Football Manager 2019: Best Midfielders (Attacking, Central & Defensive)

Midfielders are the key to the team, they dictate the tempo to the game. Having quality in the centre of the park is vital, with these men starting attacking moves, creating goal scoring opportunities and protecting the defence when out of possession.

On FM19 they should be your main focus, especially with so many roles for you to choose in the attacking midfield (AMC), central midfield (MC) and defensive midfield (DM) positions. 

RealSport runs through the best five players on the game in each of the midfield areas as you decide which one is the best fit for your club on FM this year. 

Attacking midfielders (AMC)

The most glamorous position on the pitch, the number 10, the playmaker, the trequartista, it's highly important you have someone who can perform as an attacking midfielder in your squad. If you play the now common 4-2-3-1 formation, he will be the star of your team. 

Kevin De Bruyne (CA 186 – PA 186)

Age: 26

Positions: AM (C), M (RC)

Club: Manchester City

Country: Belgium

Best stats: 19 vision, 19 passing, 18 first touch

Value: £80 million

Wage: £230,000 a week

Equally adept as an attacking or central midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne is the best player in the middle of the park on FM 19. The Belgian had a fantastic campaign for Manchester City last season, picking up 16 assists and eight goals as he claimed his first Premier League title.

The 26-year-old De Bruyne has stats of 19 vision, 19 passing, 18 first touch to take him to a 186 CA on the game, which has reached its potential. You will need a substantial bid to claim the former Chelsea and Wolfsburg star, with a value of £80 million and wages of £230,000 a week. 

David Silva (CA 179 – PA 179)

Age: 32

Positions: AM (C), M (C)

Club: Manchester City

Country: Spain

Best stats: 19 vision, 19 first touch, 19 balance

Value: £66.6 million

Wage: £160,000 a week

David Silva follows his Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne as the second best midfielder on the Football Manager 2019. Just like KDB, Silva has transitioned from an attacking to a central midfielder under manager Pep Guardiola, to great effect with the Spaniard bagging nine goals and 11 assists in the league last season.

World Cup winner Silva has a peaked 179 CA on the game, containing stats of 19 vision, 19 first touch and 19 balance. His value of £66.6 million is a lot for a 32-year-old, and that is on top of his £160,000 a week wages. 

Paulo Dybala (CA 174 – PA 185)

Age: 24

Positions: AM (C), ST

Club: Juventus

Country: Argentina

Best stats: 19 technique, 18 first touch, 18 free kick training

Value: £70 million

Wage: £224,000 a week

Paulo Dybala is a goal scoring number 10, so much so that he has spent much of his career playing as a striker. Aged 24, this could be the season the Argentine gets global recognition, held back by failing to score for the national team in 16 caps despite bagging 73 in 150 games for Juventus.

Dybala has abilities of 19 technique, 18 first touch and 18 free kick taking to lift his CA to 174, which can rise to a fantastic potential of 185. Valued at £70 million, La Joya will be tough to snatch from Juve’s grasp especially with wages of 224,000 a week. 

Christian Eriksen (CA 174 – PA 179)

Age: 26

Positions: AM (LC), M (C)

Club: Tottenham

Country: Denmark

Best stats: 19 natural fitness, 19 stamina, 19 temperament

Value: £65 million

Wage: £75,000 a week

Christian Eriksen is probably the first traditional number 10 we have seen, with the Tottenham star an expert playmaker. He has spent a lot of time for Spurs on the flanks, to accommodate teammate Dele Alli, but that has not stopped him bagging 41 goals and setting up a further 54 in just over four seasons in North London.

Aged 26, Eriksen’s 174 current ability rating can still rise to a 179 potential, so his 19 natural fitness, 19 stamina and 19 temperament will receive greater support. His value of £65 million may rule out any immediate signing, but you could tempt him with wages higher than his current £75,000 a week. 

Isco (CA 173 – PA 180)

Age: 26

Positions: AM (LRC), M (RL)

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Spain

Best stats: 18 dribbling, 18 flair, 18 technique

Value: £69 million

Wage: £404,000 a week

A fantastic player to watch, Isco is sensational with the ball at his feet. The Spaniard is another man often set out wide however, with Real Madrid opting for the more balanced trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in their first team. 

