5 Midfielders You MUST Keep An Eye on Ahead Of The Summer Transfer Window | OneFootball

It is fair to say that the midfielder market is absolutely stacked with quality and varying options in profile in 2026, whether it be within the Premier League, Championship or abroad in Europe.

Ahead of the summer transfer window, a fair few clubs will be on the lookout for their brand new midfielder. The bigger names obviously being the most expensive but there are also a few names that have yet to be mentioned among fan discussions.

Here are five midfielders you must keep an eye on ahead of the summer transfer window!

5. Leon Avdullahu

Player Profile

• Club: TSG Hoffenheim

• Age: 21

• Position: Defensive midfielder

• Preferred Foot: Right

Leon Avdullahu has been a key component to how Christian Ilzer has Hoffenheim playing this season in the Bundesliga. Sitting at the base of Hoffenheim’s midfield, Avdullahu is seen as the tempo setter when Ilzer’s side are in possession.

In the first phase of build-up, Avdullahu often drops deep to receive off the centre backs in order to help progress play. He would position himself on the half-turn which helps open up a passing angle out wide to the full back who is pushing on or to swivel away from an opponent looking to apply pressure before switching the ball to the other side.

What makes Leon Avdullahu stand out is the way he makes games tick with such ease. When opponents look to apply pressure onto Hoffenheim, Avdullahu has shown he is a strong press resistant midfielder which helps him and Hoffenheim dictate game tempo.

From a financial perspective, Avdullahu will stand out to a few clubs. Due to the lack of reported interest in him, Avdullahu can be expected to cost cheaper in comparison to bigger names such as Angelo Stiller or Adam Wharton. But he won’t necessarily be cheap because of his importance to Hoffenheim.

4. Wouter Burger

Player Profile

• Club: TSG Hoffenheim

• Age: 24

• Preferred Foot: Right

Since making the move to Hoffenheim last summer from Stoke City, Wouter Burger has been an instant hit in Germany. Immediately proving himself a key player in Christian Ilzer’s side, the Dutch midfielder has been given the opportunity by the Austrian coach to further express himself this season beyond his already solid defensive qualities.

Whilst Wouter Burger is more than capable of dropping deep to receive off centre backs, the more impressive attributes to his game this season has been his ball carrying capabilities over longer distances as well as the physical fitness to cover plenty of ground, win many ground and aerial duels and his set-piece quality.

On top of that, at 6’4″ he is generally a very big presence in both boxes which is essential for how Hoffenheim play.

Having already played in England with Stoke City in the Championship, signing Burger may become more attractive to teams in the Premier League. With many teams having great emphasis on set-piece scenarios, having someone who is very good in the air in physical match ups is essential.

Being left footed, clubs who are in need of balance may also find Burger an attractive option from a technical perspective. Not only are his set piece deliveries fantastic,

Burger possesses grest range in his passing. With that wand of a left boot, he can play short to break lines or he can go long to get his team attacking opponents in transitions. He is like Nemanja Matic in terms of physical stature!

3. Rocco Reitz

Player Profile

• Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach

• Age: 23

• Position: Central midfielder

• Preferred Foot: Right

Rocco Reitz is a midfielder who is capable of doing it all. Whether that be defensive work involving intercepting, tackling and pressing, or more offensive work with the ball involving passing, creating, progressive carrying, scoring. He can do it all!

For any team looking for an all-rounder, Rocco Reitz could be a name that may come up on many clubs lists. He is only 5’9″ but plays like a hungry terrier.

Reitz has showcased in the Gladbach midfield that he is fairly comfortable in many different scenarios. He is capable of dropping deep to receive off defenders, he is clearly confident in his ball carrying which is one of his strongest attributes, his passing is simplistically clever over short distances.

Without the ball he is very intense, in a smart way. He positions himself correctly to cut off passing lanes which allows him to intercept and he is not afraid to get stuck into the dirty work where he is happy to make strong tackles and win ground duels.

One underrated attribute about him is that he is a leader. At just 23, captaining a big club like Borussia Mönchengladbach is no joke and he has taken on that extra responsibility into his stride quite brilliantly.

He instructs his teammates where to be, when to move, how to move and he has that sort of character where he will lead by example through his actions. Something a few clubs might like in a midfielder on top of the other attributes he has, and it is no surprise a club like RB Leipzig are eager to sign him.

2. Mamadou SangarÉ

Player Profile

• Age: 23

• Club: RC Lens

• Position: Defensive Midfielder

• Preferred Foot: Right

This season for RC Lens in Ligue 1, Mamadou Sangaré has been a key part to their title charge.

At the heart of their midfield, he provides fantastic composure under pressure in deep areas which showcases excellent press resistance. He can operate in tight spaces to help progress the ball out wide to the wing backs where Lens can then create chances. Then without the ball, Sangaré has lots of energy to cover ground and help win the ball back in key areas of the pitch.

To some extent, his performances may have gone under the radar with the likes of Pierre Ganiou and Odsonne Edouard shining either end of the pitch. But without Sangaré, there is no connection between the defence and the attack. Without him in the side, RC Lens are without a doubt a physically and technically weaker side.

There has been rumours of some teams around Europe being interested, including Manchester United. Whether he gets a move in the summer elsewhere or if Lens can keep hold him remains a question that’ll need answering sooner rather than later.

1. Hayden Hackney

Player Profile

• Club: Middlesbrough

• Age: 23

• Position: Defensive midfielder/Central midfielder/attacking midfielder

• Preferred Foot: Right

Last season, Hackney was very good which led to relegated Ipswich Town putting in bids to try lure him away from his boyhood club in the summer. This season for Middlesbrough, he has only kicked on further to establish himself as the very best midfielder in the Championship.

Not many players from physical or technical perspectives can play multiple different roles in the midfield in such a high demanding league. But Hackney has proven particularly on the technical side that he is very capable of playing as a no.6, no.8 or no.10.

His press resistance to receive from deep is outstanding, using smart body positioning to slide away from pressure. As a no8, he has showcased superb energy without the ball by covering plenty of ground. Hackney has also shown tremendous willingness to do dirty work to make tackles in order to turnover possession. When higher up as a no10, his passes to break the final line is effortlessly accurate and his creative numbers are astonishing.

To put some of his numbers into perspective in comparison to other central midfielders in the Championship:

• Joint top for most possession won in the final third per 90 (0.8)

• 2nd for Expected Assists (xA) per 90 (0.22)

• Top for Expected Assists (7.7) which is 0.3 more than second and 1.7 more than 3rd

• Top for chances created (73)

• Joint eighth for big chances created (6)

• Fourth for most accurate passes per 90 (55.9, 86.2% pass success)

• Second for most shots per 90 (2.5, 4.7% conversion rate)

• Joint 4th for most shots on target per 90 (0.6), 0.2 less than first

• Fourth for goals and assists (10, 4 goals and 6 assists)

A top player with top numbers! As he continues to impress in Middlesbrough’s promotion charge, there’s no doubt that big clubs in the Premier League and in Europe will be keeping a close eye on him. In recent days, Juventus have been a side that have recently scouted him according to reports.

It goes to show, there are an array of midfielders going under the radar, who your club could be looking at in the summer.