The Premier League is often described by its disciples as ‘the best league in the world’.
While scoffed at by supporters abroad, it certainly does lay claim to some of the planet’s elite sides and subsequently many of the game’s most gifted athletes. With the money that the Premier League generates, it’s not difficult to entice the brightest and best.
However, deciding the best of the best is another challenge altogether.
We at 90min have put tribalism and loyalties to one side to compile a ranking of the 25 best players currently plying their trade in the English top flight.
In many ways, Cristian Romero embodies what made the Premier League so exceptional in its early years. The talent is there, of course, but his tenacity, tireless work ethic and knack for generating drama is what sets him apart from his current defensive peers.
The Argentinian central defender is a warrior at the back for Tottenham Hotspur and a World Cup triumph and two Copa America titles show that he’s pretty highly regarded in his homeland, too.
Boasting the technical ability that would make him a valuable midfielder for a host of Premier League clubs, Ederson has helped transform what it means to be a modern goalkeeper.
Making jaw-dropping saves is important and something the Manchester City stopper can do, but contributing so impressively in possession is what makes him special.
He is certainly among the division’s best goalkeepers.
The signing of Bruno Guimaraes proved an inspiring piece of business from a Newcastle United side set on infiltrating the established ‘big six’. The Brazilian has become indispensable at St James’ Park.
The former Lyon midfielder boasts the characteristic grit and determination of a South American destroyer, but is equally as elegant and composed when gliding across the turf in possession.
John Stones remains one of the Premier League’s elite central defenders.
The Englishman’s ability to step into the centre of the park proved transformative during the 2022/23 season as Man City won a historic treble and he still has the capacity to double up as a midfielder when called upon.
However, his versatility shouldn’t detract from what an exceptional centre-back he still is in an all-conquering Man City team.
Considered a risky signing from Newcastle at the time, Alexander Isak has already proven himself a worthy number nine for the Magpies following his move from Real Sociedad.
The lanky but pacy Swede has produced several impressive goalscoring seasons and has even drawn comparisons to the great Thierry Henry in terms of how he operates in the final third.
If he can overcome his injury-prone status, he can climb this list swiftly.
Another wonderkid plucked from obscurity by Brighton, Alexis Mac Allister took little time adjusting to life at Liverpool during the 2023/24 campaign. The World Cup winner has been used in a myriad of roles but is most impactful as a creator in a box-to-box function.
This is where he’s shone for club and country, with the indefatigable Argentine having proven a remarkable signing for the Reds. He still has gears to find, making him a frightening prospect.
When Bernardo Silva calls time on his career, he will likely be assessed as one of the most under-appreciated players the Premier League has ever hosted. After all, there is a reason Guardiola has relied on him with such regularity at Man City.
The diminutive Portuguese is capable of playing on either flank or as a central midfielder, with his in-game intelligence making him such a relentless superstar.
Modern goalkeepers don’t come much better than Alisson, who has established himself as the Premier League’s leading man between the sticks.
It’s easy to forget what a problem position goalkeeper had been for Liverpool prior to Alisson’s arrival but the Brazilian quickly endeared himself to supporters with his sprawling saves, excellent anticipation and exquisite passing.
The stopper saves Liverpool countless points every single season.
While understandably criticised for some of his on-field antics, there can be no doubting Bruno Fernandes’ ability. The attacking midfielder has been the saving grace in a Manchester United side that has yo-yoed in and out of crisis in recent years.
A technical marvel, the Portuguese attacking midfielder can score, assist or do the dirty defensive work, all with little to no fuss. However, it’s as a creator where he shines brightest, slicing open opposition defences with some deadly passes.
Generational talent is a term bandied about all too regularly these days but it’s never ill-fitting when applied to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A right-back revolutionary, Alexander-Arnold blossomed under Jurgen Klopp after emerging from the club’s academy and has proven a complete and utter revelation at the back.
Defending may not be his strongest attribute – strange, admittedly – but his ability to carve open defences, spray 60-yard diagonals and thunder home a free kick more than make up for the odd lapse in concentration.
In a world of glamorous, Rolls-Royce defenders, Ruben Dias provides a refreshing alternative at the back. That’s not to say he isn’t extremely talented with the ball at his feet, of course, with Guardiola not accepting passengers.
