This article was fully updated in October 2026, taking into account the 2025/26 Premier League season, the 2026 World Cup, the summer transfer window and the first seven matchdays of 2026/27.
Who is the best midfielder in the Premier League right now? Our pick is Declan Rice. Arsenal’s engine scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists in 36 league games as the Gunners won their first league title in 22 years, he was voted Arsenal’s Player of the Season for the second year running, and he is on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist. Close behind him is Bruno Fernandes, who set a new Premier League record with 21 assists and swept the major individual awards of the season. In our ranking of the best Premier League midfielders for 2026/27, we look at the players who control games in the most competitive league in the world.
Top 5 Premier League midfielders right now:
- Declan Rice (Arsenal, England) – Premier League champion, PFA Team of the Year, Ballon d’Or nominee
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal) – record 21 assists, Premier League Player of the Season, PFA and FWA Player of the Year
- Rayan Cherki (Manchester City, France) – 12 assists, PFA Team of the Year, FA Cup and EFL Cup winner
- Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal, Spain) – Premier League champion and World Cup winner
- Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool, Hungary) – 13 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, new contract until 2031
Other rankings by tips.gg:
How We Ranked the Best Midfielders in the Premier League
A Premier League midfielder today has to do everything: win the ball back, break lines with passes and carries, and still deliver goals and assists. That is why our ranking of the best Premier League midfielders does not rely on a single number. Here are the criteria we used:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 Premier League Season | Goals, assists, minutes and influence over a full 38-game campaign |
| Team Success and Awards | Trophies, PFA Team of the Year, Player of the Season awards, Ballon d’Or nominations |
| Big Game Impact | Performances in title races, European finals and the 2026 World Cup |
| Role and Versatility | Contribution in and out of possession – ball-winning, progression, chance creation |
| Current Form | The first seven matchdays of the 2026/27 Premier League season |
Only players who are currently at Premier League clubs are included. That is why Rodri, now at Barcelona, and Tijjani Reijnders, who moved to Saudi Arabia, are no longer in the list.
Top 10 Premier League Midfielders 2026/27
These are the best midfielders in the Premier League right now:
- Declan Rice — Arsenal (England) ⬅ Holds 1st place
- Bruno Fernandes — Manchester United (Portugal) ↑ New entry
- Rayan Cherki — Manchester City (France) ↑ New entry
- Martín Zubimendi — Arsenal (Spain) ↑ Up 4 positions
- Dominik Szoboszlai — Liverpool (Hungary) ↓ Down 2 positions
- Enzo Fernández — Manchester City (Argentina) ⬅ Holds 6th place
- Morgan Rogers — Chelsea (England) ↑ New entry
- Elliot Anderson — Manchester City (England) ↑ New entry
- Morgan Gibbs-White — Nottingham Forest (England) ↑ New entry
- Bruno Guimarães — Arsenal (Brazil) ⬅ Holds 10th place
1. Declan Rice — Arsenal (England)
⬅ Holds 1st place
Source: https://x.com/HQpcrt
Declan Rice is the best midfielder in the Premier League. He was at the centre of Arsenal’s historic 2025/26 season: the Gunners won the league with 85 points, seven clear of Manchester City, for their first title in 22 years. They also reached the Champions League final, losing on penalties to PSG in Budapest, and the EFL Cup final, where they were beaten by City. Rice scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists in 36 league games, and his set-piece delivery was one of Arsenal’s main weapons in the title race. On 3 January 2026 he scored his first Premier League double in a 3-2 comeback win at Bournemouth that put Arsenal six points clear. This season he has moved into the deeper role and leads the league with 4 assists in 7 games.
He was voted Arsenal’s Player of the Season for the second year running – only the sixth player in the club’s history to win it in consecutive seasons – and was named in both the PFA Team of the Year and the Champions League Team of the Season. At the World Cup, England finished third: Rice opened the scoring in the third minute of the 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off, England’s best World Cup finish since 1966. He is on the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on 26 October at the London Palladium.
