According to the CIES Football Observatory, an organization that provides statistical analyses of the labour market for footballers, a ranking of the best players in the top 5 leagues (La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1) has been compiled for the year 2021 to date. Their performances in all league matches since 1 January were assessed. A player must have played at least two-thirds of the possible minutes in order to be included in the ranking. Stay tuned as Gazettely wants to reveal the 20 best players of 2021 so far!
Table of Contents
Marcel Halstenberg | Left-back | RB Leipzig | Germany
Marcel Halstenberg, born on 27 September 1991 in Laatzen, is a German football player, who plays for Leipzig and the German national team as a defender. He plays mainly at left-back, but can also play the roles of central defender and outside midfield. So far this season, Marcel has played a total of 26 matches for his club in Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Pokal, scoring 2 goals.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is the German Arnold.
Maximilian Arnold | Central Midfield | VfL Wolfsburg | Germany
Maximilian Arnold, born 27 May 1994 in Riesa, is a German football player. He plays as a central midfielder for VfL Wolfsburg in Bundesliga. He plays predominantly as a central midfielder but thanks to his versatility he can also be deployed as a trequartista, his preferred foot is the left. He is technically good, has a good shot from distance and is good at getting in front of the ball. This season he has so far played a total of 31 matches in all competitions for his team, scoring 3 goals and giving 5 assists.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Luis Suarez.
Luis Suarez | Centre forward | Atletico Madrid | Uruguay
If you are a football fan these days, you absolutely know Luis Suarez, but for those who don’t, Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz, born 24 January 1987 in Salto, Uruguay, is an Uruguayan football player who plays as a striker for Atlético de Madrid and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed El Pistolero, he is a cool and complete striker, very effective near the opponent’s goal; he not only stands out for his scoring skills but also because of his ability to give assists to his teammates.
He has a winning and competitive mentality, is gifted with remarkable timing in insertions, besides a marked propensity for defensive backs and pressing. Nevertheless, his career has been marred by repeated bouts of rage, which have earned him, despite himself, the nickname of Cannibal. In 32 matches for Atletico Madrid this season, Luis has scored a total of 19 goals. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Isak.
Alexander Isak | Centre Forward | Real Sociedad | Sweden
Alexander Isak, born 21 September 1999 in Solna, is a Swedish football player with Eritrean roots. He is a striker who plays for Real Sociedad San Sebastián and plays for the Swedish national team. A physically fit striker with a keen sense of goal, he is also at ease when moving away from the opponent’s penalty area. A versatile player, he has an excellent pace, which enhances his ability to attack deep inside the box, taking time off the opposing defenders, who then have difficulty catching him in the open field.
He has good technique and also assists the team’s movements. In this 2020/21 season so far, he has scored 12 goals in 35 matches so far. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Jose Fonte.
Jose Fonte | Centre-back | OSC Lille | Portugal
José Fonte, born 22 December 1983 in Penafiel, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a defender. He is playing for Portugal national team and for LOSC Lille, of which he is the captain. He is a physically strong central defender, thanks also to his 190 centimeters of height, which makes him dangerous on set pieces. In 38 matches so far this season, he has scored 3 goals for his team which is good for a defender. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Luis Alberto.
Luis Alberto | Attacking Midfield | Lazio | Spain
Luis Alberto Romero Alconchel, born 28 September 1992 in San José del Valle (Andalusia), is a Spanish football player who plays for Lazio. Known as “The Magician”, he is a trequartista, has excellent vision and is good at throwing the ball deep to his teammates as well as serving them assists through vertical, low-level filter passes. He also excels at recovering the ball and is very dangerous on the break. He’s right-footed, but can also use his left, and is a good crosser and shooter from outside the box and from set pieces, so much so that on several occasions he tries to score from corners.
An unpredictable, technically gifted player with a good nose for goal, a good dribbler and, thanks to his tactical flexibility, he can play in other roles, such as centre forward, where Simone Inzaghi moved him to in Lazio. So far this season, he has played a total of 31 matches, scoring 8 goals and providing 2 assists. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Gosens.
Robin Gosens | Left-back | Atalanta | Germany
Robin Gosens, born 5 July 1994 in Emmerich am Rhein, is a German-Dutch football player. Since 2017, the left-back has been playing for Italian first division club Atalanta and made his debut for the German national team in 2020. At first, he was used as a left midfielder, but then he evolved into a left outside midfielder and then left full-back. Gifted with a good physique and speed, he also proved to be an excellent goal scorer. This season so far, he has scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists in 35 matches for Atalanta this season. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Ndidi.
