After almost nine months of exciting action, the 2020-21 season has drawn to a close. It was a season that was played almost entirely behind closed doors. While the absence of fans did take away a lot of the sheen, there was still no shortage of excitement across the top European leagues.The 2020-21 campaign officially ended this past Saturday as Chelsea beat Manchester City to win the UEFA Champions League. We've seen the emergence of a lot of young and exciting players this term. We've also seen some of the very best in the business continue to dominate.
As is often the case, the battle on the ground is won in midfield. Having world-class midfielders* is paramount to any side that has major ambitions. Without further ado, let's take a look at ten of the best midfielders from the 2020-21 season.
10 Frenkie De Jong (Barcelona)
FC Barcelona v Atletico de Madrid - La Liga Santander
Barcelona signed Frenkie De Jong, hoping that he can be a long-term replacement for the ageing Sergio Busquets. But De Jong has proved that he thrives in a more advanced role and that's certainly a good thing for the Catalans. The Dutchman's technical proficiency and ability on the ball makes him a reliable presence on the field.
Alongside the young Pedri, De Jong has been key to Barcelona's attacking exploits this season. He is also an extremely versatile player and even filled in at centre-back a few times when Barcelona were dealing with a number of injury issues.De Jong has quickly established himself as one of Barcelona's most important players and he made 37 appearances in the league, starting in 35 of them. He has also scored seven goals and provided eight assists across all competitions for Ronald Koeman's men this term.
9 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Premier League
Jack Grealish had given us a good account of the quality he possesses in the 2019-20 season. He was largely responsible for Aston Villa surviving the drop by the skin of their teeth. He stepped up in the 2020-21 season and has truly established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League.
8 Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Udinese Calcio v FC Internazionale - Serie AUdinese Calcio v FC Internazionale - Serie A
Romelu Lukaku's striking partnership with Lautaro Martinez was central to Inter Milan's Serie A triumph this season. But young Nicolo Barella's contributions from midfield shouldn't be overlooked. Antonio Conte's midfield general was at his tenacious best this season and is a livewire every time he steps on the field.He is an excellent box-to-box midfielder with incredible work rate. His relentlessness benefits Inter Milan on both sides of the pitch. Barella was always there to lend a helping hand in defence and also to join his attackers to provide an extra option in the final third.The 24-year-old scored three goals and provided 13 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions for the Nerazzurri in the 2020-21 season.
7 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid v Chelsea - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: Leg One
Real Madrid have had a rather forgettable season. They have gone trophyless for the first time in 11 years and Zinedine Zidane has now left the manager's role. But to be fair, Real Madrid came close to being champions in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. While they lost the La Liga title on the final day of the season, they were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions League by Chelsea. So despite going trophyless, Real Madrid did produce some excellent displays and their midfield duo of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were excellent yet again.Kroos produced some mesmerizing displays this season with his performance against Liverpool in the first-leg of their quarter-final tie perhaps the best of the lot. The German international's incredible passing range and chemistry with Modric was on show and watching them at work was a treat for the most part.In 42 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, Kroos scored three goals and provided 12 assists. He continues to run the show for Real Madrid and will be key to Germany's chances in the upcoming Euros.
6 Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico de Madrid v Athletic Club - La Liga Santander
Marcos Llorente was one of the chief architects behind Atletico Madrid's triumphant La Liga campaign. Diego Simeone has truly transformed Llorente into one of the best attacking midfielders in the league and the Rojiblancos are reaping the rewards for it.Though he thrives in an advanced role, Llorente is always keen to help out at the back. His defensive contributions have earned him a lot of praise in addition to his obvious attacking prowess.Llorente finished the season with 13 goals and 12 assists in 45 appearances across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. He is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world right now.
5 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
FC Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: Leg One
Over the course of the 2020-21 season, Thomas Muller proved yet again why he is one of the best in the business in and around the final third. For a striker to keep stacking up numbers like Robert Lewandowski does, he needs support of elite quality and that's exactly what Thomas Muller provides him with at Bayern Munich.Muller tops the Bundesliga charts for key passes, assists and goal-creating actions. In addition to his playmaking skills, Muller also has a keen eye for goal and he often alleviates the goalscoring burden on Lewandowski by finding the back of the net.
Muller scored 15 goals and provided 24 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions this term.
4 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Manchester City v Everton - Premier League
Kevin De Bruyne had to deal with multiple injury issues throughout the season. Whenever he has played, though, he has shown that he is arguably the finest playmaker in the game right now.De Bruyne is the kind of midfielder whom midfielders would love to have behind them. His passing range is incredible and he can score screamers with either foot. The Belgian international was key to Manchester City's dominant display this season and it's a pity he couldn't cap off a wonderful season by winning the Champions League.Kevin De Bruyne scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists from 40 matches across all competitions this season. He also won the Premier League title and the Carabao Cup.
3 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Manchester United v AS Roma - UEFA Europa League Semi Final: Leg One
Bruno Fernandes' impact at Manchester United since he joined in January 2020 has been tremendous. He has been the Red Devils' best player over the past year and a half and has been able to provide the kind of creative spark that they had been lacking for years.Bruno has also helped bring the best out of Paul Pogba. The duo have played a big role in Manchester United finishing second in the Premier League table and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League.Bruno Fernandes is arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League right now and his goalscoring and playmaking skills are at par with some of the best players in the world. The 26-year-old scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists in 58 matches across all competitions this season.
Top scoring midfield seasons in European history:
š„32 goals & 18 assists ā Bruno Fernandes [18/19]
š„28 goals & 17 assists ā Bruno Fernandes [20/21]
š„27 goals & 22 assists ā Bruno Fernandes [19/20]
š„27 goals & 18 assists ā Frank Lampard [09/10]
2 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
FC Bayern Muenchen v FC Schalke 04 - Bundesliga
Joshua Kimmich is arguably the most versatile midfielder on the planet. He can play in a variety of roles across the midfield and can also do a fantastic job everywhere. He can play as a full-back or even as a number ten.Kimmich's passing range, technical finesse on the ball and ability to break up play make him a complete midfielder. He thrives in a holding role where he can destroy the opposition's attacks, recover possession and kick-start counter-attacks.The 26-year-old has been a cut above the rest when it comes to dictating the pace of the game and being a dominant presence at the heart of the pitch. He scored six goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions for Bayern Munich this past season while playing predominantly in a holding role.
1 Ngolo Kante (Chelsea)
Manchester City v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Final
Credit where credit's due. Without N'Golo Kante, it would have been really difficult for Chelsea to win the Champions League. The relentless Frenchman's tactical intelligence and ability to run rings around his opposition makes him an asset like no other.Kante's workrate often overshadows his technical skills. In addition to being excellent in a defensive sense, the 30-year-old is also an outstanding passer of the ball. It is also extremely difficult to shake him off the ball and Kante plays a huge role in kickstarting Chelsea's counter-attacks.Big games are often decided by how much control a team can exert in midfield. Kante's ability to pop up in the right place at the right time does not happen by chance. He does the work of two players and when the diminutive midfielder is on the pitch, opposition players struggle to play their natural game.
He produced several man-of-the-match performances in the knockout stages of the Champions League, including both legs of the semi-final and the final. It is difficult to find a player who has had as much impact on a consistent basis on the biggest stage and that's why he tops the list.
Is there anyone better in the world than Kante in his position?" š¤
An easy question for Cesar Azpilicueta... š