5 most versatile midfielders in world football right now
It appears the football world is finally showing midfielders the honor they deserve. Luka Modric won the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade in 2018. This year, three midfielders, namely Ngolo Kante, Jorginho and Kevin De Bruyne, were named on the three-man shortlist for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award.
There's no denying midfielders play the most important role on the pitch. Acting as the link between defense and attack, controlling the tempo of the game and helping to bring the best out of their teammates, the relevance of these players can't be over-emphacized.
While most midfielders are only comfortable playing in their natural spots in the center, a few have on several occasions taken up the challenge to prove themselves in other positions and they have done exceptionally well. In this article, we'll take a look at five such midfielders in the football world right now.
#5 Joshua Kimmich | Bayern Munich, Germany
Bayern Munich superstar Joshua Kimmich has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the last couple of years with his eye-catching displays for the Bavarians at the center of the pitch.
Apart from impressing in his role as a defensive midfielder, the German has also proved that he isn't afraid of testing himself in other areas. So far in his career, he's played as a right-back, a center-back and in more advanced spots in the middle.
Kimmich joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2015 and he's gone forward to bag an impressive 30 goals and 73 assists for the German champions in 264 appearances across all competitions so far.
#4 Saul Niguez | Atletico Madrid, Spain
Saul Niguez is Diego Simeone's go-to option whenever he needs someone to play out of their natural position in defense or midfield. The Spaniard's versatility has allowed him to occupy several spots in Atletico Madrid's line-up over the last few seasons and he's done a good job in all of them.
Saul alternated between central and defensive midfield for the most part of last season. In the preceding years, he played as an attacking midfielder and also deputized at left-back when the situation called for it.