The best Premier League midfielders of 2024-25 so far | OneFootball

The Premier League is full of talent across the pitch. It’s home to some of the best midfielders in the world.

Midfield is a complex position on the pitch, with various roles even when you focus solely on the central areas. You’ve got No.10s, No.8s and No.6s as the main positions.

So who is the best in the Premier League? We’ve gone through the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League right now. Now it’s time for the slightly deeper central midfielders.

We’ve used our Squawka Score to find the best central and holding midfielders of the 2024-25 Premier League season so far.

10. Mateo Kovacic

Team: Man City

Squawka Score: 66%

Mateo Kovacic has had to step up for Manchester City this season. Pep Guardiola’s side are without Rodri for the remainder of the campaign, and the Spaniard is pretty hard to replace. But Kovacic is doing his best. The Croatian is already known for his passing, and boasts a very good retention rate of 91.79% this season. Among midfielders with at least 315 minutes played, only one player has a better retention rate. The Croatian has also completed 93.7% of his passes from open play, again second among midfielders with at least 315 minutes played. Defensively, Kovacic has chipped in with an average of 1.89 tackles won per 90 minutes.

9. Lewis Cook

Lewis Cook is getting a lot of love right now, and it’s easy to see why. The Bournemouth midfielder is enjoying something of a renaissance having dropped slightly deeper under Andoni Iraola. Cook’s passing ability has been key to his revival, averaging 1.01 successful passes into the penalty area per 90 in the Premier League this season. He’s also averaged 6.2 passes into the final third completed and 8.94 final third entries per 90. Defensively, Cook has chipped in with 1.73 interceptions retaining possession per 90 in the Premier League this season.

8. Carlos Baleba

Where do Brighton keep finding these midfielders? Carlos Baleba is in his second campaign at the Amex after joining from Lille, but last year he had more of a bit-part role. Under Fabian Hurzeler, Baleba has hit the ground running. He’s been tough to get past in the Premier League with 2.13 interceptions retaining possession per 90 minutes this season, in the top five in the division. Baleba has also averaged 1.7 tackles won per 90. While Baleba is on the pitch, just 28.65% of Brighton’s opponents’ sequences have ended in the final third, the best record among midfielders in the Premier League this season. And he’s chipped in with one goal.

7. Rodrigo Bentancur

Who would have guessed it? Under Ange Postecoglou this season, Rodrigo Bentacur is one of the best-ranking defensive midfielders in the Premier League. The Uruguayan has always been a good passer, but his defensive abilities haven’t been the best. So it was a risk for Postecoglou. But it’s working pretty well. Bentancur has averaged 2.56 interceptions retaining possession per 90 in the Premier League this season, more than any other midfielder with at least 315 minutes. He also ranks high for unsuccessful touches, with just 0.23 per 90 minutes. On the ball, Bentancur has a retention rate of 91.1%, the third-best among midfielders, and an open-play pass accuracy of 91.76%.

6. Dejan Kulusevski

Another man playing in a slightly newer role at Tottenham Hotspur, Dejan Kulusevski has shone as part of the Spurs midfield. The Swede is a very attacking central midfielder, causing problems from a deeper starting point. One of Kulusevski’s best attributes is his energy, pressing the opposition for large periods of Tottenham’s matches. No central midfielder with 315 minutes has won more possessions in the attacking third per 90 than Kulusevski’s 1.88. Despite his deeper starting position, Kulusevski has also averaged 2.73 successful passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes this season, the best of any central midfielder in the Premier League.

5. Moises Caicedo

Moises Caicedo looks like a new man under Enzo Maresca. The Ecuadorian has been generally good in 2024, but he has reached another level this season. At the base of Chelsea’s midfield, Caicedo has averaged 2.34 tackles won per 90 minutes in the Premier League. Only three midfielders with at least 315 minutes played average more, but Caicedo ranks second overall. Caicedo has also averaged 1.46 interceptions retaining possession per 90 in the league, with just 0.73 unsuccessful touches.

4. Youri Tielemans

Youri Tielemans continues to grow at Aston Villa. The Belgian has been sat as part of a double pivot alongside Amadou Onana in Unai Emery’s midfield. And it’s been working. Tielemans is the passing man of the midfield, but he has still averaged 2.02 tackles won per 90 minutes in the Premier League. The Belgian has completed 10.1 passes into the final third per 90, more than any other Premier League midfielder with at least 315 minutes played. He also also created 0.72 big chances per 90, recorded 0.29 intentional assists and 13.27 final third entries.

3. Mikkel Damsgaard

Mikkel Damsgaard feels like a player that is flying under the radar in the Premier League right now. The Dane joined Brentford with a lot of potential from Sampdoria in 2022 but had struggled to adapt in the Premier League. Starting in central midfield, Damsgaard has 0.39 intentional assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League and 1.16 successful passes into the penalty area. The Dane is the presser of Brentford’s midfield, with 1.36 possessions won in the attacking third per 90, in the top five for central midfielders this season. He’s also made 1.75 interceptions retaining possession and won 1.94 tackles per 90 in the league.

2. Ryan Gravenberch

What a breath of fresh air Ryan Gravenberch has been under Arne Slot this season. After a transitional season in his first year in England, the Liverpool man has been fantastic. As part of Liverpool’s midfield base, Gravenberch has averaged 1.72 interceptions retaining possession per 90 minutes in the Premier League and won 1.72 tackles. He also boasts a retention rate of 88.42%, while Liverpool have conceded just 0.29 goals per 90 with Gravenberch on the pitch.

1. James Maddison

The best central midfielder in the Premier League right now. James Maddison is playing slightly deeper than you’d expect at Tottenham this season. But it’s not taken away from the influence he was having at the start of last season before injury hampered his campaign. The Englishman has averaged 0.32 goals and 0.32 intentional assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. He ranks second among central midfielders for successful passes into the penalty area per 90 (2.68) and 1.74 take-ons completed. Maddison also ranks top among central midfielders for shots on target per 90, at 1.26.