Key achievements:
- Premier League champion 2025/26
- PFA Team of the Year and Champions League Team of the Season
- Arsenal Player of the Season (second year running)
- Third place at the 2026 World Cup, 2026 Ballon d’Or nominee
2. Bruno Fernandes — Manchester United (Portugal)
↑ New entry
Source: https://x.com/centredevils
Bruno Fernandes produced the most creative season in Premier League history. Manchester United’s captain provided 21 assists in 2025/26, breaking the record of 20 shared by Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20). He set the new mark on the final day of the season, when his corner was headed in by Patrick Dorgu in a 3-0 win at Brighton – and he then scored the third goal himself. He finished with 9 league goals as United rallied under Michael Carrick to finish third and return to the Champions League.
The awards followed: Premier League Player of the Season, Playmaker of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and a place in the PFA Team of the Year. After United’s 2-0 opening-day defeat at Hull, he responded with a hat-trick and an assist in a 5-2 win over Ipswich at Old Trafford. He is on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist. He ranks second only to Rice because Arsenal won the title and United have won just one of their first seven league games this season, but no Premier League midfielder created more last season.
Key achievements:
- Premier League record 21 assists in a season
- Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Players’ Player of the Year 2025/26
- FWA Footballer of the Year 2025/26
- Premier League Player of the Month (March 2026) – his sixth, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo
- 2026 Ballon d’Or nominee
3. Rayan Cherki — Manchester City (France)
↑ New entry
Source: https://x.com/rayan_cherki
Rayan Cherki needed just one season to become one of the best attacking midfielders in England. After joining Manchester City from Lyon in June 2025, he took the number 10 shirt and scored on his Premier League debut against Wolves. He finished 2025/26 with 4 goals and 12 assists in 33 league games – only Bruno Fernandes provided more assists in the league.
Cherki was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside Rice and Fernandes, won the FA Cup and the EFL Cup with City and went to the World Cup with France. Under new head coach Enzo Maresca he has become even more decisive: he came off the bench to set up both goals in the opening-day 2-1 win over Bournemouth, scored twice in the 4-1 win at Crystal Palace, and was on target again in the 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens. City have won all seven of their league games and lead the table.
Key achievements:
- PFA Team of the Year 2025/26
- 12 Premier League assists – second in the league
- FA Cup and EFL Cup winner 2025/26
- France squad at the 2026 World Cup
4. Martín Zubimendi — Arsenal (Spain)
↑ Up 4 positions
Source: https://x.com/All_AboutARS
Zubimendi’s first season in England could hardly have gone better. After joining Arsenal from Real Sociedad in July 2025, he played in all 38 league games and became the calm, positional anchor of Mikel Arteta’s title-winning midfield, allowing Declan Rice to push forward. He even chipped in with 5 Premier League goals, including a brace against Nottingham Forest in September 2025 – his opening volley won the Premier League Goal of the Month award.
He ended the summer as a world champion: Zubimendi replaced Rodri midway through the first half of extra time in the World Cup final, and Spain beat Argentina 1-0 thanks to Ferran Torres’ goal. He remains the best pure defensive midfielder in the Premier League, but there is a warning sign: so far in 2026/27 he has made all five of his league appearances off the bench, with Rice dropping deeper and Bruno Guimarães competing for minutes.
Key achievements:
- Premier League champion 2025/26 in his debut season
- Played all 38 Premier League games
- 2026 World Cup winner with Spain
- Premier League Goal of the Month (September 2025)
5. Dominik Szoboszlai — Liverpool (Hungary)
↓ Down 2 positions
Source: https://x.com/FabrizioRomano
Szoboszlai was the brightest spot of a difficult season at Liverpool, who finished fifth, 25 points behind Arsenal, and replaced Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola. The Hungary captain scored 13 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions (6 goals and 7 assists in the league) and played wherever he was needed – as an attacking midfielder, in a deeper role and even at right-back. His 30-yard free kick decided the 1-0 win over Arsenal in August 2025 and was voted Goal of the Month – the first Premier League monthly award for a Hungarian player.
In July 2026 he signed a new five-year contract until 2031, and with Andy Robertson gone he has been tipped as Liverpool’s new vice-captain. Under Iraola he has mostly played as a defensive midfielder and scored a penalty in the 2-2 opening-day draw at Newcastle. He drops two places only because the players above him won more.
