Declan Rice second behind Ballon d’Or winner among Europe’s top 10 central midfielders | OneFootball

Declan Rice is graded as the second-best central midfielder in Europe this season with only one other Premier League representative in the top 10.

Rice is having a fine season, the England star a major driving force in Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title and Champions League.

Among the central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, Rice is graded lower than only one other player. Who just happens to be a Ballon d’Or winner.

‘What are these grades?’, you ask…

Gradient’s Player Grades measure execution rather than outcome. The grading process begins with Gradient’s team of analysts evaluating over 2,000 events per game – everything a player does during a match from aerial duels to dribbling to set-piece shooting, and everything in between.

Each event is graded on a scale of -2 to +2 in 0.5 increments; 0 representing expected execution, positive or negative grades are awarded for a performance that is better or worse than expected. Those grades are then translated into an easy to understand 0-100 game and season rating across over 50 grading categories, including an overall performance grade.

It should also be mentioned that Gradient separates central midfielders from attacking midfielders, so no Bruno Fernandes or Rayan Cherki here.

Here are the top 10 highest-graded central midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues…

10) James Garner (Everton) – 82.8

With Manchester United in dire need of a central midfielder this summer, their decision to cut Garner loose looks ever more rash. The Everton workhorse has been just as reliable while filling in at right-back as he has at the base of midfield, from where he’s run more than anyone else in the Premier League not named Elliot Anderson.

He is in our Premier League XI of the season for a reason.

9) Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid) 82.9

United are said to have Tchouameni on their list of potential midfield recruits, even if Nicky Butt reckons it’s a ‘long shot’. Real, though, are reported to be determined to keep the France star, though we don’t know what Jose Mourinho makes of that.

8) Vitinha (PSG) –  83

PSG have more possession than any side in Europe, averaging 68.6% across all competitions. And don’t think those stats are padded by their domestic dominance – the holders (66.6%) have more of the ball than anyone in the Champions League too. Ex-Wolves loanee Vitinha is key to that, with 105 passes per 90 this season – more than any other player in the Champions League.

7) Valentin Rongier (Rennes) – 83.6

The 31-year-old is in fine form in his first season with Rennes, evidently keen to prove a point to Marseille. “You can clearly say there was a lack of respect,” he said recently, reflecting on a summer in which he rejected the terms of a renewal with OM before being sold for £11million.

6) Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – 85.2

The only Bundesliga representative on this list (RB Leipzig’s Angelo Stiller would be next at 14th), Kimmich remains Bayern’s orchestrator. The 31-year-old, with a 92.7% pass completion rate, is graded second-highest in Germany overall for passing behind only Bayer Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia but top for pressured passing.

5) Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) – 86.9

Rejected by Arsenal after a trial at 16, Valverde has been Real’s unsung hero for some time, only recently getting the spotlight his consistency has deserved. This certainly helped. No central midfielder in La Liga has made more passes this season.

4) Manuel Locatelli (Juventus) – 87.7

The Juve captain has recently signed a new deal to 2030, spooked perhaps by links with Spurs. No player in Serie A has attempted or completed more passes, proving many doubters wrong, including his own manager. Luciano Spalletti rarely used Locatelli during his reign as Italy boss, which he now admits was wrong: “I certainly made the mistake of not calling up Locatelli.”

3) Pedri (Barcelona) – 88.6

The best passer in La Liga, Pedri is graded top for passing overall, pressured passing and passing with both the dominant foot and non-dominant foot. The 23-year-old, already capped 40 times by Spain, is also third in La Liga for ball-carrying.

2) Declan Rice (Arsenal) – 88.5

Rice would be a shoo-in for Player of the Year in the Premier League had Bruno Fernandes not been doing ridiculous things to power Manchester United’s return to the Champions League. That he and Martin Zubimendi are the Prem’s top two central midfielders for duels is a good illustration of why Arsenal are where they are. Both are also among the 10 players who have covered most ground.

1) Luka Modric (AC Milan) – 92

The best midfielder in Europe is 40 years old. Forty, FFS. No player on the continent really comes close to Modric for moving the ball, the Croatian graded 98.1 for passing. His club season looks to be done now, though, with Croatia hoping the Ballon d’Or winner can recover from a double fracture of his cheekbone in time for the World Cup.