However, the old-school centre-back is great at the less eye-catching aspects of the game. Blocking shots, launching into tackles, flinging his head at crosses. That’s the stuff Dias really enjoys.
Few players currently playing week-in and week-out in the Premier League can boast the same longevity as Son Heung-min. In good and tough times at Tottenham, the South Korean has provided a constant stream of goals and assists.
Whether on the left flank or shoe-horned through the middle in Harry Kane‘s absence, Son is absolutely lethal with blistering pace and a two-footedness rarely seen at the top of the game.
There are no signs of him slowing down anytime soon, that’s for sure.
A stellar 2023/24 season at Chelsea has propelled Cole Palmer into the spotlight at alarming speed. Prior to his Stamford Bridge move he had shown glimpses of his brilliance but it took regular first-team football in west London for him to reach his potential.
Having won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award in his debut campaign with the Blues and having scored in the Euro 2024 final, Palmer is on the road to greatness.
Football loves a late bloomer. Ollie Watkins has always been an interesting and exciting centre-forward but it wasn’t until the 2023/24 campaign that he exploded into life.
As part of a surprisingly sensational Aston Villa side, the speedy striker provided a ludicrous number of goals and assists as he terrorised centre-backs up and down the country.
Watkins’ profligacy had shackled him previously but that’s seemingly no longer an issue for the inspired England star.
Having slowly rediscovered his form following his significant injury in the 2020/21 season, Virgil van Dijk has now peaked again. With the captain’s armband strapped to his bicep for Liverpool, he stands proudly among the world’s best defenders once more.
On his day, there are few centre-back more impressive. With superb athleticism, excellent technical ability and a remarkable aura, the Dutch superstar is elegance personified at the back.
Martin Odegaard’s teammates may steal the headlines more frequently but the Norwegian is the conductor of Arsenal’s beautiful orchestra. Floating around the final third and finding space in the smallest nooks, Odegaard’s influence on the Gunners cannot be overstated.
The former Real Madrid midfielder boasts a wand-like left boot which is waved frequently in and around the penalty area and has shown surprisingly strong leadership since being made club captain at the Emirates Stadium.
He’s certainly a player Arsenal couldn’t replace.
Mohamed Salah. There is nothing new to be said about the brilliant Egyptian, who has written his name into Liverpool and Premier League folklore with years of consistently astonishing displays and goalscoring returns.
Dominating the right flank at Anfield, Salah continues to post remarkable numbers each and every season, no matter what goes on around him. Even in one of his ‘down’ campaigns in 2023/24 he produced 28 combined goals and assists in 32 Premier League matches.
There are levels to this game.
When you splash £105m on a player, they need to deliver pretty quickly. That simply wasn’t a problem for Declan Rice, whose exceptional defensive midfield displays almost helped Arsenal win their first Premier League title in two decades during the 2023/24 campaign.
Whether as a traditional number six or in a box-to-box role further up the pitch, Rice has every attribute required to boss the engine room. But his greatest strength is his ability to read danger and subsequently snuff it out.
Oh, and he’s capable of popping up with some clutch goals.
With electric speed and a wicked left boot, it’s no surprise Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s ‘starboy’. The bulk of defenders have failed to stifle the winger’s incredible ingenuity and halting the England international is much easier on paper than in reality.
Capable of bursting to the byline or cutting in and firing at goal, it’s no wonder full-backs get tied in knots trying to defend him. Saka’s rise has been impressive and he has rightfully earned his spot among the world’s most devastating wide men.
He may have won the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season award but Phil Foden still isn’t quite the best in England. He’s darn close though and has the potential to usurp those above him on this particular list in the coming years.
Foden may be capable of operating on the either flank but it’s in central areas where he has enjoyed his greatest success with Man City. Able to evade opposition challenges and unleash a thunderbolt goal-wards with his rocket-fuelled left boot, you want him as close to goal as humanly possible.
William Saliba may be Arsenal’s single most important player. It was the Frenchman’s injury that derailed the Gunners’ Premier League title charge in the closing stages of the 2022/23 season and he has proven truly irreplaceable since nailing down a spot in the starting XI under Mikel Arteta.
With similarities to Van Dijk, the centre-back has every attribute required to thrive at the top table. Few strikers have been able to best him in physical or mental duels, not to mention just how accomplished he is when handed possession.
