Top 10 best players in the Premier League 2024
Some of the best talents in world football reside in the Premier League, so who are the most outstanding?
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Recent exploits by Cole Palmer—including a record-setting four goals before halftime and a hat-trick of assists—have sparked debates about who really belongs at the top of the Premier League player rankings.
Palmer's excellent start to the season follows a run of exceptional performances from last season, including a hat-trick against Manchester United and four goals against Everton, performances that in September 2024 empowered manager Enzo Maresca to label him "the best in the Premier League."
This begs the question of who the current most talented players in England are.
After examining their performance stats, impact on the field, and general team contribution in recent years, the following ten players are the best in the Premier League:
1. Bukayo Saka
Blending goal scoring, creativity, and leadership qualities, Bukayo Saka has, season after season, demonstrated that he is not only one of the Premier League's top young talents but also one of its most complete players.
Included in the 2023 PFA Team of the Year after notching double digits in both goals and assists, Bukayo Saka, a key cog in Arsenal's recent emergence as title contenders, is the best footballer in the Premier League.
Managing the same feat the following season, the English winger would go on to hit the half-century in 2024 at age 22, becoming the youngest player in club history to achieve the feat in the Premier League.
Saka is the best player in the Premier League due to a unique ability to excel in multiple facets of the game, as exemplified by his dribbling and progressive carrying stats, which have placed him among the league’s best in taking on defenders.
Paired with his tactical intelligence and resilience, these qualities have made him Arsenal’s most important player, a role cemented further when he became the club’s youngest captain during a Premier League match against Sheffield United in 2023.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Combining excellent two-footedness with an astute ability to dictate the flow of the game, Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most well-rounded advanced playmakers of his generation.
The Belgian is the second-best player in the Premier League, having accumulated a staggering number of individual honors and earning repeated inclusions in prestigious squads such as the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season and the IFFHS Men’s World Team five times each, while also being selected four times in the FIFA FIFPro World 11.
Kevin De Bruyne is a serial nominee for the Ballon d'Or, achieving third place in 2022 and fourth in 2023, and has been named the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker on three occasions, taking to the international stage qualities that have twice secured him the PFA Players' Player of the Year award at the national level.
De Bryune sets himself apart as one of the Premier League's best players with unmatched playmaking, having topped the league's assist standing twice, including a record-breaking 20 assists in the 2019-20 season.
But his abilities transcend to goal-scoring, with the Manchester City captain consistently plundering double digits that have made him indispensable to Manchester City’s success and a key figure in their multiple title runs.
3. Rodri
An instrumental and commanding presence in Manchester City's dominant four-peat, Rodri, a clutch performer in crucial moments, is the third-best player in the Premier League.
He solidified his reputation as one of the division's finest in the 2022–23 season, earning the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season award and scoring the decisive goal that secured City the historic continental treble.
He also extended these outstanding performances to the international level, not just leading Spain to the UEFA Nations League and EURO 2024 triumph but also being awarded player of the tournament in both competitions.
His vital presence in Manchester City's midfield is well documented, with each of Manchester City's Premier League defeats from February 2023 to September 2024 coming when the Spaniard did not feature in the side.
During this period, Rodri, until his season-ending injury, was unbeaten in 52 Premier League appearances (W42 D10), the second longest of such a streak only behind Sol Campbell (56).
In addition to possessing exceptional passing ability and playing a central role in transitioning play and creating chances, Rodri consistently ranks among the league’s best defensively, displaying an excellent ability to read the game and break up the opposition attack with tackles, interceptions, and shot-creating actions.
4. Erling Haaland
Arguably football's most feared striker, Erling Haaland cemented his status as one of the Premier League's best players after netting an extraordinary 52 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign, the highest ever single-season return for a Premier League player, leading Manchester City to a continental treble.
The first player to win both the Premier League Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards in the same campaign, Erling Haaland has also been recognized on the global stage, earning inclusion in the last three FIFA FIFPro World 11 squads while also clinching the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, the European Golden Shoe, and the Gerd Müller Trophy in 2023.
Haaland is comfortably the fourth-best player in the Premier League due to several league records, including being the first player to achieve hat-tricks in three consecutive home games, the fastest player to record two, three, four, and five hat-tricks, and the most goals scored in a single season.