Wilfred Ndidi | Central midfield | Leicester City | Nigeria
Wilfred Ndidi, born 16 December 1996 in Lagos, Nigeria, is a Nigerian professional football player who plays as a midfielder for Leicester City in English Premier League and also for the Nigerian national team. He predominantly plays as a midfielder in front of the defence. A tactically disciplined player, he is physically strong and has fighting, stamina and ball recovery as his strengths. If required, he can also play as a central defender. This season, he has played a total of 26 matches in all competitions, scoring 1 goal and giving three assists.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Marcelo Brozovic.
Marcelo Brozovic | Central Midfield | Inter Milan | Croatia
Marcelo Brozovic is a Croatian professional footballer born on 16 November 1992 in Zagreb. He plays as a midfielder for Inter Milan and the Croatian national team. A versatile midfielder, he can play both defensive and offensive roles. When in top condition, he has a full repertoire, proving to be an effective match-fixer and a good play-maker, as well as finding his way to goal. His typical roles are as a trequartista, right outside forward or inside right in a three-man midfield.
He has also performed well in the Croatian national team since 2017 as a playmaker in front of the defence, a position he has also held in Spalletti’s Inter team since early 2018. He has scored one goal and gave 7 assists in 34 matches he has played for Inter so far this season. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Maripan.
Guillermo Maripan | Centre-back | AS Monaco | Chile
Guillermo Alfonso Maripán Loayza, born 6 May 1994 in San Miguel, Chile, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a central defender for AS Monaco and the Chile national team. With a height of 193 cm and great physical characteristics, Guillermo has proved to be one of the best Chilean defenders in recent years. In 23 matches so far in the 2020/21 season, he has scored 5 goals.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is the English talented footballer Jadon Sancho.
Jadon Sancho | Winger | Borussia Dortmund | England
Jadon Sancho, born 25 March 2000 in London, is an English football player who plays as a striker for Borussia Dortmund in Bundesliga and for the England national team. Widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football, he mainly plays on the right wing and has good speed. Skilled in dribbling and counter-attacking, he is also a good assist man for his teammates and is nicknamed The Rocket. He was named in The Guardian’s list of the top 60 footballers born in 2000 in 2017.
In 31 matches he has so far played in Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Pokal for Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has scored 12 goals and gave 16 assists to his teammates. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Insigne.
Lorenzo Insigne | Winger | SSC Napoli | Italy
Lorenzo Insigne, born on 4 June 1991 in Frattamaggiore, is an Italian professional football player, playing as a striker for SSC Napoli, of which he is the captain. Dubbed Il Magnifico for his good play and as a tribute to Lorenzo de Medici, he is one of the world’s best centre forwards. While he prefers to play as a left winger, he is a tactically versatile player, able to move across the entire attacking front, then switch and kick at goal.
Over the years he has significantly extended his playing range, operating across the offensive side as a playmaker supporting the forwards or as a second striker. This season so far, he has scored 15 goals and provided 9 assists to his teammates in 39 matches. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Andre Silva.
Andre Silva | Centre-forward | Eintracht Frankfurt | Portugal
André Silva, born on 6 November 1995 in Baguim do Monte, is a Portuguese professional football player who plays as a centre-forward for Eintracht Frankfurt. After starting his football career as an offensive midfielder, he developed into a forward, standing out for his physical and technical skills as well as his speed. The press has compared him to his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, who has indicated him as a possible heir. This season so far, the talented Portuguese footballer has scored 24 goals in 28 matches for his club, also giving 9 assists.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Toni Kroos.
Toni Kroos | Central Midfield | Real Madrid | Germany
Toni Kroos is a German professional football player, who was born on 4 January 1990 in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the GDR. He plays as a midfielder for Real Madrid and the German national team. A key player under Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, Toni Kroos has established himself as a crucial part of the Madrid team. He is considered by Paul Scholes to be the best in his position.
As one of the most talented German midfielders in the world, he has excellent vision and can play with both feet. He has been compared to Juan Román Riquelme. He started out as a trequartista but eventually became a central midfielder, with outstanding performances. He has also been used as a right or left halfback under Pep Guardiola. A versatile player, his technical skills include long-distance goals, with a powerful shot, free-kicks, crosses and precise passes.
The German star so far played a total of 37 matches for Real Madrid in La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, scoring 2 goals and providing 10 assists to his teammates. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is the French Nabil Fekir.
Nabil Fekir | Attacking Midfield | Real Betis | France
Nabil Fekir, born 18 July 1993 in Lyon, is a French football player, who plays since 2019 as an attacking midfielder or striker for Real Betis and France national team. He won the 2018 World Cup with them. A natural left-footed player, he mainly plays as a second striker, but can also play as a centre forward. He is gifted with an excellent technique, is very fast in the counter-attack, good in the scoring phase, very skilled in dribbling and in set pieces.
