Best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga of 2025 so far

Here are the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga of 2025 so far, according to German football magazine Kicker.

Every six months, Kicker publish a ranking of the best players in the Bundesliga, as well as the best German players abroad, divided into a number of categories.

The German football magazine have released the second part of their summer rankings based on the performances in the second half of the 2024/25 season. Below, you’ll find the rankings for defensive midfielders.

World Class

None. 

International Class

1. Joshua Kimmich, FC Bayern

2. Angelo Stiller, Stuttgart

3. Kaishu Sano, Mainz

4. Nadiem Amiri, Mainz

National Class 

5. Leon Goretzka, FC Bayern

6. Pascal Gross, Borussia Dortmund

7. Exequiel Palacios, Leverkusen

8. Anton Stach, Hoffenheim

9. Patrick Osterhage, Freiburg

10. Granit Xhaka, Leverkusen