Weighing in on the perpetual Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi debate, Rio Ferdinand memorably pleaded with UK audiences during a punditry stint to avoid comparisons and “just enjoy ’em, man.”
But appreciating all is a concept seemingly not in the arsenal of the modern-day football supporter. There’s an insatiable need to determine who is best. Of course, such debates are often futile, especially when they’re staged through the echo chamber medium of social media.
Debates over a myriad of topics will forever rage between those who likely will never encounter one another in the flesh, and the latest in vogue discussion revolves around the best Premier League midfielder.
2024 Ballon d’Or victor Rodri limited this debate for some time, but the Spaniard’s long-term knee injury and subsequent rust meant the topic is being revisited. There’s scope for a new leading man to emerge, and Sky Sports’ Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have weighed in. The former is in Moisés Caicedo’s corner, the latter prefers fellow countryman Declan Rice.
Chelsea and Arsenal supporters believe their respective engine room master to be the top dog, but the Premier League is blessed with an array of standout midfield operators worthy of a mention. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton performs as if he graduated from Barcelona’s La Masia, Newcastle United have two brilliant operators in Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, Martín Zubimendi has hit the ground running alongside Rice at Arsenal, while Ryan Gravenberch was crucial to Liverpool’s title success last term.
And for his work in 2024–25, the Dutchman deserves to join Rice and Caicedo in the fight to be recognised as the Premier League’s best midfielder following Rodri’s plight.
So who really is the best?
Ryan Gravenberch
- Pros: Outstanding ball-carrier, press-resistant, innovative when escaping pressure, long stride, improvement in the final third, adept ball-winner.
- Cons: Not a reliable progressive passer, high-risk build-up sequences, position can be manipulated in defensive phase.
The fact that Gravenberch rose through the ranks as a box-to-box midfielder with an attacking mindset has proved an enormous benefit to him in his new role. His technical quality makes him supremely press-resistant in Liverpool’s double pivot, meaning, at his best, he seldom surrenders possession in his own half as the Reds aim to play their way through the thirds.
He made only two errors leading to an opposition shot and was dispossessed just 0.74 times per 90 in the Premier League last season, with his lengthy frame, fleet-footedness and impressive physicality making him an incredibly safe ball holder. His close control and dribbling ability allows him to evade opposition challenges with a burst of speed.
When in possession, Gravenberch also has the necessary distribution to thrive at the elite level. Forming an impressive partnership with Alexis Mac Allister, the duo rarely misplace a pass, offering Liverpool excellent control in the centre of the pitch. His 89.2% pass accuracy last term ranked in the 11th percentile among Premier League midfielders, with Gravenberch acting as the perfect link between defence and attack.
His touch and pass count are up from 2024–25 at the start of 2025–26, and the midfielder is also averaging almost three more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes—depicting the greater responsibility thrust upon him to contribute further upfield. He recorded just four Premier League goal contributions last season, and already has three this term.
Ryan Gravenberch Stat Pack
- Age: 23; Primary Position: Defensive Midfielder; Total PL Appearances: 69
- 2025–26 Appearances: 6; Goals: 2; Assists: 1; Pass Accuracy: 88%; Duels Won: 63%
Ryan Gravenberch grows in stature with every game. Box to box, winning the ball, using it well with driving runs and clever passes. An assist already. Tactically disciplined, covers when Szoboszlai goes. Shields defence, intercepting and clearing. And only 23. #LFC #LIVATM
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) September 17, 2025
Gravenberch’s technical quality has never been in doubt, but what caught fans by surprise last season was his defensive prowess.
The midfielder has shades of Fabinho about his game, with his lanky build allowing him excellent reach in the centre of the pitch, but few expected such an impressive understanding of his defensive responsibilities. He’s an adept ball-winner whether it be through perfectly-timed tackles or interceptions, skills he honed while earning invaluable experience last season.
However, it might be a tad premature to crown Gravenberch the Premier League’s leading midfielder, especially given the quality of his positional peers. Some may even argue that either Mac Allister or Dominik Szoboszlai are more important to Arne Slot’s team.
He’s only 23 years old and has plenty to learn, especially out of possession. Teams have had success as of late at manipulating Gravenberch’s position to compromise Liverpool’s collective compactness, for example.
There are kinks that need ironing out—Gravenberch conceded a lot of fouls last season and is not the progressive passer Florian Wirtz currently needs—but the sky is the limit for the Dutchman. A rocky patch amid Liverpool’s downturn in form doesn’t mean he should be sidelined in this debate.
Declan Rice
- Pros: Never injured, great ball-striking, superb set-piece delivery, capable of performing various midfield roles, box-crashing, aerially impressive, covers ground for fun.
- Cons: Intricacy in tight spaces, can be cautious in the build-up phase.
Typically, blockbuster signings either flatter to deceive or simply fail. However, when Declan Rice switched West Ham United for Arsenal in 2023, very few expected the England international to struggle in north London.
