Best Premier League Midfielders Right Now

The Premier League is no doubt the best football league in the world, full of talented players from across the world. In the past, players such as Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have played in the league and there is no shortage of incredible midfielders playing at the moment. This article will discuss who we think are the best midfielders in the league at the moment, not including players who can also play in the forward line such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.

10 - Elliott Anderson (Nottingham Forest)

Elliott Anderson joined Nottingham Forest from Newcastle at the start of the season for £35m, and I’ll be honest I was shocked at how much Forest had paid for him. Part of the reason behind him leaving Newcastle was financial, but he was still wanted on Tyneside as a part of Eddie Howe’s project. Instead this season he has been part of a Forest team that look set to seal Champions League football.

Elliot Anderson is having an outstanding season - Steve Clarke should be pragmatic & attempt to cap him 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

He’s helped Nottingham Forest to 4 wins in a row & 3rd place in the EPL.

Scotland lack his unique blend of grit & skill so we say get him in now. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 pic.twitter.com/VnmQsJeDDX

— The Young Team 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@The_Young_Team) December 27, 2024

In his first month at his new club, Anderson was named as their player of the month, which has been followed up by an impressive campaign which has even seen him score his first top flight goal. Anderson is able to break up play easily and pick up positions that make it difficult for the opposition to stop him, whether he goes deep, or plays further forward.

9 - Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

I was close to not including Morgan Rogers in this list, because he is more of an attacking player than a midfielder, however he tends to stick to a number 10 position, unlike the aforementioned Palmer and Foden, who also play on the wing. Rogers joined Villa just over a year ago from Middlesbrough and has proven to be an incredible signing.

The way some football fans talk about him, you’d think he’d be on the same level as Bruno Fernandes or even Justin Kluivert, however he has scored seven goals in the league this season, which is a respectable number. He adds creativity and dynamism to the Aston Villa attack and is certainly a really talented player, however as a number 10 for a team with Champions League ambitions, he doesn’t have the level of output that he should.

8 - Ryan Christie (AFC Bournemouth)

Ryan Christie has been at Bournemouth for some time now, joining from Celtic while the Cherries were in the Championship. He was initially bought to be a winger, however when Andoni Iraola took charge on the south coast, he was moved into a number eight position and has since been one of Bournemouth’s best players.

This lad turns 30 today. I adore everything about him. The most underrated & effective midfielder in the PL. He appreciates us (the fans) too. Always takes the time to acknowledge us.

🎼 All I care about. Is Ryan Christie 🎼 #afcb pic.twitter.com/a1M5C97ecH

— Tommy Heffernan’s Poodle (@GuyN72) February 22, 2025

His ability to read the game is second to none in the Premier League at the moment, as he has won possession more times than any other midfielder in the league, but on top of that his experience as a winger allows him to pick out a cross and get himself out of tight spaces. In Bournemouth’s 3-1 win over Southampton away from home and in their away victory over Newcastle this season, Christie was sensational and fully deserving of a top 10 spot.

7 - Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)

A regular starter in the Brazilian national team, Bruno Guimaraes has become one of Newcastle’s most important players as they have transformed themselves into a European chasing team. Guimaraes joined from Lyon back in 2022 and has since made the north east his home, making over 140 appearances on Tyneside.

This season hasn’t been as productive on the goalscoring side as last season, yet he has still managed three goals and six assists, even from a number eight position. On top of that, the Brazilian is known for his toughness and grit on the field which has made him a fan favourite at Newcastle. He is not just a talented footballer, but his is also incredibly intelligent, which is evident in the way he plays, being able to read the opposition easily and effectively.

6 - Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

Ryan Gravenberch joined Liverpool in 2023 under Jurgen Klopp to play a more attacking midfield role than what he had done in the past. At Ajax, he was expected to be one of their next big talents with the likes of Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt. He moved to Bayern Munich where he didn’t impress before joining Liverpool.

