The 2021–2022 campaign has essentially wrapped up, with leagues all over Europe having played their final games of the season. A Champions League winner has been crowned as well, with Real Madrid beating Liverpool in a 1–0 thriller that provided a satisfying conclusion to a great season. Although there are still Nations League games to be played, now is the time to review the 2021–2022 campaign, and truly determine who the best players of the season were. This is part one of a four-part article series, and I will cover 25 players in each article. The stats that are used in this series are from all competitions, provided from FBref, and the positions used are the positions that the players are listed as on Transfermarkt. The rankings are mostly based on this season’s performance, not based on ability. Now, let’s get into the list.
100. Inter, CM Marcelo Brozović
Stats: 4078 MP, 3G, 3A, 0.13 GA/90, 106 SCA, 2.67 SCA/90, 21 Dribbles
Since signing for Inter in January 2015, Marcelo Brozović has been the most consistent presence in their midfield. In the 2020–2021 season, the Croatian international helped lead Inter to their first Serie A title since the 2009–2010 season, getting seven assists in all competitions. He took a step back this season, but he was still a top 100 player. He’s a great passer, as he completes passes at a high volume and had a 91.3% completion rate last season. He’s a solid creative outlet for Inter, registering above 100 shot creating actions in all of his full seasons at the club. And he’s been solid defensively throughout his career at Inter. Brozović isn’t the flashiest player, and he doesn’t get as much fanfare as some of the other players at Inter, but he’s vital to their success.
99. Arsenal, AM Martin Ødegaard
Stats: 3097 MP, 7G, 5A, 0.35 GA/90, 134 SCA, 4.33 SCA/90, 22 Dribbles
As an Arsenal fan, I can personally tell you that Martin Ødegaard was an absolute joy to watch in the 2021–2022 campaign. He had always showcased his potential in sporadic instances throughout his career, and this was the case on his loan spell at Arsenal last season. But his inability to maintain a consistently high level for an entire season is why many doubted the decision to make his stay permanent, especially with rumors of players such as James Maddison potentially coming to the Emirates. The sentiment was that Ødegaard was a Real Madrid reject who would simply never reach the potential that was placed on him from such a young age. He proved everyone who doubted him wrong this season. Ødegaard’s very composed with the ball at his feet, he has great field vision, and he can control the game. He’s lower on this list because didn’t have a lot of assists last year, due to the constant turnover that Arsenal had at the centre-forward position, but I would not be surprised to see him rise further once Arsenal upgrade at centre-forward.
98. RB Salzburg, CF Karim Adeyemi
Stats: 2543 MP, 22G, 6A, 0.99 GA/90, 82 Shots, 44 SOG, 53.7 SOG %
In the 2021–2022 campaign, Karim Adeyemi went from an exciting young talent to a bonafide star. Since moving from Unterhaching to RB Salzburg, he had showcased his potential in short spurts, bagging eight goals and seven assists in the 2020–2021 season in only 1,200 minutes across all competitions. But this year, he truly stepped it up another level. Adeyemi scored a career-high 22 goals in all competitions this season, including three goals in Champions League play. At the age of 19, he led the entirety of the Austrian Bundesliga in goals for an RB Salzburg side that won the league comfortably and was playing Champions League football. He’s truly a special talent at centre-forward, and that’s why Borussia Dortmund hand-picked him to be the heir apparent to Erling Haaland.
97. Wolves, GK José Sá
Stats: 3285 MP, 40 GA, 1.10 GA/90, 79.3 Save %, 11 CS, 9.2 PSxG +/-
José Sá was arguably the signing of the season in the Premier League, as he had an otherworldly season to lead Wolves to a mid-table finish. Among goalkeepers in the Premier League, his 79.3% save percentage was the best mark that any of them had in the 2021–2022 season. His 9.2 PSxG +/- means that Wolves conceded nine less goals than they would be expected to had he not been in goal, and that mark is the best among all goalkeepers on this list. Holding him back from being much higher on this list is the fact that Wolves were still a mediocre side in the Premier League, and he didn’t play a single game in any European competition. But it’s hard to imagine a world where Wolves finishes any higher than 10th without José Sá in net for them.