Key achievements:
- 13 goals and 12 assists in all competitions 2025/26
- Premier League Goal of the Month (August 2025)
- New Liverpool contract until 2031
6. Enzo Fernández — Manchester City (Argentina)
⬅ Holds 6th place
Source: https://x.com/FullTimeX_
Enzo Fernández had the most productive season of his career in 2025/26, scoring 10 goals and providing 4 assists in 36 Premier League games for Chelsea, although the club finished only 10th and lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City.
At the World Cup he headed a stoppage-time winner as Argentina came back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16 – officially the 3,000th goal in World Cup history. Argentina reached the final, where he was sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time before Spain won in extra time. On deadline day, 1 September 2026, he joined Manchester City for £125 million, equalling the British transfer record set by Alexander Isak and becoming, by our count, the first player to be transferred twice for more than £100 million. At City he is reunited with his former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, and he set up Elliot Anderson’s opener in the 5-1 win over AEK Athens.
Key achievements:
- 10 Premier League goals in 2025/26
- World Cup finalist with Argentina, scorer of the 3,000th goal in World Cup history
- £125 million move to Manchester City – a joint British record
7. Morgan Rogers — Chelsea (England)
↑ New entry
Source: https://x.com/ChelseaInPhotos
Morgan Rogers was one of our honourable mentions last time – now he is firmly in the top 10. He scored 10 Premier League goals as Aston Villa finished fourth, and then set up the first goal and scored the third in the 3-0 Europa League final win over Freiburg in Istanbul, giving Villa their first European trophy since 1982. UEFA named him the Europa League Player of the Season.
At the World Cup he set up Anthony Gordon’s goal in England’s semi-final against Argentina. In July 2026 Chelsea paid £117 million for him, making him the most expensive British player of all time. Rogers has made an instant impact under Xabi Alonso: he scored on his debut in a 3-2 win at Fulham, has 4 goals in his first 7 league games, and provided three assists after coming on at half-time in a 6-3 EFL Cup win over Leeds.
Key achievements:
- Europa League winner and Europa League Player of the Season 2025/26
- 10 Premier League goals in 2025/26
- Bronze medal with England at the 2026 World Cup
- Record £117 million fee for a British player
8. Elliot Anderson — Manchester City (England)
↑ New entry
Source: https://x.com/premierleague
Elliot Anderson does the work that rarely makes the highlight reels. In 2025/26 he was Nottingham Forest’s most important player in a relegation fight and led the whole Premier League in touches (3,300), ball recoveries (306) and duels won (297), while adding 4 goals and 4 assists.
He went on to win the bronze medal with England at the World Cup, and in July 2026 Manchester City signed him for £116 million. Anderson scored his first City goal on 20 October, opening the scoring in the 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens. He looks like the long-term successor to Rodri at the Etihad.
Key achievements:
- Premier League leader in touches, ball recoveries and duels won 2025/26
- Bronze medal with England at the 2026 World Cup
- £116 million move to Manchester City
9. Morgan Gibbs-White — Nottingham Forest (England)
↑ New entry
Source: https://x.com/Mercado_Ingles
No midfielder scored more Premier League goals than Morgan Gibbs-White in 2025/26. Forest’s captain scored 15 times in 37 games – fifth in the league’s scoring chart – including a 15-minute hat-trick – the first of his career – in a 4-1 comeback win over Burnley in April. He scored four goals in three games that month, was named Premier League Player of the Month for the first time, and finished the season with a free-kick goal against Bournemouth on the final day.
He also carried Forest in Europe, leading them past Porto into the Europa League semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Aston Villa. Forest only finished 16th in the league, and Gibbs-White missed out on England’s World Cup squad, but without his goals the season could have ended in relegation.
Key achievements:
- 15 Premier League goals – most by a midfielder in 2025/26, a career best
- Premier League Player of the Month (April 2026)
- Europa League semi-finalist with Nottingham Forest
10. Bruno Guimarães — Arsenal (Brazil)
⬅ Holds 10th place
Source: https://x.com/brunogu88
Bruno Guimarães keeps his place but changes his shirt. In his final season at Newcastle he scored 9 goals and provided 8 assists in all competitions, and on 8 August 2026 he joined the champions Arsenal for a reported £75 million.
