Vitinha has named Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes as certainly one of the ‘top-four’ midfielders on this planet but ignored Arsenal star Declan Rice.
Fernandes is having fun with one other impressive campaign at Old Trafford, scoring eight goals and providing 20 assists in all competitions this season.
The 31-year-old’s form has helped Manchester United all but officially secure a spot in next season’s Champions League after they finished just fifteenth last season.
Vitinha rates Fernandes as among the finest midfielders on this 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 this planet.
‘I might put Pedri at the highest of the list,’ said Vitinha. ‘He’s magical, it’s spectacular to see him play. If you play against him, you understand him even higher.
‘A top-three? I might 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 probably 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 massive transfer fee.
Rice has played all but certainly one of Arsenal’s league games this season as Mikel Arteta’s men look to win their first Premier League title since 2004.
Arsenal’s aspirations usually are not just limited to the Premier League, nonetheless, with the Gunners tied at 1-1 with Atletico Madrid of their Champions League semi-final.
Gary Lineker believes Rice is certainly one of 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.
Who should win the Player of the Season award?
‘For me, it’s probably him or possibly Declan Rice if Arsenal go on and manage to clinch the title.
‘But in the intervening time, for me, to do what he’s done this season… and he was still the standout player even after they were going through a rotten spell after they were really struggling under Ruben Amorim.
‘I believe he’s got such an amazing footballing brain and technique. What a player, what a player!’
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