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Where does Declan Rice rank among the best defensive midfielders in the world right now in 2024?

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Arsenal spent a pretty penny last summer to sign Declan Rice, the most sought-after defensive midfielder in the Premier League and European football as a whole.

The Gunners paid West Ham £105m to beat title rivals Manchester City, hoping the signing of a defensive midfielder from Rolls Royce would help Arsenal beat the Citizens this time.

Declan Rice is enjoying an exceptional first season at the Emirates as Arsenal continue to keep pace with Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

But where does he currently rank among the best defensive midfielders in the world in 2024?

Here is a ranking of the five best defensive midfielders in the world.

Exequiel Palacios has always been a quality player for Bayer Leverkusen, but he has really come into his own this season as the fundamental focal point of Xabi Alonso’s vaunted attack.

Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in large part thanks to Palacios’ underrated work creating chances, creating from deep, organizing play patterns and protecting a top-class defence.

Palacios is on the radar of several top Premier League clubs, including Champions League hopeful Aston Villa, and it would not be a surprise to see him make a big move into the mainstream in the 2024/2025 season.

4. Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle

Bruno Guimaraes played a crucial role in Newcastle’s Champions League qualification last season, and many even bigger clubs are coveting him this summer, especially as the Magpies struggle to return to the Champions League for the 2024/25 season.

Manchester City, Barcelona and PSG have all been linked with Guimaraes, as the former Lyon star will have a £100million release clause active until June 30.

If Man City want another great defensive midfielder to pair with Ballon d’Or candidate Rodri, they could very well have their man in Bruno G.

Guimaraes has been excellent as a ball winner, progresser and leader. He is a glue man who makes everyone around him better through his commitment, intensity and quality on the ball.

In his prime, at 26, Bruno Guimaraes is Newcastle’s best player and he is quietly getting better. With six goals and six assists in the current Premier League season, the Brazilian international’s impact on the Magpies has been enormous.

3. Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrid

Aurelien Tchouameni has been one of the best central defenders in LaLiga this season after injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba forced him into central defense, but he is truly one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.

Tchouameni, a bargain €80 million signing in the summer 2022 transfer window, was an upgrade on club icon Casemiro, who has since disappeared from Manchester United.

Tchouameni is one of the most accurate passers and one of the most intelligent players in world football. He expertly anchors a midfield featuring Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham.

The 24-year-old is as good as any of them, completing an impressive 93 percent of his passes in the Champions League. Scarily, Tchouameni is only at the start of his second season with Monaco’s Real Madrid.

2. Declan Rice, Arsenal

Arsenal star Declan Rice was everything the Gunners hoped for as they spent more than £100million to beat Manchester City.

Rice is one of the best players in any position in the Premier League, making the kind of impact in defensive midfield that you would normally see from a more attacking player.

The 25-year-old full-backs have scored an impressive seven goals and eight assists, which is no surprise that they are reaching new heights for a much better team.

Rice had a disappointing West Ham last season, and now he’s 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 covers ground and defends intelligently to assist the backline, giving Arsenal the defensive quality they need in the middle of the park.

1. Rodri, Manchester City

As great as Declan Rice has been for Arsenal, the lead for the best defensive midfielder in the world goes to Manchester City star Rodri.

The Spain international started the season as one of the Ballon d’Or favourites, and although his candidacy has faded behind the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane (and Kylian Mbappé’s), 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 trails Rice with seven goals and nine assists, making for a more robust goal contribution than ever before in his career. career.

A big part of what Rodri does defensively is about winning the battle of possession and control of possession, and he often doesn’t have to intervene defensively because he reads the game so well.

Right now, Rodri is the standard in defensive midfield and the ideal anchor in the modern era. It feels like the younger Rice will soon overtake him, but for now Rodri is on top. He has completed more key passes and dribbles per match.

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