Isco is just about to enter his peak aged 26, so look to take advantage of his 173 CA and 180 potential. 18 dribbling, 18 flair and 18 technique value him at £69 million but with colossal wages of £404,000 a week on FM 19. 

All the best attacking midfielders (AMC) on Football Manager 2019

Central midfielders (MC)

Central midfielders have the toughest task on the pitch, having to help create chances as well as deny the opposition from hurting the defence. So many skills are needed, but positioning is vital to make it in the engine room. 

Luka Modric (CA 178 – PA 180)

Age: 32

Positions: M (C) 

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Croatia

Best stats: 19 passing, 18 vision, 18 decisions

Value: £59.3 million

Wage: £322,000 a week

Luka Modric operated close to a number 10 back at Tottenham, but the 32-year-old has been transformed into one of the finest all-round midfielders on the planet at Real Madrid. After claiming his fourth Champions League title and dragging Croatia to a first ever World Cup final (and winning the Golden Ball), Modric won the FIFA Best Men’s Award, the first to win the prize or equivalent outside of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi since Kaka in 2007. 

Modric has 19 passing, 18 vision and 18 decisions on the FM 19 to take his current ability rating to 178 just two off his 180 potential. At the age of 32, his £59.3 million value may be a bit steep, let alone his £322,000 a week wages so a signing appears unlikely. 

Paul Pogba (CA 174 – PA 185)

Age: 25

Positions: AM (C), M (C)

Club: Manchester United

Country: France

Best stats: 19 flair, 19 ambition, 18 passing

Value: £66.4 million

Wage: £200,000 a week

When Paul Pogba is at the top of his game, he is the best midfielder on the planet. It was seen in flashes during the World Cup, but the world champion is often suffocated at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho, and we have rarely seen the £89 million player they signed from Juventus.

A 174 CA for Pogba can still improve to a 185 PA, with the French amazingly only 25 years’ old. 19 flair, 19 ambition and 18 passing are superb attributes, and with a £66.4 million and £200,000 a week wages, a transfer in the near future is not out of the question. 

Toni Kroos (CA 170 – PA 176)

Age: 28

Positions: DM, M (C)

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Germany

Best stats: 20 passing, 19 decisions, 18 vision 

Value: £61.8 million

Wage: £345,000 a week

A fantastic ball player with terrific vision, Toni Kroos has seemingly done it all in football aged only 28. The Real Madrid star has won four Champions Leagues, three Bundesligas, one La Liga and the World Cup, and will certainly go down as one of the most decorated players in history. 

Former Bayern man Kroos’ abilities of 20 passing, 19 decisions and 18 vision scream of a player who will conduct things in the middle of the park. His 170 CA can still improve to a 176 potential, valuing him at £61.8 million but with hefty wages of £345,000 a week. 

Miralem Pjanic (CA 169 – PA 173)

Age: 28

Positions: DM, M (C)

Club: Juventus

Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Best stats: 19 freekick taking, 18 passing, 18 anticipation

Value: £60.4 million

Wage: £208,000 a week

Of a similar mould is Miralem Pjanic, who although isn’t quite a defensive midfielder, loves to operate from deeper areas. At Roma, the Bosnian scored 30 goals and added 46 assists, before sealing a bargain £29 million move to Juventus where he has added silverware, with two Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias in his first two seasons. 

Pjanic, 28, is valued at £60.4 million on FM 19, with wages of £208,000 a week putting a possible move in the balance. 19 free kick taking, 18 passing and 18 anticipation take him to a 169 potential ability score, closing in on a 173 potential. 

Radja Nainggolan (CA 167 – PA 170)

Age: 30

Positions: AM (C), M (C)

Club: Inter Milan

Country: Belgium

Best stats: 20 bravery, 19 determination, 18 work rate

Value: £58 million

Wage: £144,000 a week

A versatile midfielder, Radja Nainggolan has operated as an attacking, central and defensive mid during his career. The Belgian made the big switch from Roma to Inter Milan over the summer, in search of some first career silverware aged 30. 

Nainggolan’s 20 bravery, 19 determination and 18 work rate lift him to a 167 CA, which may be able to lean back toward a 170 potential. His recent move coupled with his £58 million value and £144,000 a week wages makes a transfer in the near future unlikely. 

