The 10 Best Premier League Midfielders (2025/26 Season)
Updated: 5 days ago
The 10 Best Premier League Midfielders 2025/26 Ranked
The engine room of the Premier League never fails to set the tone of a match. It does not deter resilience or diminish imagination, and in many ways, it remains one of the most demanding departments in the modern game.
The 2025/26 campaign produced plenty of midfielders who could control a match, break up play, create chances and make the difference in the final third.
Some did it through creativity, others through defensive work, while a few managed to combine both sides of the game. With the season now complete, here are the 10 best Premier League midfielders of the 2025/26 season.
The 10 Best Premier League Midfielders of the 2025/26 Season
10. Bruno Guimarães – Newcastle United
Bruno Guimarães has become indispensable at St James' Park. A player who combines intelligence, physicality and technique, he has developed into the glue that binds Newcastle's midfield together.
The 2025/26 season produced some of the best attacking numbers of his Newcastle career. Guimarães finished the Premier League campaign with 9 goals and 5 assists in 29 appearances, giving him 14 goal involvements.
His defensive numbers were equally impressive. He averaged 5.7 ground duels won per 90 minutes, 1.6 tackles won per 90 and a 69.4% tackle success rate, while averaging 5.0 recoveries per 90.
Operating as both destroyer and distributor, Guimarães can protect the defence before driving Newcastle forward with the ball. He doesn't simply fit into Newcastle's midfield. He gives it energy, aggression and quality. That combination makes Guimarães one of the Premier League's most complete midfielders.
He doesn't simply fit into Newcastle's midfield. He gives it energy, aggression and quality.
That combination makes Guimarães one of the Premier League's most complete midfielders.
9. Martin Ødegaard – Arsenal
Ødegaard's 2025/26 season was more complicated than the previous campaign, but his influence on Arsenal's midfield remained obvious.
The Norwegian finished with 1 goal and 6 assists in 24 Premier League appearances, with 16 starts. He also created 38 chances during the league campaign. His numbers do not tell the whole story.
As Arsenal captain, Ødegaard remained one of the team's most important creative players. His ability to receive between the lines, combine in tight areas and find runners in the final third gives Arsenal another way of breaking down stubborn opponents.
His 2025/26 campaign was also affected by injuries and Arteta's tactical rotation, which limited his minutes compared with previous seasons. Nevertheless, Ødegaard's technical quality and leadership remained important to Arsenal's title-winning midfield.
8. Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers enjoyed another excellent Premier League season with Aston Villa, establishing himself as one of the division's most dangerous attacking midfielders. The England international finished the 2025/26 Premier League campaign with 10 goals and 6 assists in 37 appearances, giving him 16 direct goal involvements.
Those numbers underline how important Rogers became to Aston Villa's attack. His ability to carry the ball at speed, beat defenders and create opportunities for teammates makes him difficult to defend against. He can play through the middle or operate from wider positions, giving Villa another way of progressing the ball into dangerous areas.
Rogers also finished the season strongly. He scored and assisted against Liverpool in Aston Villa's final home game of the Premier League campaign, producing a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory.
His 2025/26 numbers show that he is already capable of making a major impact in the Premier League. Rogers deserves his place among the best Premier League midfielders of the season.
7. Moisés Caicedo – Chelsea
Moisés Caicedo has grown into the midfielder Chelsea hoped they were signing when they paid a British-record fee for him.
His 2025/26 Premier League campaign was another significant step forward. Caicedo made 33 Premier League appearances, starting 32, and finished with 3 goals and 1 assist.
But goals and assists do not explain why he ranks so highly. Caicedo was outstanding defensively, sharing the Premier League lead for interceptions with 59 alongside Everton's James Garner.
Earlier in the season, he had already established himself as one of the division's leading defensive midfielders, while his passing under pressure was also excellent.
A Premier League analysis recorded Caicedo at 87% pass success under high-intensity pressure, compared with 84% for Rice.
His improvement in possession has been just as important. Caicedo is no longer viewed simply as a defensive midfielder who wins the ball and gives it to someone else. He can win possession, carry the ball forward and help Chelsea control the middle of the pitch.
Chelsea may still be building towards the level they want, but Caicedo has developed into one of the Premier League's most important midfielders.
6. Dominik Szoboszlai – Liverpool
Szoboszlai enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 campaign and arguably had the strongest individual season of any Liverpool midfielder.
The Hungarian international finished with 6 goals and 7 assists in 36 Premier League appearances, giving him 13 league goal involvements.
He was also named in the Premier League Fan Team of the Season, selected by supporters alongside Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes in midfield. His versatility became one of his biggest strengths.
Szoboszlai could operate as an advanced midfielder, contribute defensively and even fill in at right-back when required.
His set-piece ability also became increasingly dangerous. He scored several spectacular free-kicks during the campaign, including a memorable effort against Manchester City.
Perhaps most importantly, he became one of Liverpool's most consistent performers.
Despite Liverpool finishing fifth, Szoboszlai's individual campaign was a major positive.
He has developed into one of the Premier League's most complete midfielders.
5. Casemiro – Manchester United
Casemiro enjoyed one of his best seasons since joining Manchester United, producing a surprisingly strong campaign in the middle of the pitch.
The Brazilian finished the 2025/26 Premier League season with 9 goals and 2 assists in 34 appearances, starting 33 matches.
Those attacking numbers were impressive for a defensive midfielder, but his value to Manchester United went well beyond his goals.
