Defensive midfielders are some of the unappreciated players in the game of football.
They are tasked with progressing the ball forward to the advanced midfielders and forwarders and also protect the backline.
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These roles need to be performed at the same time which means that defensive midfielders are one of the most intelligent players in the world of football.
In the modern game, a defensive midfielder is required to be at their very best for the full 90 minutes, running with their engine on full blast.
They need to be relentless pressers, able to read every situation imaginable but also be talented on the ball, capable of intricately stroking it around at close range or picking a long-range pass.
Below are top four defensive midfielders currently in European football.( Based on current form).
Rodrigo Hernandez (Spain/Man city):
Rodrigo Hernandez popularly known as Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in Europe.
Rodri is fast, accurate with his passing, knows how to hold a high line, has a Great sense of positioning and more importantly, he’s an expert in snuffing out danger and shutting down counter attacks.
He has transmitted security to the Manchester city midfield and Spain has found a successor of Sergio busquet in Rodri.
He’s becoming the full crame of pep Gurdiola’s side and the beating heart of city setup. Rodri is one of the most consistent players in the world.
It took a season or so for Rodri to get to grips with the vigours of Premier League football, but since acclimatising there have been few better in defensive midfield than the Spaniard.
Fast forward to the present day and Rodri has elevated his game back to the highest level, showing his class and inheriting Fernandinho’s throne.
Scoring the winner in the Champions League final also boosted his stock a fair bit, but even so he’s the best in his position right now.
The Man City star helped Pep Guardiola’s team win the treble and scored the all-important winner in the final. He also played a key role in Spain’s Nations League Final triumph over Croatia.
Given all his success of late, there is a strong case that Rodri should actually win the Ballon d’Or this season. Of course, that honour is almost always given to attacking-minded players, but few could argue if the Spaniard did win the award.
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Rodri joined Premier League club Manchester City in 2019 from atletico Madrid . He helped the team win three consecutive league titles in the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, the latter of these part of a campaign that saw the club claim a historic continental treble.
This treble included a first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph, with Rodri scoring the only and winning goal in the final and being named the tournament’s Player of the Season.
Rodri is a Spain international and former youth international. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2018 and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2023, he won the UEFA Nations League, being named the best player of the finals tournament.
Casemiro (Brazil/Man united):
Many people expected that the reigning days of casemiro would be behind him giving that he left a champions league winning real Madrid’s side and continueed his adventures at Manchester united.
However, that gamble is starting to pay off as casemiro has taken to life at the premier league extremely well.
He has being at the helm of affairs in the united midfield as dictated play in the team.
As far as midfield is concerned, casemiro is untouchable and it has got the better of him and has also been on of the most consistent players in his position in the planet for the last decade.
As midfield destroyers go, Casemiro is unplayable, while he has a level of class on the ball that most can only dream of. His importance to Real Madrid was undeniable and it will be interesting to see how they fare without him.
He has become similarly indespensible at Manchester United, to the point where the odd suspension for the Brazilian is treated like the end of the world.
Casemiro, meanwhile, has been equally inspirational for United since joining. The Red Devils are a completely different team with the Brazilian in the side and he was unquestionably one of the best Premier League signings of last seasons.
Casemiro began his career with São Paulo and progressed through the ranks. He scored 11 goals in 111 games as a midfielder for the club. His defensive abilities caught the attention of Real Madrid, and he joined the club on loan in January 2013.
He played 15 games for Real Madrid Castilla during his loan spell. Afterward, he was signed permanently by Real Madrid for a fee of £5.1 million, becoming a part of their first-team squad at the Santiago Bernabéu.
After joining Real Madrid, Casemiro initially struggled to break into the first team. He was loaned to FC Porto for €15 million in order to gain more playing time.
During his time at Porto, Casemiro performed impressively and helped the team reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Real Madrid decided to reacquire him for €7.00m in the summer transfers of the 2015 season.
Since then, Casemiro has played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s success, contributing to their triumphs in various competitions. He has won numerous trophies, including three La Liga titles, three Supercopa de España, three FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cup, one Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions Leagues.
In 2022, after winning his fifth Champions League title at Madrid he later joined to Manchester United for a transfer fee €70.65m. He won the EFL Cup in his first season there.
A full international since 2011, Casemiro was in Brazil’s squad at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as well as four Copa América tournaments, winning the 2019 Copa América and the runners-up of the 2021 edition.
Joshua kimmich ( Germany/ Bayern Munich):
kimmich is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and he’s an extremely versatile player.
Well, he’d started his career at Stuttgart. Kimmich has slotted into the midfield seemlessly, he’s now the heart beat of Bayern team.
Few players in world football progress the ball as consistently as kimmich does for Bayern and Germany and he’s a world class passer of the ball as well.
Add to that, his defensive abilities and knack of sensing dangers from his experience of playing as a full back and you have a complete defensive midfield package who forms the basis of Bayern’s dominance in the bundesliga and even in Europe.
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Joshua Kimmich is one of the most versatile top level players in the game today. There’s very little he and his Bayern side can’t do, evidenced by their 2020 Champions League success and continued Bundesliga dominance.
Much of that has been down to the German’s brilliance at the base of midfield, ticking things over and breaking up play on an unprecedented level.
The German celebrated yet another Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich after a dramatic final day of the season in the last campaign.
After coming through RB Leipzig’s youth academy, Kimmich began playing for the club’s first team in 2013. Two years later, he joined Bayern Munich.
In the 2019/20 season, after winning the continental treble with Bayern Munich, Kimmich was included in the UEFA Team of the Year, the FIFA FIFPro Men’s World11, and was recognized as the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season.
Declan Rice ( England/ Arsenal):
Declan Rice is indespensible to the England team and one of the most coverted players in the country.
Rice has improved his game at a phenomenal rate and has quickly become a pillee in the squad for Arsenal.
He has been in tremendous form in the league over the last few years on top of the premier league chart for ball carrying and also ranking highly for duels and possessions won.
He has shown his importance in Arsenal’s squad by scoring the second goal in a 3:1 home win against Manchester united on Sunday.
Rice began his professional career at West Ham United, having been released by Chelsea’s academy, and proceeded to establish himself as a key first-team player, entering the UEFA Europa League Team of the Season in the 2021/22 season, and captaining the club to a UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2023, also being named player of the season.
In July 2023, Rice agreed a transfer to Arsenal for what was reported as a club and British record transfer fee, surpassing Jack Grealish’s £100 million move to Manchester City.
Eligible to play for England or the Republic of Ireland, prior to 2019 Rice represented the Republic of Ireland internationally at both youth and senior levels. He subsequently changed his national allegiance and made himself available for selection by England.
Rice made his England debut in 2019 and has represented the country at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Rice was named as the Europa Conference League’s player of the season by UEFA as Rice captained West Ham to their first major European trophy since 1965 after a 2:1 win against Fiorentina in the final a day prior.
During the 2022/23 season, Rice won possession more than any other Premier League player. He also made the most interceptions of all Premier League players.
Rice left West Ham in July 2023, joining Arsenal. He played 245 games for West Ham scoring 15 goals. He is one of only three West Ham captains, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to have captained the club to a major trophy.
West Ham chairman, David Sullivan said that the club did not want to sell the player saying they wished to build the team around him but that Rice had made it clear he wanted to move on. Rice, himself said of the transfer, “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.”
On Sunday he scored his first goal for Arsenal, in stoppage time to grant his team a 2:1 lead against Manchester United in a match which ended in a 3:1 win.