All the best central midfielders (MC) on Football Manager 2019

Defensive midfielders (DM)

Defensive midfielders are tasked with an important role, as without them, the defence would be exposed. DMs come in various shapes and sizes, they can be big and bullish, or nimble and agile to close down the opposition and win the ball back. 

Thiago (CA 167 – PA 173)

Age: 27

Positions: DM, AM (C), M (C)

Club: Bayern Munich

Country: Spain

Best stats: 19 vision, 19 first touch, 19 technique

Value: £58 million

Wage: £207,000 a week

Thiago can play both as a defensive or central midfielder on Football Manager 2019, but with his ball skills he will still be an asset going forward in either position. Picked up for Bayern for just £15 million by Pep Guardiola as he took the Spaniard with him from Barcelona, Thiago has been an excellent performer for the Bavarians over his five seasons. With his 165 appearances helping win five Bundesliga titles on the bounce, he also won the Champions League in Spain, but not as a key player, something he will look to correct in Germany. 

Valued at £58 million with wages of £207,000 a week, Thiago could be worth a move for his 19 vision, 19 first touch and 19 technique. Those take his CA to 167 which can improve to a 173 potential. 

Sergio Busquets (CA 166 – PA 171)

Age: 29

Positions: DM (C), M (C)

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Best stats: 19 teamwork, 19 anticipation, 18 decisions

Value: £60.5 million

Wage: £144,000 a week

Having Sergio Busquets in your side is like having an extra centre back in front of the defence, but with exceptional control of the ball. Somehow only 29, the Spaniard has been in the Barcelona first team for a decade, winning seven league titles, three Champions Leagues as well as a World Cup and a European Championship. 

Busquets’ 19 teamwork, 19 anticipation and 18 decisions take him to a 166 CA, which could creep towards a 171 potential. Valued at £60.5 million, having wages of £144,000 a week and being loyal to Barcelona, don’t expect to prize him away from the Nou Camp. 

Fernandinho (CA 165 – PA 165)

Age: 33

Positions: DM (C), M (C)

Club: Manchester City

Country: Brazil

Best stats: 20 loyalty, 20 sportsmanship, 19 adaptability 

Value: £32.5 million

Wage: £180,000 a week

Fernandinho has perhaps been the most improved player under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, with the defensive or central midfielder now regarded as world class despite his age. The 33-year-old looked to be on his way out of the Etihad but earned himself a new contract in January 2018, and is the vital steel that is needed to balance out City’s attacking talents. 

A 165 CA for Fernandinho is at its peak, so you should look to cash in on his 20 loyalty, 20 sportsmanship and 19 adaptability attributes. With a value of £32.5 million and £180,000 a week wages, a move is certainly not out of the question. 

Casemiro (CA 162 – PA 167)

Age: 26

Positions: DM (C), M (C)

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Brazil

Best stats: 19 stamina, 19 work rate, 18 aggression

Value: £49.4 million

Wage: £43,000 a week

Casemiro just edges out Fernandinho for the Brazil national team, with the Real Madrid man enduring a massive turn around in his career. The 26-year-old looked surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu after going out on loan to Porto in 2014, but after Zinedine Zidane stepped in as manager the defensive midfielder was brought into the Real first team to balance out the midfield. Four years later, Casemiro has taken his Champions League tally to four alongside a La Liga triumph in 2017.

Casemiro is only valued at £49.4 million with a £43,000 a week wages, meaning you should jump at the chance to sign him. His 162 CA can still improve to a 167 potential, with his best stats his 19 stamina, 19 work rate and 18 aggression. 

Arturo Vidal (CA 161 – PA 176)

Age: 31

Positions: DM (C), M (C)

Club: Barcelona

Country: Chile

Best stats: 20 determination, 20 work rate, 20 aggression

Value: £50 million

Wage: £155,000 a week

Staying at Barcelona, Arturo Vidal has managed to squeeze in another big move towards the end of his career. Aged 31, the defensive or central midfielder looked past his best in his final season at Bayern Munich, but his experience will be vital in Catalonia with a gradual changing of the guard taking place at Barca. 

Former Juventus man Vidal has 20 determination, 20 work rate and 20 aggression to take him to a 165 CA. This has fallen from his 176 potential, but still values him at £50 million with a £155,000 a week wages. 

All the best defensive midfielders (DM) on Football Manager 2019