96. Porto, CF Mehdi Taremi
Stats: 3086 MP, 22G, 14A, 1.05 GA/90, 125 Shots, 47 SOG, 37.6 SOG %
Mehdi Taremi has been one of the better centre forwards in the world ever since moving from the Qatar Stars League to the Primeira Liga in Portugal. First making his mark in Portugal by scoring 18 goals in the 2019–2020 season with Rio Ave, he then signed a contract with Porto. Since then, he’s become a complete striker. After only registering two assists in all competitions in his lone season with Rio Ave, Taremi has posted double digit assist seasons in both of his seasons with Porto. He’s been bagging goals as the target man for a Porto side that is fresh off a Primeira Liga championship, and he’s been creating chances for others as well. He’s one of the more underappreciated players in the world, and he is absolutely a top 100 player of the past season.
95. Sevilla, GK Yassine Bounou
Stats: 3720 MP, 33 GA, 0.80 GA/90, 78.6 Save %, 16 CS, 8.5 PSxG +/-
Yassine Bounou has been one of the more underappreciated goalkeepers of the past two years, as he’s led Sevilla to Champions League football in both of his seasons as the team’s full-time goalkeeper. He’s had save percentages of at least 78% in all competitions in both seasons that he’s been Sevilla’s goalkeeper, and he has 39 clean sheets combined in all competitions between the two years. He doesn’t receive as much recognition on a global sphere as his La Liga contemporaries, such as Oblak, ter Stegen, or even Unai Simón, but Bounou is undoubtedly one of the best shot-stoppers in the world. His distribution isn’t the best, as his launch % and average length of goal kicks are both below average for goalkeepers in Europe, but his shot-stopping is good enough to earn him a spot on this list.
94. Rangers, RB James Tavernier
Stats: 4445 MP, 16G, 15A, 0.63 GA/90, 31.2 Press %, 66 Int, 22 Dribbles
Similar to his adversary in the Europa League final, who I will talk about later, James Tavernier probably could have gone to a bigger club earlier in his career. Maybe if he had left Rangers, he would have earned a call up to England’s national team. But it doesn’t matter now. Tavernier is entering his age 30 season, and after bouncing around lower league clubs on loan as a Newcastle youngster, Tavernier has seemed to settle in very well in his role as the captain of Rangers. When he arrived at the club, Rangers was in the Scottish second-tier, four years removed from a financial crisis that sent the club into administration and forced them to be placed in the Scottish fourth-tier. Now, seven years later, Rangers are back to being a top two club in the Premiership, and Tavernier is arguably the biggest reason for that turnaround.
93. Inter, LM Ivan Perišić
Stats: 3875 MP, 10G, 8A, 0.42 GA/90, 127 SCA, 3.41 SCA/90, 28 Dribbles
In recent years, Perišić had seen his role diminished at Inter Milan. He had struggled to adapt to Conte’s system, leading to his eventual loan to Bayern Munich in the 2019–2020 season. After Inter failed to reach agreement on a permanent deal with Bayern, Perišić returned to the club. It was in this season where he managed to adjust to Conte’s system, playing more as a wing-back instead of a winger. This led to Inter’s title charge, and Perišić’s role at the club was reinforced. Even with Conte leaving, he continued to succeed at Inter this season, bagging ten goals and eight assists. As a left wing-back, he’s not a great defender compared to others at the position, but he can progress the ball and get involved in the final third much better than other fullbacks. It’s a big part of the reason why Antonio Conte signed him away from his former club, and it’s why he’s among the top 100 players in the world.
92. Ajax, CM Ryan Gravenberch
Stats: 2907 MP, 2G, 6A, 0.25 GA/90, 20 SCA, 2.56 SCA/90, 12 Dribbles
Ryan Gravenberch was another Ajax player who wasn’t on the list originally, but I don’t really have an explanation as to why he wasn’t included. It was really just oversight by me when I was originally making this list. He first burst onto the scene in the 2020–2021 season, starting 42 matches for an Ajax side that won yet another Eredivisie title. As an 18 year old, his efforts earned him a spot on the 20-man Golden Boy shortlist, alongside other top youngsters such as Pedri and Phil Foden. He didn’t perform as well this season, partially because he was held back by an ankle injury he sustained early in May. But he was still a great midfielder. Gravenberch is a wonderful passer, he’s a capable defender, and he creates chances well for others, despite what the numbers say. He’ll fit in perfectly at Bayern Munich next season, operating next to Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.
91. Chelsea, DM Jorginho
Stats: 3508 MP, 9G, 3A, 0.31 GA/90, 87 Tackles, 35.5 Press %, 98 Int
Jorginho was coming off of a career year of sorts in 2020–2021, where he was instrumental in Chelsea’s triumph over Manchester City in the Champions League Final and in Italy’s win in the Euros. This success led to him being named third place in Ballon d’Or voting on November 29th, behind Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. The role that Jorginho plays is underrated by some who think he doesn’t do more than complete five yard passes, while it can also be overrated by some who look at the successes of his teams to determine how good of a player he actually is. Jorginho was not the third best player in the world in the 2021–2022 season, but he was still a top 100 player. Although his goal tally may seem good for a defensive midfielder, it’s inflated by penalties, with all nine of his goals in all competitions coming from the spot. Jorginho can control the tempo of the game when he’s on, but he is prone to making some errors when he is off.