Rice was an immediate hit, announcing himself to the Emirates faithful with a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Manchester United a month into his Arsenal career. Mikel Arteta has primarily utilised the Englishman as a No. 8 as opposed to a deep-lying midfielder, although Rice’s versatility means the Spaniard has also called upon him in a more metronomic role.
He has evolved from an outstanding double-pivot player under David Moyes at his former club into an all-round star in the middle of the park. Rice’s engine and ability to cover ground is his superpower, but we’ve also seen his supreme ball-carrying, fierce ball-striking and pinpoint set-piece delivery come to the fore over the past couple of years.
Declan Rice Stat Pack
- Age: 26; Primary Position: Central Midfielder; Total PL Appearances: 284
- 2025–26 Appearances: 7; Goals: 1; Assists: 2; Pass Accuracy: 91.5%; Duels Won: 46.9%
Declan Rice kept celebrations to a minimum after scoring against his former side pic.twitter.com/IsJEWakw9g
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 4, 2025
He’s not an intricate playmaker and has previously had issues against deep-lying defences in an Arsenal side that once functioned without a creative presence when Martin Ødegaard was sidelined. However, the additions of Eberechi Eze and Martín Zubimendi mean there’s less onus on Rice as a creator, and he can focus on crashing the box when the Gunners face up against low blocks.
After recording 15 then 11 goal contributions in the previous two seasons, Rice has three through seven games in 2025–26. His role means he’s never going to compete with Caicedo on the defensive actions front (Rice notched less than half of the Ecuadorian’s combined tackles and interceptions last season), but the Englishman atones with his attacking contributions.
And while he doesn’t always dominate statistically, Rice‘s indomitable engine has been key to Arsenal’s excellent defensive record since he joined the club. He’s outstanding in defensive transition, and his CV will also show top-tier performances on the biggest Champions League nights, most notably against Real Madrid home and away last season.
Most Gunners supporters can’t remember the last time he had a ’bad’ game.
Moisés Caicedo
- Pros: Ball-winning, snaps into tackles, great athlete, efficient passer, physically robust, key contributor to Chelsea’s press.
- Cons: Not much a ball carrier, can be overzealous in the tackle.
It’s on the big occasion when opinions are formed. Your Saturday 3 p.m. performances can be as stellar as anything, but one stinker in prime time, and your reputation can take a huge hit among the average Joes.
Moisés Caicedo endured a difficult start to his Chelsea career, but showed life at the end of his debut season and has since been one of the stars of Enzo Maresca’s reign. The Ecuadorian is a true holding midfielder, although Maresca has been happy to utilise him as an inverted full back, which is a testament to his defensive abilities.
His start to 2025–26 has been outstanding, and he made an impressive case to be recognised as the Premier League’s best midfielder with his performance against Liverpool at the weekend, highlighted by a thunderous strike for Chelsea’s opener.
"Sitting here now, I think we can say Caicedo is the best midfielder in the league," co-commentator Gary Neville asserted post-match.
Moisés Caicedo Stat Pack
- Age: 23; Primary Position: Defensive Midfielder; Total PL Appearances: 125
- 2025–26 Appearances: 7; Goals: 3; Assists: 0; Pass Accuracy: 91.3%; Duels Won: 62.2%
Moises Caicedo only scores bangers! pic.twitter.com/UKTkbFqW7p
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 4, 2025
Heading into the October break, Caicedo leads the division with the most tackles (28) and most interceptions (18), while completing the second most passes (436). While Carragher suggested that Rice is superior in possession, the Ecuadorian has proven his capacity to be metronomic in a possession-heavy framework and ranks in the 79th percentile of all midfielders from Europe’s top five leagues with 6.09 progressive passes per 90 minutes over the past year.
And like the pair of midfielders already mentioned, Caicedo is starting to add more goals to his game. He now has three in seven league games this term. The Athletic’s Michael Cox has suggested that the evolution of the ’holding midfielder’, who now needs to be more dynamic than ever, has played a role in the uptick in goal contributions from the base of midfield. Caicedo was also nurtured as a box-to-box operator under Miguel Ángel Ramírez at Independiente del Valle before he moved to the Premier League, so the 23-year-old does have some attacking instincts.
Who Is the Premier League’s Best Midfielder?
Overall, Caicedo’s certainly playing like the Premier League’s best right now, but Rice’s remarkable consistency—West Ham supporters, like him or loathe him, will confirm he was by a mile by their best player week in, week out for years—and his notably rounded profile, added to his array of outstanding performances against Europe’s elite, mean the Arsenal man may well boast the edge in this debate.
The Ecuadorian is right on his tail, though, and his prime time showing against Liverpool ensured the masses are fully aware of just how good he is.
What is for sure, the Premier League is blessed to have players of this calibre competing each and every week. They are making each other better and continue to push the boundaries of determines a truly world class midfielder.
- The 25 Best Defensive Midfielders in World Soccer—Ranked
- The 25 Best Central Midfielders in World Soccer—Ranked
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gravenberch, Rice, Caicedo—The Battle to Be the Premier League's Best Midfielder.
