20. Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Bayern Munich may live to regret allowing Hummels to move to Borussia Dortmund as the German centre-back is rapidly establishing himself as one of the finest defenders in Europe. Hummels is comfortable on the ball, composed at the back and a natural leader, and is reportedly attracting interest from a host of clubs from the European elite.
19. Gigi Buffon (Juventus)
A stalwart for both Juventus and Italy during the last decade, Buffon is arguably the best goalkeeper in world football. The player has 124 caps and counting for his national side. Buffon has won a plethora of awards for his goalkeeping exploits and was an integral part of Antonio Conte’s Juventus side that went unbeaten last season.
18. Thiago Silva (PSG)
The Brazilian played all over the pitch before finally settling on the centre-back position where he has since gone on to excel. So important was Silva to the AC Milan team, fans of the club protested when news emerged that he was being sold to the Qatari-backed Ligue 1 side, PSG.
17. Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
The industrious striker is famous for falling out with his managers, most recently going on strike to Argentina after refusing to come on as a sub for Manchester City. But when Tevez is happy and on form, his class is readily apparent and the Argentine played a key role in firing Manchester City to the title last season.
16. Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid)
The goggle-eyed midfielder has seemingly won round Madrid boss Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese manager reportedly dismissed the player’s abilities. Ozil has since gone on to prove his class, becoming a shining light in a Real Madrid side packed with star players. Ozil is perhaps most responsible for Luka Modric’s failure to break into the Real first team.
15. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
The Argentine will forever be etched into the memories of Manchester City fans after his last minute goal in the final game of last season secured the Premier League title for the club. Still only 24, Aguero is still getting better and City may find themselves losing the player if they fail to mount improved attempts at the Champions League trophy.
14. Juan Mata (Chelsea)
Despite Chelsea’s disappointing season, Mata has proven his class with some quality displays in the Blues’ midfield. The Spaniard is currently the first name on the team sheet at Stamford Bridge and has been in great form this season, weighing in with a number of goals and assists. Fernando Torres would probably prefer Mata stopped giving him so many opportunities to miss.
13. Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
The Liverpool midfield has never really recovered from the loss of Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard is the master of sitting just in front of the defence, breaking up the play before unleashing cross field passes to release the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria. Ronaldo may get the headlines but Xabi Alonso makes the side tick.
12. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
While those ahead of him are busy orchestrating attacks, Busquets gets on with the job of preventing the other team scoring. Busequet’s football may not be as pretty as that of his team-mates, but his role is equally as important to the Catalan giant’s success. Still only 24, the midfield enforcer is set to remain amongst the best in his position for years to come.
11. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Despite his ageing years, Pirlo remains one of the best playmakers in the game. The Italian put in some outstanding performances for Italy in last summer’s European Championships as he led his team to the semi-finals. His displays were epitomised by his ice-cool Panenka penalty chip over Joe Hart against England. At 33, Pirlo remains a vital part of the current Juventus team and was integral to their unbeaten season last year.