90. Frankfurt, LM Filip Kostić
Stats: 3662 MP, 7G, 14A, 0.52 GA/90, 167 SCA, 4.10 SCA/90, 41 Dribbles
It was impossible to exclude Filip Kostić after the season he just had. I’ve previously wondered in the past how Kostić had not earned a move to a better club, as he’s one of the more underrated players in the world. He had consistently put up double digit assist seasons on a mediocre Bundesliga side without getting much recognition. But this year, people took notice. The Serbian international was on point for both club and country this season. Along with Dušan Tadić and Dušan Vlahović, Kostić led Serbia to a 2–1 victory over Portugal in the World Cup Qualifiers to secure a spot for Serbia in the 2022 World Cup. And for club, Kostic led a mid-table Frankfurt side to an undefeated record in the Europa League, with wins over Betis, Barcelona, West Ham, and Rangers punctuating their championship run and earning Frankfurt a spot in the Champions League.
89. Bayern Munich, GK Manuel Neuer
Stats: 3500 MP, 38 GA, 0.98 GA/90, 70.0 Save %, 14 CS, -1.6 PSxG +/-
This season, we reached a point where Manuel Neuer had noticeably declined. He conceded more goals last year, but the defensive disasters he had to deal with on a regular basis made it excusable. It’s no longer excusable. He was 35 this season, and will be 36 going into next year. Neuer had to look human eventually, age catches up to all players at some point. And it caught up to him this year. Bayern was still incredibly successful this season, winning yet another Bundesliga title. In doing so, they became the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to win ten consecutive league titles. Neuer was definitely a big part of that, and it’s why he’s above other keepers who may have been better statistically, but it’s fair to acknowledge that he’s past his prime at this point.
88. Bayer Leverkusen, CF Patrik Schick
Stats: 2213 MP, 24G, 3A, 1.10 GA/90, 92 Shots, 44 SOG, 47.8 SOG %
Patrik Schick burst into the international spotlight with his Puskas-nominated goal in the Euros against Scotland during the 2021 summer, and his five goals tied Cristiano Ronaldo for the top scorer in the Euros. But, many wondered how he would follow it up for his club. He had showcased solid potential in the past, but the Czech international had only ever scored 13 goals in all competitions in a single season. Few people could have foreseen the breakout that was to follow. Schick nearly doubled his career high in all competitions with a 24 goal outburst in only 2,213 minutes, and his emergence was a massive reason behind Leverkusen’s return to Champions League football. He’s not a complete striker, as he doesn’t create many chances for others nor is he a particularly gifted dribbler, but he gets goals effectively, and he operates well as the target man in Leverkusen’s system.
87. Monaco, CF Wissam Ben Yedder
Stats: 3250 MP, 30G, 5A, 0.97 GA/90, 88 Shots, 48 SOG, 54.5 SOG %
Since he broke into Toulouse’s starting eleven in the 2012–2013 season, Wissam Ben Yedder has been one of the world’s most underappreciated centre forwards. He’s made stops at Sevilla and Monaco since then, and he’s managed to score double digit goals in all competitions in every single season he’s played. That is ten consecutive seasons scoring in double digit figures, a remarkable sign of consistency from Ben Yedder. And even now, at his age 30 season, he is still improving. He managed to score a career high in goals in both domestic league play and in all competitions, with 25 and 30 goals respectively. Wissam Ben Yedder isn’t among the world’s elite strikers, but he’s one who has been incredibly consistent throughout his career, and managed to step up his game even further this year.
86. Marseille, AM Dimitri Payet
Stats: 3725 MP, 16G, 13A, 0.70 GA/90, 212 SCA, 6.61 SCA/90, 47 Dribbles
Dimitri Payet had a truly wonderful season this year as the leader of a very successful Marseille side. He was both the leading scorer and assister in Ligue 1 play for a Marseille team that earned a return to Champions League football with a second place finish in the table. Granted, seven out of his 16 goals in all competitions were from penalties, but he still managed to score a lot of goals from open play. Payet is excellent at creating chances for others, but his 212 shot creating actions in all competitions was a career high, even for him. His issues come on the defensive end of the ball, where he’s a massive liability, even compared to other attacking midfielders, and it prevents him from being a more complete midfielder and moving higher up this list.