5. Cole Palmer
Following an era-defining breakthrough season that saw him score 27 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, including 22 goals and 11 assists in the division alone, Cole Palmer now ranks as the Premier League's fifth-best player.
What sets Palmer apart is elite finishing and incredible conversion, as he missed just 7 big chances last season, overperforming on his expected goals by more than 20%.
He also distinguishes himself with all-around attacking prowess, directly creating 72 league chances for his teammates last season while also ranking in the top 10 for shot-creating actions.
Cole Palmer is also considered one of the best players in the Premier League by virtue of standout performances in clutch moments, having already scored four goals in a single game on multiple occasions.
His long-range shooting ability is a renowned attribute that has secured him the historical legacy of being the first player in the Premier League to win the Goal of the Month award twice consecutively across two seasons, adding to his Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Fans' Player of the Year awards.
6. Mohamed Salah
Since announcing his return to England by breaking the record for most goals scored in a 38-game Premier League season, Mohamed Salah has been a constant feature in the Premier League “best players” debate.
He formed a potent attacking trio with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane that led Liverpool to a Champions League trophy in 2019 and a Premier League title in 2020.
One of the greatest left-footed players in history, Salah is Liverpool's all-time Premier League top scorer, a two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year winner, a two-time CAF African Footballer of the Year recipient, and a three-time Premier League Golden Boots honoree.
In addition to being one of the best players in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah is so revered by his nation, Egypt, that they refer to him as the Fourth Pyramid, and he has also been recognized by Time magazine as one of the world's most influential people.
Although Salah is reputed for his prolific goal-scoring prowess, he is also a very capable playmaker, delivering double digits in assists in all but one of his past eight seasons in all competitions.
7. Son Heung-Min
The top Asian goalscorer in both Premier League and Champions League history, 2021-2022 Golden Boot winner Son Heung-Min, is the seventh-best player in the Premier League.
The Korean captain is Tottenham’s fifth-highest scorer of all time, its all-time leader in assists, and one of just three players to reach 300 Premier League appearances for the club.
His influence also transcends football, with Son also being a symbol of national pride in South Korea, receiving, in 2022, the highest honor for achievement in sports, the Cheongnyong Medal, before being included in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 the following year.
8. Virgil Van Dijk
Wielding a doctorate in defensive mastery, Virgil Van Dijk has established himself as one of the Premier League's best players since his first full season, when he was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season.
The Dutch captain was key to Liverpool's drought-ending Premier League title triumph in the 2019-2020 season before adding the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup to his list of honors.
Van Dijk has often defied the norm, achieving outstanding recognition in fields widely dominated by attackers, such as his 2019 runner-up finish for both the Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Men's Player award, while also scooping the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award in the same year, the first win by a defender.
As the eighth-best player in the Premier League in 2024, Van Dijk, a three-time selectee for FIFA FIFPro Men’s World11, is the most aerially dominant player in the division, ranking first for aerial duels won during the 2023-2024 Premier League season.
He is also very adept with his feet, ranking among the league’s best in ball distribution.
Despite his very imposing and aggressive style of play, Van Dijk maintains discipline on the field, having been involved in minimal disciplinary issues throughout his career.
9. Gabriel Magalhães
A reliable blend of defensive steel and offensive contributions, Gabriel Magalhães stands out in his renowned partnership with William Saliba, thanks to key moments throughout the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.
The Brazilian is exerting a growing influence in high-pressure situations, as exemplified by his match-winning goals in London derbies against Fulham and Chelsea in the 2022–23 season.
As of September 2024, three of his last five goals were against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City, securing five points for the title-chasing Gunners.
10. Cristian Romero
Complementing a seamless integration into the Premier League with two Copa América titles and a FIFA World Cup trophy, Cristian Romero has risen to prominence as one of the Premier League's best players.
A leader in the dressing room, labeled “rock” by manager Ange Postecoglou and named one of Tottenham's vice captains, Cristian Romero's performance metrics demonstrate his astuteness in interceptions, blocks, and aggressive tackling.
The all-round defender is also key to Tottenham's build-up and possessive playing style, ranking fourth last season for progressive passing distance and among the top 10 for passes into the final third.