Some real quality in this year’s top ten (Picture: Getty; Metro.co.uk)

This Premier League season might have been all about the managers as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte took up new jobs in the summer to pit their wits against an already A-list cast including Jurgen Klopp, Arsene Wenger and Mauricio Pochettino.

But now that the season is done we’re looking at which players have impressed the most in each area of the pitch, and now it’s the turn of the country’s best midfielders to go under the microscope.

It can be harder to pin down precisely what a midfielder is in the modern game, with so many players now expected to fill a variety of roles; and in Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, to name but a few, it can be hard to distinguish as they go from deep-lying playmaker, to winger, to forward from one minute to the next.

To clear things up a bit, we’ve gone for players who’ve played at least the majority of their games in a central midfield role, be it attacking or defensive.

From 10 to 1, here’s our ranking of the best Premier League midfielders of the 2016/17 season. Let us know if you agree:

10. Ross Barkley

Inconsistent as he can be, there’s no doubt that Ross Barkley has the makings of a top class player in his locker. The 23-year-old has had another productive campaign for Everton this term, contributing five goals and eight assists to the Toffees’ Premier League campaign.

Ross Barkley continues to impress with Everton (Picture: Getty)
Ross Barkley continues to impress with Everton (Picture: Getty)

Occasionally filling in out wide, Barkley has looked at his best in an advanced midfield role with the freedom to link play and chip in with goals. His versatility and skill surely mean he’s going to work his way back into the England fold sooner rather than later.

Plus he celebrated one of his goals before he even scored it – that’s right, before he even took the shot. That’s how good he is.

9. David Silva

Perhaps not at his influential best this season, but David Silva remains a key part of how Manchester City play.

David Silva has been a joy to watch again this term (Picture: Getty)
David Silva has been a joy to watch again this term (Picture: Getty)

The Spain international is perfect for Pep Guardiola’s vision of football, and has unsurprisingly shone with seven goals and nine assists in all competitions, despite the club being set to finish trophyless for the campaign.

Ahead of what is likely to be a summer of big change at City with doubts over the futures of stars such as Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure, Silva is one player who’ll almost certainly be sticking around and doing his thing again next season.

8. Ander Herrera

Ander Herrera has been like a new player this season (Picture: Getty)
Ander Herrera has been like a new player this season (Picture: Getty)

Undoubtedly one of the most improved players in the Premier League, Ander Herrera has become a real battler and leader for Manchester United in a slightly new role under Jose Mourinho.

Average interceptions per game (midfielders)

Ander Herrera – 2.8
Cheikhou Kouyate – 2.5
Idrissa Gueye – 2.5
N’Golo Kante – 2.5
Oriol Romeu – 2.5

Previously an attack-minded playmaker contributing more in the final third, Herrera now operates in a far more defensive position, and has seemed to relish the change. Only two players have averaged more interceptions than him this season, and both are defenders.

Many fans now see Herrera as future captain material and the inevitable Roy Keane comparisons have begun following this added tenacity to his game.

7. Idrissa Gueye

Top of the league for tackles per game (4.2 on average), Everton’s Idrissa Gueye has proven a superb signing and is already being linked with bigger clubs.

Idrissa Gueye has proven a great buy for Everton (Picture: Getty)
Idrissa Gueye has proven a great buy for Everton (Picture: Getty)

The Senegal international certainly something of an N’Golo Kante about him, and his tremendous work rate would make him an asset to any side with major ambitions.

Everton won’t want to lose him so soon, but even if they do it should be at a fairly sizeable profit after landing him for just £7million from relegated Aston Villa.

6. Paul Pogba

He may only be in 6th place, but he’s made it in. Everyone has an opinion on Paul Pogba, though few could argue he’s looked worth the £89million so far.

Paul Pogba is the most expensive footballer of all time (Picture: Getty)
Paul Pogba is the most expensive footballer of all time (Picture: Getty)

Still, the 24-year-old arrived from Juventus late on in the summer without a pre-season, and without a great deal of time to rest after making the Euro 2016 final. He’s also had to quickly gel in a team that clearly isn’t clicking under Jose Mourinho, with the lack of options up front meaning the side have been overly reliant on Zlatan Ibrahimovic for goals.