Great night in Manchester 🙏🏾#MCILIV pic.twitter.com/g8u5nV1PTz

— Ryan Jiro Gravenberch (@RGravenberch) February 23, 2025

When Arne Slot took over last summer, Gravenberch was moved to a deeper role and has since looked like one of the best midfielders in the world. His performance in the Reds’ 3-0 win over Manchester United earlier in the season won him plaudits from fans and pundits alike, and while his goal contributions have been limited this season, he has shown himself to be incredibly capable in a defensive role.

5 - Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

Chelsea’s star midfielder only joined them less than two years ago and despite costing over £100m, he has shown that he is a talented midfielder. Brighton unearthed him in the Ecuadorian first division back in 2021 before he joined Chelsea just two years later. Since his breakout season for Brighton, many have considered him to be one of the best young talents in world football.

Since joining Chelsea, he has been quite inconsistent, with a few errors that have put his side under pressure. Despite this, he has been almost ever present in the Chelsea team. He plays as the deeper of two holding midfielders, doing his defensive work excellently, He is also a good passer of the ball, with a 90% passing accuracy across the whole of last season. He is still just 23 years old and has a long time left on his contract at Chelsea, so he could end up being one of their greatest midfielders of all time.

4 - Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

There is no doubt in my mind that without Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United would be staring down the barrel of a humiliating relegation this season. For years now Bruno has been the only shining light in the United team, and while he might sometimes let his passion for the game boil over, he is obviously one of the most talented players in the Premier League.

41 - Bruno Fernandes has the most goals and assists combined (24 goals, 17 assists) of any player in UEFA Europa League history. Superstar. pic.twitter.com/iYeJ00QZVR

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 13, 2025

He is another player that bridges the gap between midfield and attack, so I was tempted to leave him out, however what he has done at Manchester United cannot be brushed over. This season, their attackers have put up numbers you would expect to see from a team at the bottom of the league, but Bruno has managed seven goals and seven assists in the league, including incredibly crucial ones that have won them games.

3 - Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

I don’t really understand why I’m seeing some Arsenal fans saying that Martin Odegaard should be sold in the summer and that he is just adding to their problems in front of goal. The Gunners are in desperate need of a goal scoring striker in the summer, and new sporting director Andrea Berta is also looking for a new number 10, however that is not Odegaard’s best position.

This season he has fallen a bit deeper in order to break teams down, and that has had detrimental effects on his goal contributions, but just because he is providing less further up the pitch, doesn’t mean that he is completely useless to Mikel Arteta, if he was he wouldn’t be playing. Odegaard comes into his own when he drops back to link up play before looking to go forward and while that can be frustrating for some Arsenal fans, it is vital to break down deep defences.

2 - Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Another Arsenal midfielder, Declan Rice joined the Gunners in 2023 from West Ham for an eye-watering £100m. He had been predominantly deployed as a defensive midfielder at West Ham, although he did also play in defence too. Since joining Arsenal, he has been encouraged to move forward and has already registered 12 goals across just two seasons.

The Declan rice cycle pic.twitter.com/iJpQyHUEZe

— S (@sakaera_) March 9, 2025

Initially known for his athleticism and ability to stop opposition attacks, Rice is now seen as a complete midfielder able to travel backwards and forwards both with the ball and without it. This campaign he has been one of his side’s most consistent performers, and even with a huge number of injuries, he has been reliable and composed.

1 - Rodri (Manchester City)

Despite having not played since September, Rodri is still top of the midfielders list in the Premier League. The current Ballon d’Or holder suffered an ACL injury against Arsenal early in the season and ever since, Manchester City have been really poor by their standards. He joined City in 2019 and has since played over 250 games for them.

There aren’t many stats to go on for Rodri this season, but since he moved to the Premier League, Manchester City have been the most dominant side in the league’s history. He won the Ballon d’Or off the back of his performances for both City and Spain and is fully deserving of the title of the best midfielder not only in the league but in world football.