At the World Cup he provided four assists for Brazil, joining Michael Ballack, Francesco Totti and Juan Cuadrado as the only players this century to reach that number at a single tournament, although Brazil went out to Norway in the round of 16. He has settled quickly at Arsenal: he won the Community Shield (3-0 against Manchester City), then came off the bench to score in the 2-0 win at Sunderland and the 2-1 winner against Leeds on his home debut – both times set up by Declan Rice.
Key achievements:
- 9 goals and 8 assists for Newcastle in 2025/26 (all competitions)
- 4 assists at the 2026 World Cup
- 2026 Community Shield winner with Arsenal
Honourable Mentions
The depth of the Premier League means several top midfielders just miss out on our top 10.
Moisés Caicedo remains one of the best ball-winners in the league and signed a new Chelsea contract until 2033 in April 2026, but he has made only three league appearances so far in 2026/27.
Martin Ødegaard provided 6 assists in 24 league games for the champions, but injuries kept him out of a large part of the season. He was one of Norway’s key creators as they reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Eberechi Eze scored 7 league goals in his first Arsenal season, including a hat-trick in the north London derby against Tottenham, and won bronze with England at the World Cup.
Cole Palmer endured an injury-hit season and was left out of England’s World Cup squad. Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch are the key players of Andoni Iraola’s new Liverpool, and Carlos Baleba (£70m from Brighton) heads a rebuilt Manchester United midfield alongside Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Legacy and Future of the Best Midfielders in the Premier League
Today’s midfielders are measured against some of the greatest players in the league’s history. Frank Lampard remains the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history with 177 goals, Steven Gerrard scored 120 and became the heartbeat of Liverpool for almost two decades, Paul Scholes won 11 league titles with Manchester United, and Patrick Vieira drove Arsenal’s 2003/04 Invincibles through an unbeaten season. The modern era added a new kind of midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne shared the single-season assist record for six years before Bruno Fernandes broke it in 2025/26, and Rodri turned the holding role into a match-winning one, winning four titles and the 2024 Ballon d’Or before leaving for Barcelona this summer.
The next generation is already here. Rayan Cherki (23) needed just one season to become the league’s second-best creator, and Elliot Anderson (23) arrives at Manchester City as the long-term heir to Rodri’s role. Carlos Baleba (22) and Kobbie Mainoo are central to Manchester United’s rebuild, City have signed Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a reported £85m, and Morgan Rogers (24) has started his Chelsea career with four goals in seven league games. Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes remain the benchmark, and both could finish on the Ballon d’Or podium on 26 October. But with record sums spent on midfielders this summer and new head coaches at three of the biggest clubs, the next great Premier League midfielder may already be on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best midfielder in the Premier League in 2026?
Our pick is Declan Rice. He won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2025/26, was named in the PFA Team of the Year and is on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist. Bruno Fernandes is a very close second.
Who is the best Premier League player in 2026?
Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Players’ Player of the Year for 2025/26, after setting a league record with 21 assists.
Who are the top 5 midfielders in the Premier League right now?
Our top 5 Premier League midfielders are Declan Rice, Bruno Fernandes, Rayan Cherki, Martín Zubimendi and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Who has the most assists in a Premier League season?
Bruno Fernandes, with 21 assists for Manchester United in 2025/26. He broke the record of 20 shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Who is the best young midfielder in the Premier League?
Rayan Cherki (born 2003) and Elliot Anderson (born 2002) stand out. Cherki provided 12 assists in his first Premier League season, and Anderson led the league in touches, ball recoveries and duels won before his £116 million move to Manchester City.
Who is the most expensive midfielder in the Premier League?
Enzo Fernández. Manchester City paid Chelsea £125 million for him on 1 September 2026, equalling the British transfer record. Morgan Rogers (£117m, the most expensive British player ever) and Elliot Anderson (£116m) are next.
Why is Rodri not in the ranking?
Rodri left Manchester City for Barcelona in August 2026, so he is no longer a Premier League player. You can find him in our ranking of the best midfielders in the world.
Will this ranking change soon?
Very likely. Form, injuries and transfers shift the Premier League midfielders ranking quickly, and new signings like Enzo Fernández, Rogers and Anderson are only starting their first seasons at their new clubs.