Premier League 2016-17 Awards: 5 best central midfielders

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Paul Pogba of Manchester United and Willian of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on March 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 04: Juan Mata of Manchester United (L), Paul Pogba of Manchester United (C), Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United (CR) and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United (R) all look on as they decied who will take a freekick during the Premier League match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on March 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

4. Paul Pogba

If this list were about the top five midfielders on social media or in the news, Paul Pogba would certainly be at the top. However, since it’s about top five central midfielders, he’s only coming in fourth. At the midway point of the season, Pogba wouldn’t have made this list, but he’s improved throughout the season.

Pogba didn’t seem comfortable as he adjusted to life in the Premier League, and struggled to exert the control over games he did in Serie A. There were a lot of factors involved involved in that, not least that Manchester United were adjusting to life under a new coach (their third in four seasons), but Pogba’s quality has begun to show through.

His physicality in the midfield is back, and he’s games for United. His goals and assists numbers haven’t pleased some critics, but his passing range in midfield has been hugely important for United, and he often plays the pass before the assist. His role in Mourinho’s system is still perhaps a little limited given his immense talent, but there’s a lot for United fans to be excited about going forward.

Pogba was always going to face a lot of criticism given the amount of money United spent on him in the summer, but it’s worth remembering he’s still only 24, and already one of the most consistent performers on one of the best teams in the league.

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