
But at just 19 years old, Mainoo is already a star for both Manchester United and England.
The sky’s the limit for the generationally talented midfielder.