So often this season Pogba has created chances that haven’t been finished. He could’ve scored more himself, of course, but he’s also been one of the unluckiest players in the league in that department, with only Kevin De Bruyne hitting the woodwork more often.

A solid start, but Pogba’s shown enough to suggest that there’s more to come.

5. Victor Wanyama

Victor Wanyama helped send Spurs out of the Lane on a high (Picture: Getty)
Victor Wanyama helped send Spurs out of the Lane on a high (Picture: Getty)

Rock solid in Tottenham’s midfield, Victor Wanyama is another shining example of the quality you can still get without forking out ridiculous sums of money.

Costing just £11million from Southampton, the 25-year-old has slotted in seamlessly and contributed hugely to Spurs’ strong defensive record and new-found refusal to being beaten.

To top it all off, he even scored against Manchester United to help Tottenham win their final game at White Hart Lane.

4. Adam Lallana

He’s tailed off slightly as the season’s gone on, but at his best this term Adam Lallana was absolutely sublime for Liverpool.

No wonder Jurgen Klopp loves Adam Lallana (Picture: Getty)
No wonder Jurgen Klopp loves Adam Lallana (Picture: Getty)

With seven goals and seven assists in total, the England international flourished in a fairly free role as part of a central midfield three, often drifting wide to good effect and showing himself capable of creating something out of nothing.

While Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho have stolen the plaudits for much of the campaign, Lallana has arguably been the most important part of how Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool play.

3. Mousa Dembele

Surely the most underrated player in the Premier League, Mousa Dembele has been vital for Tottenham’s cause once again this season.

Mousa Dembele may be the most underrated player in the league (Picture: Getty)
Mousa Dembele may be the most underrated player in the league (Picture: Getty)

The Belgian has a bit of everything to his game: he works hard, breaks up play, he can pick out a pass, and he’s near impossible to get the ball off once he gets moving.

If he scored more he’d be pretty much the perfect midfielder and would certainly attract more headlines, but Spurs fans won’t care as his superb partnership with Wanyama is set to launch them to their highest Premier League finish.

2. Dele Alli

Another player without a clearly defined role, Dele Alli has mostly been primarily used in the centre for Spurs this season.

Dele Alli’s remarkable rise has continued this season (Picture: Getty)
Dele Alli’s remarkable rise has continued this season (Picture: Getty)

Occasionally starting on the left, the 21-year-old still tends to drift inwards onto his favoured right foot, and is Frank Lampard-like in his ability to break into the box and nick a goal.

It’s hard to believe how quickly he’s risen to being one of the stars of the Premier League after playing in League One just two years ago, but Alli is certainly one of the most promising young players in world football right now, and Spurs could find it increasingly hard to keep hold of him.

1. N’Golo Kante

N’Golo Kante has revolutionised the defensive midfield role (Picture: Getty; Metro.co.uk)

There was only going to be one winner here and that’s the PFA and FWA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante.

Signed from Leicester City last summer, Kante is a Premier League champion again with Chelsea, and has again played a major role in guiding his team to success.

The tireless Frenchman could yet earn himself an FA Cup winners’ medal to go with his second league title, and it’ll be great to see him mixing it up with the best in the Champions League next year.

Kante in England

Premier League winner – 2015/16, 2016/17

Premier League Team of the Year – 2015/16, 2016/17

PFA Player of the Year – 2016/17

FWA Footballer of the Year – 2016/17

Leicester City Players’ Player of the Year – 2015/16

London Football Awards Player of the Year – 2017

Many have inevitably compared Kante with Pogba after both made high-profile moves this summer, but the 26-year-old is very much his own player and unique in the current game for how incredibly influential he’s been at both his clubs in England. Having lifted Leicester from 14th to 1st in the space of a season, he’s lifted Chelsea from 10th to 1st in the same time frame. The only question now is, how much further can he go?

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