85. West Ham, RW Jarrod Bowen
Stats: 4112 MP, 18G, 11A, 0.63 GA/90, 111 SCA, 2.80 SCA/90, 37 Dribbles
West Ham United has made an unbelievable turnaround recently, and Jarrod Bowen is a massive reason behind it. When he first arrived at the club in January 2020, they finished the season in 16th place. In the two seasons since then, West Ham have finished 6th and 7th place. Bowen’s continually improved since then, and his last season was his best to date. His 12 Premier League goals were the best mark of his career, and his 11 assists in all competitions were also a career high. He was the leading scorer and assister on a West Ham side that managed to reach the semi-finals in the Europa League, and a side that almost managed to earn European football for the second consecutive year. West Ham probably wouldn’t have even finished in the top half of the table without Bowen, much less in contention for European football.
84. Atletico Madrid, CM Rodrigo de Paul
Stats: 2936 MP, 4G, 1A, 0.15 GA/90, 104 SCA, 3.43 SCA/90, 28 Dribbles
Rodrigo de Paul was one of many players who burst into the national spotlight with strong performances during international tournaments. He only had a goal and an assist in six Copa America games for Argentina, but his impact on that midfield was immense, and he was a massive reason why Messi was able to win his first Copa America. After his performance for his country, he started to get more attention from top clubs, and he earned a $38.5 million move from Udinese to Atletico Madrid. De Paul’s end product fell off last season, as he went from nine goals and nine assists to just four and one. But, he was still very active defensively, making loads of ball recoveries and providing a stable presence in Atletico’s midfield. Atletico Madrid somewhat struggled as a whole last year, as they followed up their title charge with a somewhat disappointing third place finish. But, Rodrigo de Paul was a key reason why they still managed to earn Champions League football.
83. Lyon, AM Lucas Paquetá
Stats: 3270 MP, 11G, 8A, 0.52 GA/90, 145 SCA, 3.99 SCA/90, 88 Dribbles
Ever since leaving Milan prior to the 2020–2021 season, Lucas Paquetá has adjusted very well to life in Lyon. He’s had double digit goals and at least six assists in all competitions in both of his seasons at the club, and he was a key part of Brazil reaching the Copa America Final and going undefeated in their World Cup Qualifiers. Paquetá can dribble past defenders with ease, and this allows him to create chances for others around him. He ranks above the 80th percentile in dribbles completed per 90, successful dribble percentage, and players dribbled past. Combine his innate ability to progress the ball forward with passing that ranks among the best attacking midfielders in the world, and you get a great creative outlet. Paquetá is also a very active defensive player compared to other attacking midfielders, making him a really complete player. It would not be surprising to see Paquetá improve even more when he eventually moves on from Lyon.
82. Arsenal, RM Bukayo Saka
Stats: 3343 MP, 12G, 7A, 0.51 GA/90, 142 SCA, 4.29 SCA/90, 49 Dribbles
After his penalty miss at the Euro Final, Bukayo Saka faced unbelievable amounts of racial abuse from fans, some of whom were even prosecuted because of it. Some worried that the pressure of facing such hatred on daily basis would affect his play for Arsenal going into the next season. But Saka used the hatred he received after the Euros as fuel going into the club season, and he proved those who doubted him wrong with a career-best campaign. He managed to get a career high in goals in all competitions, as well as a career high in assists in the Premier League. He’s a good dribbler, and a gifted passer who can create chances for others with ease. It was mentioned in Ødegaard’s entry as well, but Arsenal’s constant turnover at the striker position limited the amount of assists that he had. With a better centre forward, that number should only go up next year. He was really the main reason why Arsenal managed to get back to European football, and he completed his transformation from a talented youngster to a bonafide star.
81. Manchester City, LW Raheem Sterling
Stats: 3126 MP, 17G, 8A, 0.72 GA/90, 110 SCA, 3.65 SCA/90, 66 Dribbles
Raheem Sterling is not the same player he was two years ago, when he scored 20 goals in the Premier League and 31 in all competitions. But, he’s still among the better wingers in the world. Sterling performed very well throughout the entirety of the Euros in 2021, and his form for the most part in this season wasn’t too much worse than that. Sterling’s had a noticeable decline, and his role is slowly being replaced by other players such as Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Julián Álvarez, and Bernardo Silva. But he still scores at a solid rate, is a very good dribbler, and can get assists and create chances for others. This may be the end of Sterling’s Manchester City career, as many speculate that he’ll be seeking an exit in search for a team where he’ll have a bigger role. But if it is truly the end for Sterling at Manchester, the team that he goes to will still be getting a very good player.
