Arsenal spent a pretty penny this past summer transfer window in order to sign Declan Rice, the most highly sought-after defensive midfielder in the Premier League and European football as a whole.
The Gunners paid 105 million pounds to West Ham in order to beat title rivals Manchester City to the punch, hoping that the signing of a Rolls Royce defensive midfielder would help Arsenal vanquish the Citizens this time around.
Declan Rice is having an exceptional first season at the Emirates, as Arsenal continue to keep up the pace with Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
But where does he rank among the world’s best defensive midfielders currently in 2024?
5. Exequiel Palacios, Bayer Leverkusen
Exequiel Palacios was always a quality player for Bayer Leverkusen, but he has truly come into his own this season as the foundational centerpiece of Xabi Alonso’s vaunted attack.
Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in large part because of the underrated work Palacios puts in to start chances, create from deep, organize patterns of play, and shield a top-class defense.
4. Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle
Bruno Guimaraes played a vital role in Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League last season, and so many even bigger clubs covet him this summer, especially as the Magpies struggle to return to the Champions League for the 2024/25 campaign.
Manchester City, Barcelona, and PSG have all been linked to Guimaraes, because the former Lyon star will have a 100 million pound release clause active until June 30.
Guimaraes has been excellent as a ball-winner, progressor, and leader. He is a glue guy who makes everyone around him better through his effort, intensity, and quality on the ball.
In his prime at the age of 26, Bruno Guimaraes is Newcastle’s best player and is quietly only getting better. With six goals and six assists in the current Premier League campaign, the Brazilian international’s impact on the Magpies is massive.
3. Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni has been one of the best center backs in LaLiga this season after injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba forced him into action in central defense, but he is really and truly one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
An 80 million euro bargain in the summer 2022 transfer window, Tchouameni has been an upgrade on club icon Casemiro, who has since faded at Manchester United.
Tchouameni is one of the most accurate passers and one of the most intelligent players in world football, expertly anchoring a midfield that includes Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jude Bellingham.
The 24-year-old is as good as any of them, completing a crisp 93 percent of his passes in the Champions League. Scarily enough, Tchouameni is still only scratching the surface in his second season with Real Madrid out of Monaco.
2. Declan Rice, Arsenal
Arsenal star Declan Rice has been everything the Gunners were hoping for when they spent over 100 million pounds in order to beat Manchester City to the punch.
Rice is one of the best players at any position in the Premier League, making the kind of impact in the defensive midfield that you usually see from a more attacking player.
The 25-year-old backs that point up with a whopping seven goals and eight assists, unsurprisingly reaching new heights for a much better team.
Rice was carrying a disappointing West Ham last season, and now he is playing with other Premier League Player of the Season caliber players like Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and, of course, Bukayo Saka.
With 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, Rice is covering ground and intelligently defending to help the back line, giving Arsenal the defensive quality they have needed in the middle of the park.
1. Rodri, Manchester City
As amazing as Declan Rice has been for Arsenal, the edge for the best defensive midfielder in the world goes to Manchester City star Rodri.
The Spanish international started the season as one of the Ballon d’Or favorites, and while his candidacy has faded behind Jude Bellingham’s and Harry Kane’s (and Kylian Mbappe’s, for that matter), he is still on the shortlist.
Rodri makes it all look so easy and is truly at the peak of his powers at the age of 27. The Manchester City star even edges out Rice with seven goals and nine assists, providing a more robust goal-contributing impact than ever before in his career.
So much of what Rodri does defensively is about winning the battle in possession and in control of possession, and he often does not have to intervene defensively because his reading of the game is so good.
Right now, Rodri is the standard at the defensive midfield position and the ideal anchor in the modern era. It feels like the younger Rice will overtake him soon, but, for now, Rodri is on top. He has more key passes and dribbles completed per game.
