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Top 5 midfielders from outside the top 5 leagues that your club should buy

  /  autty

It is almost impossible for any team to succeed without good midfielders. They generally run matches, controlling the matches for their respective teams.

That is why players like Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Thiago Alcantara, Sergio Busquets, etc. are held in very high regard. Incidentally, De Bruyne and Modric came through the ranks of teams outside the top five leagues with Genk and Dinamo Zagreb respectively.

The overall talent gap between the top-five leagues and the rest of European football is generally significant. However, it doesn't mean the latter is entirely devoid of quality football players. Let's look at some midfielders outside the top five leagues whom big clubs should buy.

#5 Orkun Kökçü

Orkun Kökçü is a 21-year-old Turkish midfielder who plays for Dutch club Feyenoord in Eredivise. He has cemented his place as one of the best players in the league this season. He has played as a more offensive midfielder in the past but has now evolved into a controller.

Despite that, he still has seven goals and nine assists in 32 league appearances this season. Kökçü has earned the reputation of being an elite technical midfielder in a double pivot. He helped Feyernoord reach the final of the inaugural Europa Conference League. A lot of teams will certainly look at him with interest in that game scheduled to be played on May 25 against Roma.

Suitable for: Arsenal. The Gunners are looking for a left central midfielder to rotate with and eventually replace Granit Xhaka. Kokcu could well be that man.

#4 Mohamed Camara

Red Bull Salzburg have a reputation for often churning out great talent and Mohamed Camara is the latest in line. The central midfielder is a bundle of energy and force in the middle of the park. He specialises in breaking down play through aggressive pressing and engaging in numerous defensive duels.

Camara is an intelligent passer as well, using his long passing range to initiate attacks and bring Salzburg's fast wingers into play. He can also drive himself into space from defensive midfield if the opposition are sitting deep. The 22-year-old Malian could sort out a lot of big teams for a decade or so.

Suitable for - AS Monaco. With them set to lose Aurelien Tchouameni (via ESPN), Camara could be the perfect player to slot in as a replacement. They are not stylistically similar, but he could still bolster their midfield.

#3 Mathues Nunes

For a 23-year-old Sporting Clube de Portugal player to be described as one of the best players in the world by Pep Guardiola is quite something. That is exactly what happened to Nunes. He is an absolute all-action all-rounder in central midfield. He participates in a high volume of duels and also stacks up an impressive number of interceptions.

On the ball, he is a good dribbler and progresses the ball really well. He has scored three goals and made two assists in 33 league appearances this season. Having enjoyed a great season with Sporting, Nunes looks like he will be in heavy demand this summer.

Suitable for- Manchester City. Pep let his admiration of the player be known and for good reason. City have spoken to their representatives and see him as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. who might be leaving.

#2 Vitinha

Unlike others on this list, Vitinha has already played in the Premier League on loan for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2020-21 season. He made 19 league appearances for them, making one assist.

Vitinha is a magician in midfield, full of dribbles and clever through balls and is also happy to go in for crunching tackles.

An excellent season where he was crucial to Porto lifting the Portuguese league has meant that multiple clubs are interested in him. He has scored two goals and made four assists in 30 league appearances this season.

Liverpool are said to be scouting him while others like Bayern Munich have also been mentioned (via Sports Illustrated). Once given the proper opportunity and guidance, Vitinha could be a star in the making.

Suitable for- Real Madrid. Although Los Blancos haven't been linked to him yet, they can do much worse than Vitinha when looking for an eventual successor for Modric.

#1 Ibrahim Sangare

Ibrahim Sangare, like Vitinha, has also played in a big league previously. He started off at Toulouse in France before moving to PSV Eindhoven when Toulouse were relegated in 2020.

Sangare has done really well in the Netherlands too. He is a quality defensive midfielder, superb aerially and in all kinds of defensive duels.

On the ball, he isn't particularly shabby, but his real quality lies in his defensive work. He was wanted by a lot of bigger clubs when he went to PSV and now his demand will be even higher. Liverpool are said to be looking to put in an offer for him as per Dutch journalist Marco Timmer (via Empire of the Kop).

Suitable for- Manchester United. United have been crying out for a defensive midfielder for a long time now. Someone who can engage in a high volume of defensive duels and break the opposition play. This is where Sangare could be extremely good.