80. Real Madrid, CM Federico Valverde
Stats: 2864 MP, 1G, 2A, 0.09 GA/90, 80 SCA, 2.73 SCA/90, 33 Dribbles
Federico Valverde was vital to Real Madrid’s Champions League run. He didn’t have as much end product as some of the other players on the team, but you could argue that Madrid don’t win the Champions League without him. His versatility allowed Ancelotti to deploy him as both a right winger at times and a central midfielder, making him invaluable to Madrid’s style of play. Valverde is a good dribbler, he controls the ball very well, he’s a good passer, and he’s very active defensively. The goals will come with time, but Federico Valverde is one of the world’s best youngsters, and he could become one of the best midfielders in the world as he develops. Real Madrid’s future midfield is in very safe hands with him, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Eduardo Camavinga locked up for years to come.
79. Manchester City, GK Ederson
Stats: 4422 MP, 40 GA, 0.81 GA/90, 67.0 Save %, 25 CS, -4.7 PSxG +/-
There was a point in time where I can say I rated Ederson more than Alisson. It’s safe to say I do not feel the same way now. While his distribution is still arguably the best in the world, Ederson’s shot stopping fell off a cliff last season. His save percentage in all competitions dropped over eight points, and his PSxG +/- dropped by nine goals. The fact is, as the goalkeeper of Manchester City, Ederson was always going to find himself on this list, since City’s defense makes it unbelievably easy for a keeper to rack up clean sheets and not allow many goals. But the fact is that Ederson allowed more goals than he should’ve, even behind Manchester City’s defense. That’s really inexcusable for a goalkeeper of Ederson’s caliber, and it’s why he finds himself as low as 77 on this list.
78. Real Madrid, CM Toni Kroos
Stats: 3388 MP, 3G, 3A, 0.16 GA/90, 113 SCA, 3.39 SCA/90, 12 Dribbles
Toni Kroos isn’t the same player he was in his prime anymore, but he’s still among the better midfielders in the world. His passing is still unbelievable, as he controls the ball very well and he has a preternatural ability to pick out passing lanes before defenders see them. He’s had countless of perfectly weighted balls in his career, and those continued this year. Toni Kroos was a vital part of Real Madrid’s Champions League run this year, and he’s been a fixture in that midfield since he arrived in 2014. He may not have as big of a role at the club in the future, with Camavinga, Tchouaméni, and Valverde looking to usher in a new era of Real Madrid football. But as of right now, Toni Kroos is still an important part of the club, and he’s still a top 100 player in the world.
77. Barcelona, CM Frenkie de Jong
Stats: 3515 MP, 4G, 5A, 0.23 GA/90, 105 SCA, 2.79 SCA/90, 35 Dribbles
Frenkie de Jong was not as good as he was back in 2018–2019, when he was 21 and he was one of the best players on an Ajax side that managed to reach the Champions League semi-final. He hasn’t reached those heights since he’s been at Barcelona, but he’s still a very good midfielder. He’s decent enough defensively, and he’s a very good passer for a central midfielder. He’s also among the better dribblers at the position, he progresses the ball well, and he gets involved in the attack while having the ability to be a passable defender. His days at Barcelona may be numbered, as the club is looking to potentially move on from de Jong in order to offset financial losses and fund other transfer moves. But if he does end up with Erik Ten Hag and goes to Manchester United, he should be an immediate upgrade over McTominay and Fred.
76. Roma, AM Lorenzo Pellegrini
Stats: 3033 MP, 13G, 5A, 0.53 GA/90, 135 SCA, 5.31 SCA/90, 38 Dribbles
Lorenzo Pellegrini has really come into his own since being named Roma’s captain last year, and his last campaign was arguably his best. Roma faced a lot of turnover during the summer, with Paulo Fonseca being sacked after a very disappointing 7th place finish in Serie A during the 2020–2021 season. The club also had to deal with the sale of Edin Dzeko, who had been at the club for six seasons and was Roma’s all-time third leading scorer. Fortunately, Roma was able to replace those two with Jose Mourinho and Tammy Abraham, and Pellegrini flourished as a result. He scored a career high in goals in both league play and in all competitions, and his linkup with Abraham was crucial in Roma winning the Europa Conference League and making it back to the Europa League with a sixth-placed finish. Pellegrini is a very well-rounded footballer at his position, and he blossomed more than he ever had this season.
