The Best Defensive Midfielders
Many FUT formations require some midfielders with a natural aptitude to defend. Central defensive midfielders are mainly aimed to help the back line. However, according to their attributes and work rates, they can also help start attacks. Therefore, they occupy a very strategic position in the field.
It would be best if you looked at several attributes when choosing a central defensive midfielder: defending, to be able to support the back line; strength, to win possession more times; heading, to win the ball in aerial moves like goal kicks; pace, to cover as many spaces as possible; stamina, so he can equally participate in offensive and defensive plays (beneficial for players with high/high work rates); passing and possession, so that he can properly start attacks. In our opinion, the two first are the most important ones.
Usually, defensive midfielders are chosen to help the defence. So, it makes sense that they have high defensive stats. The area of the field occupied by CDMs is where most ball disputes happen. Strong players will have the highest probability of winning the ball.
Rating
Defending
Physical
Global Overview (CDM)
Kanté is clearly the best defensive midfielder of this league. Strong, fast and with good defensive and dribbling skills, you can count with him to defend but also attack.
For those who cannot afford Kanté, Casemiro was a great addition to this league. He is extremely solid on the defence and very usefull to start your attacks.
If you can’t leave without a fast defensive midfielder, don’t miss Zakaria. He is extremely fast and still good in the other things.
It’s important to note that we are analysing defensive midfielders. There are a few CDMs who are not as great as these ones playing in this position, but still are high quality players. It’s the case of Tielemans and Gündoğan, who are better overall players than Palhinha, for example, but not as good as him when the job is to keep the goal safe. Depending on your play stayle and needs, they may be very usefull.
The Best Centre Midfielders
Many games are decided in the midfield and not close to the goals. The players that play in these zones are the ones that should create chances and set the pace of the game.
Centre midfielders are responsible for discovering lines that break the opponent’s defence. Their passing quality has to be good so that they can assist forwards.
Good dribbling skills allow the team to move forward, creating potential problems for the other team.
Rating
Passing
Dribbling
Global Overview (CM)
The first choice for this position is pretty obvious. De Bruyne is the midfielder with the best passing and shooting stats in the game, but he also has other good things like the 5 stars weak foot and 4 stars skills. In summary, he is one of the best players money can buy (or FIFA Points).
Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes are good alternatives, but you should also consider Thiago or even Gündoğan if you have a play style based on a patient build-up.
One of the good surprises for this position is Matheus Nunes. Contrary to these two, he is extremely fast, and a has a very balanced profile. Another good affordable player is Lucas Paquetá, who, like Ødegaard, is one of the few 5-star skillers.
The Best Attacking Midfielders
An attacking centre midfielder is responsible for creating chances to score. They should have good dribbling, decent passing, a high long shot, and great vision stat.
These midfielders need to have good passing stats to assist forwards. However, they can make all the difference when the team is attacking if they are good dribblers.
Rating
Passing
Dribbling
Global Overview (CAM)
We picked Kevin De Bruyne for the CM position, but he plays even better as Centre Attacking Midfielder. Once again, Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes are the best alternatives to him.
Another interesting option is to use Phil Foden or Kai Havertz, especially if you are looking for someone faster.
Depending on your needs, some players can also perform well. Paquetá, for example, is an exciting choice but may be more useful as CM.
The Best Right Midfielders
Wingers are usually responsible for giving game width in the attack.
The pace is probably the biggest weapon of these players. They use it to escape opponents. However, being fast isn’t enough to reach the opponent’s box. A good dribbling stat will help you to surpass the opponents’ players that appear on the way. When reaching the opponent’s box, the winger has to decide what to do. Typically, he decides to cross, and that’s why it’s so important to have good passing stats.
Rating
Passing
Dribbling
Pace
Global Overview (RM, RW)
Salah is the obvious first choice for those who can pay his price. He has a superb cocktail of pace, shooting and dribbling stats that makes him one of the best players of this league.
Hopefully, there are several cheaper good alternatives. That’s the case of Sterling and Antony, two players who are not too different from each other. The first has better shooting and passing skills, while the Brazilian is faster.
You don’t have to choose one of these three. There are many other good players for this position. You can pick a top-speed winger, like Traoré, Bailey or Lucas, or you can give your preference to someone more solid, like Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus and Sancho.
The Best Left Midfielders
The left wingers have the same role as their teammates from the other side.
The pace is probably the biggest weapon of these players. They use it to escape opponents. However, being fast isn’t enough to reach the opponent’s box. A good dribbling stat will help you to surpass the opponents’ players that appear on the way. When reaching the opponent’s box, the winger has to decide what to do. Usually, he decides to cross, and that’s why it’s so important to have good passing stats.
Rating
Passing
Dribbling
Pace
Global Overview (LM, LW)
There is much quality on the left side of the attack in the Premier League. Now that Mané has left, the biggest name is Son. He has everything you need to perform like no one else.
If you can’t afford him, you can go for Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, or Sterling. They are all excellent choices. The Portuguese player is slightly slower but holds the ball much better.
If you need someone cheaper, we suggest two 5-star skillers: Zaha and Saint-Maximin. However, be aware that with the French player on your team, you will be defending with less one player.