In his homeland, he is compared to Hatem Ben Arfa, who inspired him. He has the physicality and above all the ability to be devastating in one-on-one situations. In 31 matches so far in the 2020/21 season, he has played a total of 31 matches, scoring 3 goals and providing 6 assists to his teammates. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is the famous CR7.
Cristiano Ronaldo | Centre-forward | Juventus | Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, commonly known as Ronaldo or Cristiano Ronaldo, born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, is a Portuguese professional football player who plays as a striker for Juventus FC and Portugal national team. He is gifted with great sprinting speed (he is one of the fastest players in the world, with a top speed of 33.6 km/h). With the great individual technique, his technical background contains various feints, like dribbling, double steps, quick changes of direction and the so-called rabona. He is naturally right-footed and can kick with both feet.
An all-rounder, he can play on either flank or in the centre of the box. A winger by trade, he can also play as a centre forward thanks to his ability to move into the middle of the box from the left flank. He frequently crosses in from the wing, but he also has a keen sense of goal and can score with both his foot and head, including powerful shots from outside the box. So far in the current season, he has scored 32 goals in 36 matches for Juventus.
The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is the Portuguese Dias.
Ruben Dias | Centre-back | Manchester City | Portugal
Rúben Dias, born 14 May 1997 in Amadora, is a Portuguese professional footballer currently playing for Manchester City and Portugal national team. A centre-back, Dias is very good at passing, man-marking and anticipation. He also possesses good technique and dribbling skills that allow him to adapt to the full-back role if needed, in addition to his physical strength (which helps with aerial play) and good positional awareness. He is regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation.
During the current 2020/21 season, he has played a total of 40 matches for Manchester City in various competitions, scoring one goal. In the current season, he has also played 3 matches for Benfica, before joining the Citizens. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Jorginho.
Jorginho | Central Midfield | Chelsea FC | Italy
Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, better known as Jorginho, born 20 December 1991 in Imbituba, Brazil, is an Italian-Brazilian professional football player, who plays as a midfielder for English club Chelsea FC and represents Italy at the international level. The technically gifted central midfielder, he plays as a playmaker mainly in the 4-3-3 formation.
With good vision, he is an excellent penalty taker, having scored 26 out of 30 penalties in his career. Excellent in the non-possession phase and in long passes, he knows how to intercept balls and assert himself in battles. During the current season, he has played a total of 31 matches for Chelsea, scoring 7 goals and giving two assists. The next player is our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Lewandowski.
Robert Lewandowski | Centre-forward | FC Bayern Munich | Poland
Robert Lewandowski, born 21 August 1988 in Warsaw, is a Polish professional football player who plays as a striker for Bayern Munich and the Polish national team. He reached the quarter-finals of the Euro 2016 in France and participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia with Poland. An accurate goalscorer, good with his head and both feet, Lewandowski is a talented goal scorer and is considered one of the best performers in modern football.
He has all the characteristics of the best number nines: height, strength, balance, pace, tactical intelligence and the ability to finish with both feet. Despite operating mainly in the opponent’s penalty area, he is also very useful in other areas of the pitch due to his sense of position and shooting ability, his aerial strength and excellent technical ability, his acceleration, vision and physical skills. His ability to keep the ball with his back to the goal and help his teammates get up the pitch, as well as his ability to earn free kicks in useful positions on the pitch, are outstanding.
He also knows how to create space for his teammates and is useful in the containment phase of the opponent’s action. So far in the 2020/21 season, the great Polish striker has scored 42 goals and gave 8 assists in 36 matches in all competitions.
Lionel Messi | Attacker | FC Barcelona | Argentina
The best footballer in our list of best players of 2020/21 season is Messi. Lionel Messi, born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, is an Argentine professional football player who plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is the only player to have won the Golden Ball six times and the European Golden Shoe and is regarded as one of the best footballers in history. He was voted the best right winger of all time by France Football and the IFFHS selected him as the best player of the decade from 2011 to 2020.
With a height of 170 centimetres and a lower centre of gravity than more physically fit players, Messi is a technical, fast and very agile player with excellent ball control and acceleration skills. The Argentine is said to have reached a top speed of 32.5 km/h, according to the Centre for Sports Medicine at Brunel University in London in a FIFA study. He is naturally left-footed and is used to carrying the ball forward with the outside of his foot, switching direction in a very short time and dribbling.
He mostly provides assists for his teammates with the inside of his foot and finishes his actions by kicking towards the opponent’s goal. During his career, he has also improved his right foot. This season so far, Messi has scored 29 goals and gave 13 assists to his teammates in 38 matches.
What do you think about Gazettely’s list of best players of the 2020/21 season so far? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.
