The role of an attacking midfielder is one that has been constantly evolving, especially over the last decade or so. Today, it has become one of the most important and versatile roles in modern football.
Attacking midfielders are responsible for creating chances, scoring goals and linking up play with their excellent vision, passing range, dribbling, shooting and flair.
In this article, I present to you my top 10 attacking midfielders who are plying their trade in the Premier League right now, based on their performance in the 2022/23 season.
I have taken into account metrics like goals, assists, expected goals (xG), expected assists (xA), shots per 90′, key passes per 90′, passes completed per 90′, dribbles completed per 90′, tackles won per 90′, and minutes played, while taking into account their impact on their team’s performance and their overall quality.
Without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Having joined as a promising youngster from fellow London club Queens Park Rangers in 2020, Eberechi Eze has quickly gone on to cement his place as one of Crystal Palace’s talismans.
A skilful and creative player who can operate on either flank or behind the striker as a number 10, Eze’s eye for goal and ability to set up his teammates with his passing and crossing make him a threat from set-pieces and long-range shots.
In the 2022/23 season, Eze scored 10 goals and provided four assists from 40 appearances across all competitions. What’s more interesting is the fact that, after Roy Hodgson’s return midway through last season, the 25-year-old produced six goals and two assists from 10 games towards the back end of the campaign.
The 26-year-old Brazil international was on the radar of many top clubs before he signed for West Ham last summer for a reported fee of around £40 million.
Paquetá is a versatile and dynamic midfielder who can play in various positions across the midfield and attack. He is comfortable on both feet and has a good range of passing, dribbling and shooting abilities. A tenacious player, Paquetá contributes on both ends of the pitch.
Despite his potential, Paquetá had a relatively underwhelming campaign with the Hammers last season as he scored just four goals and provided two assists, though he was also one of the vital cogs in his side’s successful run in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Dominik Szoboszlai is a 22-year-old Hungarian attacking midfielder who joined Liverpool FC from RB Leipzig earlier this summer for a fee of around £60 million.
A gifted and explosive player who can play on either wing or more centrally as an attacking midfielder, Szoboszlai has a powerful and accurate right foot and can create goals with his impeccable vision. He is also a fast and agile player who can beat defenders with his dribbling and movement. The Hungarian also has the defensive work rate to complement his attacking attributes, making him a perfect addition to Jürgen Klopp’s squad.
Szoboszlai was among the standout performers for RB Leipzig in the first half of last season as they challenged for the German Bundesliga title and qualified for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Although their challenge eventually fizzled out, Liverpool would hope Szoboszlai can hit the ground running and bring them back into the title challenge.
For someone who came through the academy at Chelsea and made his senior debut in 2019, Mount soon became a vital player in the Chelsea squad under both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel over the following years.
Chelsea’s poor performances last season also added to Mount’s own below-par showing on the individual front. Now a Manchester United player, Mount’s creativity, intelligence and ability to play across the midfield and attacking third will make him one of the key generals in Erik ten Hag’s team.
James Maddison’s game has grown significantly over the last couple of seasons — from being a set-piece specialist to creating chances from open-play scenarios. Despite Leicester City going down last season, Maddison stood out and was without a doubt their best player throughout the season.
Maddison is a skilful and innovative player who often plays behind the centre-forward, though he doesn’t shy away from exploring the wide spaces and exploiting the half-spaces.
In 32 appearances across all competitions last season, the England international scored 10 goals and provided nine assists — his best returns after the 2021/22 season, during which he played a pivotal role in helping Leicester City win the FA Cup.
Now that he’s signed for Tottenham Hotspur, Maddison is expected take his game up a level, and in the post-Harry Kane era, he is the first of his kind to be signed by the club since the days of Christian Eriksen.
The France international joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer for a reported fee of £52 million and looked at ease under Mauricio Pochettino during pre-season, before an injury pushed back his much-anticipated debut for the Blues.
Nkunku scored 23 goals and provided six assists in just 36 appearances across all competitions last season, often playing as a second striker, a winger, or an attacking midfielder, as per the game’s requirement.
Someone who brings an abundance of technical ability but also has that poacher’s instinct, Nkunku has been brought in to be the lynchpin of the Chelsea attack for years to come.
The Portuguese playmaker has been one of the most consistent performers for Manchester City since he joined them from AS Monaco in 2017. The now-29-year-old has been one of the vital cogs in City’s domestic and European success, winning five Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and one Champions League trophy.
During the 2022/23 season, Silva scored seven goals and assisted six more in 55 games across all competitions, playing mostly as a right-winger or an attacking midfielder alongside Kevin De Bruyne. However, with the Belgium international having come off injured in their first game of the season against Burnley, City will rely on Silva’s technically gifted play, intelligence, and vision even more until De Bruyne returns.
The Portuguese playmaker has been a revelation for Manchester United since he joined them from Sporting CP back in January 2020. The 29-year-old has been one of United’s most consistent performers, transforming the club’s fortunes and leading them to three top-four finishes in the Premier League and two cup finals since his arrival.
That said, Fernandes had an average 2022/23 season by his own standards. The Portugal international scored 14 goals and assisted another 15 from 59 appearances across all competitions as Erik ten Hag’s men finished third in the league and won the EFL Cup.
With Ten Hag gradually adding quality all around him, there should be less dependence on the Portuguese playmaker, resulting in a more relaxed and dangerous Bruno Fernandes this season.
The Norwegian wonderkid is finally delivering on all the potential that saw Real Madrid sign him in 2014. Arsenal bought their now-club-captain from Real Madrid on a permanent deal in August 2021 for what now seems as a bargain fee of €30 million, after he impressed them while being on loan in the second half of the season before.
Ødegaard has been a key player for the Gunners, helping them qualify for the Champions League last year after six years, as well as winning the FA Cup in his first full season. Last season, he scored 15 goals and assisted eight more in 45 appearances across all competitions.
With Mikel Arteta adding more depth and firepower to his attacking ranks, Ødegaard’s skilfulness, vision, intelligence and composure will make him even more of a nightmare to play against.
The Belgian superstar is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. The 32-year-old attacking midfielder has been instrumental in Manchester City’s dominance over recent years.
De Bruyne has won five Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League trophy with City since he joined them from Wolfsburg in 2015, cementing his place as one of City’s and the Premier League’s greatest-ever midfielders.
Despite a sluggish start to the campaign, De Bruyne scored 10 goals and provided a staggering 31 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions last season. The Belgium men’s national team captain is as complete a player as you’d get.
Sadly, De Bruyne had to come off against Burnley in the opening game of the season after what looked like a recurrence of the knee injury he sustained last season.
Also Watch – Top 20 defensive midfielders in world football right now.
| Rank | Player | Current Club |
| 10 | Eberechi Eze | Crystal Palace FC |
| 9 | Lucas Paquetá | West Ham United FC |
| 8 | Dominik Szoboszlai | Liverpool FC |
| 7 | Mason Mount | Manchester United FC |
| 6 | James Maddison | Tottenham Hotspur FC |
| 5 | Christopher Nkunku | Chelsea FC |
| 4 | Bernardo Silva | Manchester City FC |
| 3 | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United FC |
| 2 | Martin Ødegaard | Arsenal FC |
| 1 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City FC |
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