New Delhi: In a year full of introductions to some of the top goal-scoring machines, there were also some top class midfielders who dictated the middle of the park extremely well to make things happen upfront. Creativity was on peak as these players provided their frontmen with the perfect platform to go on and score whil they themselves showed their composure and goalscoring abilities as they produced some standout performances and showcased their quality on the pitch.
Some of the top class midfielders will be listed out here but since there are only five spots, midfield veterans like Toni Kroos, Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric, who yet again proved themselves to be top class leaders for their sides, something that they have been doing for quite a while now, will be given the special mentions.
Another veteran who had a fatastic season with record breakers Bayer Leverkusen, was former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, who led his German side to glory. One of the most underrated midfielders of this year has to be the Dutch international, Teun Koopemeiners who had a prolific season with Atalanta in Serie A.
Others who couldn’t make the list but had tremendous impact on the pitch would be Fede Valverde who didn’t have the best of seasons yet proved to be instrumental for Real Madrid and Bruno Fernandes, who also proved his worth to Manchester United. When it omes to other emerging players, Declan Rice turned out to be a revelation for Arsenal while Dani Olmo also had a tremwendous season with RB Leipzig and Spanish national side in Euros, that earned him a move to Barcelona. However, there were plenty other top class midfielders who made their presence felt but here’s a look at five of the very best of 2024.
5) Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Five UCL games, five UCL goals.
Florian Wirtz is thriving on Europe’s biggest stage 🌟 pic.twitter.com/wUeoOh16VB
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 26, 2024
With 18 goals during Bayer Leverkusen’s double-winning and unbeatable season, the German youth has exploded into this goal-scoring midfielder sphere in the past 12 months and is off to a scorching start to the new campaign. The young offensive midfielder has truly been a revelation for both club and country. He had a more than decent Euro campaign where he scored two goals throghout the campaign for the German side.
Besides, his unique style of play makes him unplayable on the pitch. He frequently appears in dangerous areas at the end of moves and shows off his ability to stretch teams with elusive and dynamic movement in behind, just like the quintessential winger would. His nose for goal has been a major factor behind Leverkusen’s success and this season he has been prolific yet again with 14 goal contributions in the league already.
4) Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter, Turkey)
𝟗𝟓.𝟓% – Çalhanoğlu’s penalty record at Inter is 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐄 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fHCJrSdJj9
— 433 (@433) December 28, 2024
Turkish internaional Hakan Calhanoglu had a fantastic season with Inter last time around. A player who is very well known for his set piece taking abilities and playmaking was without a doubt amongst the top performers in Serie A last season. The 30-year-old had 16 goal contributions in the league with 13 goals and three assists to his name. His performances led his side to an unbelievable season where Inter lost just tow out of their 38 games and lifted the Serie A title for the 20th time in their history.
Calhanoglu has been a consistent performer for the Nerazzuri for the past four seasons and he has yet again started his campaign positively, with four goals and two assists to his name. Over the years, his importance to the club has increased, thanks to his fantastic vision on the pitch, which is pretty evident when we look at his successful passes from last season which was 92.4% of the total attempts that he had.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
🏆🏆 OFFICIAL: Jude Bellingham wins both Best Midfielder and Maradona Award at Globe Soccer. pic.twitter.com/NJfkxvd4xW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 27, 2024
Jude Bellingham, what a player he has become ever since he made his move to Real Madrid! Even though Bellingham only managed to score 14 goals in his last season with Borussia Dortmund, he excelled in this area last season at the Bernabeu. Carlo Ancelotti gave Bellingham the latitude he required to attain this total, as he scored 23 goals in his first season with Los Blancos while playing at the point of a midfield diamond.
He gained a remarkable ability to locate space in the opposition penalty area and arrive late into ideal goal-scoring positions as a result of being able to frequently stray into the box unchecked. He also became a prolific goal scorer, scoring crucial goals in El Clasico and other last-minute victories.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
That’s 18 goal involvements in 18 Premier League games for Cole Palmer this season 🥶
⚽️ 12 goals
🅰️ 6 assists pic.twitter.com/9JDwwwk0cc
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 26, 2024
Chelsea fans had little to smile about last season but the addition of Cole Palmer to the Blues’ squad has been the biggest upgrade for them. The 2023/24 season was a special one, where we were introduced to the brilliance of Cole Palmer who set the Premier League on fire with his unbelievable performances for Chelsea. The young Chelsea midfielder had the season of his career with a total of an astounding 40 goal contributions in all competitions.
His performances suggested that he was by far one of the best players in Europe. This season however, barely anything has changed but his performances are improving day by day. As for Chelsea, they sit third in the league with Palmer being their best player so far this season with 18 goal contributions in the league already. Big future lies ahead for the 22-year-old who has been one of the most consistent performers in Europe. It will be interesting to see where Chelsea would finish with him in that starting eleven.
Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
🚨Rodri becomes the First Manchester city player to win the Ballon Dor 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WliKf2HOtC
— Fabrizio (@BlackFabrizioo) October 28, 2024
If we talk about midfielders from this year, there is no doubt about the fact that Manchester City’s Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon D’or would take the first spot in this list. An incredibly important part of that Manchester City midfield, Rodri’s presence was quite literally the difference maker for Pep Guardiola last season. From March 2023 to May 2024, he played 74 games without losing for both club and country, setting a new record. He didn’t lose (other than penalties) until City’s FA Cup final loss to Manchester United.
Rodri received the player of the tournament award and started all except the third group stage match against Albania for Spain, who won the Euro 2024. The 28-year-old defensive midfielder’s stats were unreal last season as he managed 21 goal contributions in all competitions for Manchester City. Ever since he joined the club, he has been an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s plans, and it is unfortunate that he suffered a ligament tear that ruled him out for remainder of the season which became one of the main reasons behind Man City’s poor run of form.
The year 2024 witnessed midfield maestros redefining playmaking with exceptional vision, control, and creativity. Here’s a look at the top five midfielders who had a great year. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
