WhoScored 2020 Rewind: Bayern have some of the best central midfielders in Europe

At the midway point in our assessment of the players in Europe per position in 2020, we move into central midfield in the construction of our ultimate XI.

Again there are six nominees as opposed to four, as was the case with the centre-back category, with two spots in the lineup up for grabs, and you'll have the chance to vote on your favourite on our Twitter account.

Here are your nominees...

6) James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) - 7.28

2020 was some year for Southampton, with only four teams picking up more points in the Premier League, and their newly appointed captain was at the heart of Saints' success. The England international scored five times, four from direct free-kicks, whilst registering a further four assists. It was his work out of possession that was just as important, however, averaging 4 tackles and interceptions combined.

5) Casemiro (Real Madrid) - 7.34

The mainstay in a midfield that was otherwise rotated by Zinedine Zidane last season, Casemiro's importance to Real Madrid's title win cannot be overstated. The Brazilian has missed some action this season due to contracting coronavirus in November but scored six goals in 2020, with that side to his game often overlooked. The 28-year-old is, after all, renowned for his defensive qualities, averaging 2 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game over the course of last year.

4) Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich) - 7.43

Another unsung star of one of Europe's elite, Goretzka's development, not least in terms of his physique, was clear to see in 2020! The Bayern star benefitted from injuries within the ranks to find more regular game time and certainly took his chance when it came his way, scoring seven and assisting six goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances. The 25-year-old also completed 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and his box-to-box ability was pivotal to Bayern's transitional play.

3) Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) - 7.50

Goretzka's partner for much of the year, Kimmich returned to his favoured midfield role last season having spent some time as Bayern's first choice right-back and was instrumental in both regaining and retaining possession. In just 23 league appearances the 25-year-old registered nine assists and scored four for himself, averaging 2 key passes and 1.5 tackles per game, whilst completing 90.3 per cent of his passes.

2) Rodrigo de Paul (Udinese) - 7.56

The undeniable star man amongst an otherwise modest Udinese squad, it wouldn't be a surprise if serious moves were made for De Paul this month. The Argentine has been heavily linked to some of Serie A's top clubs and was a top target for compatriot Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds in the previous transfer window for good reason. In 33 league appearances in 2020, the 26-year-old scored eight goals and registered six assists from midfield, averaging 2.5 key passes, 2.4 dribbles and 1.7 tackles per game.

1) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.72

The runaway leader in the central midfield category, starting 16 of 29 appearances in a midfield trio as opposed to the number ten role he has adopted more often of late, wherever De Bruyne plays, he runs the show. Across said league outings in 2020 the Belgian scored eight times and registered more assists than any other player in Europe's top five leagues (15). An average of 3.7 key passes per game was another record, whilst averaging a further 1.5 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game.

Players of 2020: GK, RBs, LBs, CBs