Casemiro brought experience, positioning and physicality to United's midfield. His ability to read danger and protect the defence remained one of his biggest strengths, while he also became a useful threat from set pieces.
His nine Premier League goals were also a significant contribution, particularly for a player whose primary responsibility was protecting the midfield.
5. Rodri – Manchester City
Rodri's place on this list is slightly different because his 2025/26 campaign was heavily affected by the knee injury that had already disrupted the previous season. He made 21 Premier League appearances, starting 17 of them, and scored once.
Those numbers clearly show that this was not a typical Rodri season. However, his quality was still obvious whenever he played. The Premier League's end-of-season analysis recorded Rodri as averaging 6.76 possessions won per 90 minutes in its 2025/26 analysis, underlining his importance as a ball-winner.
Rodri gives Manchester City control. He reads danger before it develops, positions himself intelligently and provides an outlet when opponents try to press. His limited availability means placing him fifth is certainly debatable.
But this ranking is about the quality of the midfielder as well as the season's raw numbers, and few players in world football can influence the structure of a team in the way Rodri can. When fit and playing at his best, he remains one of the finest midfielders in the world.
3. Eberechi Eze – Arsenal
After flourishing at Crystal Palace, Eberechi Eze made the move to Arsenal and quickly showed that his ability could translate to a title-winning side. Eze finished the 2025/26 Premier League campaign with 7 goals and 2 assists in 33 appearances.
His biggest strength remains his ability to change the tempo of a match. Sharp dribbles, quick turns and an instinct for finding space around the penalty area allow him to give Arsenal something slightly different from their other midfield options.
His versatility also proved valuable. Arteta used him in several roles, including as a central No.10 and in wider attacking positions.
Eze also produced one of the most memorable individual moments of Arsenal's season when he scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in the north London derby.
He later scored another two goals in the return fixture as Arsenal continued their title charge. His first season at Arsenal therefore ended with a Premier League title and 9 league goal involvements.
2. Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes produced the most statistically impressive season of any midfielder in the Premier League. The Manchester United captain finished 2025/26 with 9 goals and a record 21 assists in 35 Premier League appearances, giving him 30 direct goal involvements.
His 21 assists broke the Premier League record previously shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Fernandes also created 136 chances, comfortably the highest total in the division. Dominik Szoboszlai was second with 78.
He also led the Premier League for key passes in open play and set-piece situations, while finishing first for several other major creative metrics. Those numbers underline what Fernandes brings to Manchester United.
He can drop deep to dictate play, move into advanced positions, deliver set pieces and attempt the difficult pass that other midfielders might avoid.
There are moments when his frustration can be obvious, but his influence on United's attacking game is undeniable.
A record-breaking 21 assists, nine goals and the Premier League Player of the Season award make Fernandes an obvious choice among the league's elite midfielders.
1. Declan Rice – Arsenal
Declan Rice has cemented himself as the Premier League's leading midfielder. There is a strong statistical case for putting him at the top, but his influence on Arsenal's title-winning campaign goes beyond numbers.
Rice made 36 Premier League appearances, starting 35, and finished with 4 goals and 5 assists. He also created 63 chances, a personal best, while recording 27 set-piece chances created and 17 big chances created.
His ball-carrying was another major strength. Opta's analysis showed that Rice led all central midfielders for ball-carry distance with 7,460 metres and progressive carry distance with 3,660 metres.
That is a significant evolution from the defensive midfielder who first arrived at Arsenal.
Rice can now win possession, carry the ball, create chances, deliver dangerous set pieces and contribute goals.
His set-piece delivery was particularly important to Arsenal's title success. The Premier League's analysis highlighted the role of his corners and inswinging deliveries in Arsenal's exceptional set-piece record.
Most importantly, Rice helped Arsenal win the 2025/26 Premier League title, their first league championship in more than two decades. But Rice combined defensive work, ball progression, creativity, set-piece quality and consistency better than anyone else on this list.
For that reason, he takes the number one spot.
Table: 10 Best Premier League Midfielders of the 2025/26 Season
Rank | Midfielder | Club | Premier League 2025/26 stats |
1 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | 36 apps, 4 goals, 5 assists |
2 | Bruno Fernandes | Man Utd | 35 apps, 9 goals, 21 assists |
3 | Eberechi Eze | Arsenal | 33 apps, 7 goals, 2 assists |
4 | Casemiro | Man Utd | 34 apps, 9 goals, 2 assists |
5 | Rodri | Man City | 21 apps, 1 goal, 0 assists |
6 | Dominik Szoboszlai | Liverpool | 36 apps, 6 goals, 7 assists |
7 | Moisés Caicedo | Chelsea | 33 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist |
8 | Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | 37 apps, 10 goals, 6 assists |
9 | Martin Ødegaard | Arsenal | 24 apps, 1 goal, 6 assists |
10 | Bruno Guimarães | Newcastle | 29 apps, 9 goals, 5 assists |
All figures in this table refer to Premier League matches only during the 2025/26 season.
Who Was the Best Premier League Midfielder in 2025/26?
Declan Rice was the best Premier League midfielder of the 2025/26 season. His combination of defensive work, ball progression, chance creation, set-piece quality and leadership helped Arsenal win the Premier League title.
Bruno Fernandes had the strongest individual attacking numbers, particularly with his record 21 assists, while Caicedo, Casemiro and Guimarães all provided outstanding defensive qualities.
Rodri's influence remained obvious despite his limited minutes, while Szoboszlai produced an excellent campaign for Liverpool. Rice, however, offered the most complete package across the season.
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