Vitinha has named Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes as one among the ‘top-four’ midfielders on the planet but ignored Arsenal star Declan Rice.
Fernandes is having fun with one other impressive season at Old Trafford, scoring seven goals and providing 14 assists in 26 games.
The 31-year-old’s form has helped Manchester United climb back into the Champions League places after they finished just fifteenth last season.
Vitinha rates Fernandes as the most effective midfielders on the planet alongside himself, Joao Neves and the player on the ‘top of the list’, Pedri.
Pedri, 23, has already won two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophieswith Barcelona and the Euros with Spain.
Vitinha has enjoyed similar success at PSG, helping the French giants win three successive league titles and the club’s first Champions League last season.
Given his standing in the sport, Vitinha is well-placed to rank a few of his contemporaries and was asked by Canal 11 who he rates as one of the best midfielder on the planet.
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‘I’d put Pedri at the highest of the list,’ said Vitinha. ‘He’s magical, it’s spectacular to see him play. Once you play against him, you understand him even higher.
‘A top-three? I’d go together with Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. They’re each on either side of me and Pedri. So, I don’t have a top three but a top 4.’
Arsenal’s Rice is maybe a surprising omission from Vitinha’s list given his form for club and country over the past two years.
Vitinha’s top-four midfielders
Pedri (Barcelona)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Joao Neves (PSG)
Vitinha (PSG)
The Gunners spent over £100m to sign Rice from West Ham in 2023 and the England star quickly repaid that vast transfer fee.
Rice has played all but one among Arsenal’s league games this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side open up a seven-point lead at the highest of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s aspirations are usually not just limited to the Premier League, nevertheless, with the Gunners still in contention of an unprecedented quadruple.
Gary Lineker believes Rice is one among the three candidates to win the Player of the Season award but says Fernandes is just ahead of the Arsenal star.
‘I believe he’s the player of the season for me,’ the previous England striker said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘I do know they’ll probably give it to someone that’s going to win something.
‘For me, it’s probably him or possibly Declan Rice if Arsenal go on and manage to clinch the title.
‘I suppose the one other one, if he got here back and commenced banging in all of the goals and won City the title, it is likely to be Erling Haaland again.
‘But in the mean time, for me, to do what he’s done this season… and he was still the standout player even once they were going through a rotten spell once they were really struggling under Ruben Amorim.
‘I believe he’s got such a terrific footballing brain and technique. What a player, what a player!’
PSG, sitting 4 points clear at the highest of Ligue 1, proceed the defence of their Champions League trophy with a last-16 clash against Chelsea.
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