La Liga · 2026/27 · after matchday 12

The best young central midfielders in La Liga so far this season

As of 8 November 2026, The Prism ranks Pedri (FC Barcelona, 23) as the best young central midfielder in La Liga, with a standing of 79 out of 100, ahead of Pablo Barrios and Miguel Román.

12 rankedagainst all 40378+ league minutes8 measuresUpdated 8 November 2026How we rank

PedriFC Barcelona · 23 · Spain#1

79standing, 1st of 12

Best at accurate passes per 90, 76.47, 2nd of 40

Pablo BarriosAtlético de Madrid · 23 · Spain#2

71standing, 2nd of 12

Best at dribbles per 90, 1.79, 2nd of 40

Miguel RománCelta de Vigo · 23 · Spain#3

65standing, 3rd of 12

Best at times dispossessed per 90, 0.31, 4th fewest of 40

The top 10

Open a row for all 8 measures and where he sits among the 40.

PedriFC Barcelona · 23 · Spain 791st of 12 Accurate passes 76.472ndKey passes 2.563rdPass completion 91%7th

Key passes per 902.56 3rd of 40

Accurate passes per 9076.47 2nd of 40

Pass completion91% 7th of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 902.02 31st of 40

Dribbles per 900.85 14th of 40

Big chances created per 900.11 22nd of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.11 13th of 40

Times dispossessed per 901.07 29th fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Pedri's page

Pablo BarriosAtlético de Madrid · 23 · Spain 712nd of 12 Dribbles 1.792ndTackles + int. 4.174thAccurate passes 57.876th

Key passes per 901.49 16th of 40

Accurate passes per 9057.87 6th of 40

Pass completion88% 14th of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 904.17 4th of 40

Dribbles per 901.79 2nd of 40

Big chances created per 900.15 20th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.00 21st of 40

Times dispossessed per 901.93 38th fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Pablo Barrios's page

Miguel RománCelta de Vigo · 23 · Spain 653rd of 12 Dispossessed 0.314th fewestAccurate passes 57.158thNon-penalty goals 0.169th

Key passes per 901.09 19th of 40

Accurate passes per 9057.15 8th of 40

Pass completion88% 17th of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 901.71 39th of 40

Dribbles per 900.47 22nd of 40

Big chances created per 900.16 17th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.16 9th of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.31 4th fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Miguel Román's page

Ilaix MoribaCelta de Vigo · 23 · Guinea 594th of 12 Pass completion 93%1stTackles + int. 3.618thAccurate passes 47.0015th

Key passes per 900.50 33rd of 40

Accurate passes per 9047.00 15th of 40

Pass completion93% 1st of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 903.61 8th of 40

Dribbles per 900.30 32nd of 40

Big chances created per 900.10 24th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.10 17th of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.80 22nd fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Ilaix Moriba's page

Daniel Requena SánchezLevante · 22 · Spain 495th of 12 Tackles + int. 4.383rdNon-penalty goals 0.168thDribbles 0.6518th

Key passes per 900.65 27th of 40

Accurate passes per 9026.59 33rd of 40

Pass completion86% 23rd of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 904.38 3rd of 40

Dribbles per 900.65 18th of 40

Big chances created per 900.00 25th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.16 8th of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.81 23rd fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Daniel Requena Sánchez's page

Peio Canales UrtasunAthletic Club · 21 · Spain 416th of 12 Dribbles 0.9012thAccurate passes 45.1517thBig chances 0.1519th

Key passes per 901.05 20th of 40

Accurate passes per 9045.15 17th of 40

Pass completion87% 21st of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 901.94 32nd of 40

Dribbles per 900.90 12th of 40

Big chances created per 900.15 19th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.00 21st of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.90 26th fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Peio Canales Urtasun's page

Izan MerinoMálaga · 20 · Spain 407th of 12 Dispossessed 0.19fewestPass completion 93%2ndAccurate passes 54.1512th

Key passes per 900.56 30th of 40

Accurate passes per 9054.15 12th of 40

Pass completion93% 2nd of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 901.31 40th of 40

Dribbles per 900.00 39th of 40

Big chances created per 900.00 25th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.00 21st of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.19 fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Izan Merino's page

Asier OsambelaOsasuna · 22 · Spain 388th of 12 Non-penalty goals 0.223rdDribbles 1.0910thTackles + int. 3.2815th

Key passes per 900.44 35th of 40

Accurate passes per 9034.16 29th of 40

Pass completion77% 38th of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 903.28 15th of 40

Dribbles per 901.09 10th of 40

Big chances created per 900.00 25th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.22 3rd of 40

Times dispossessed per 901.31 33rd fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Asier Osambela's page

Javi HernándezEspanyol · 22 · Spain 329th of 12 Big chances 0.512ndDribbles 1.533rdKey passes 1.849th

Key passes per 901.84 9th of 40

Accurate passes per 9017.35 40th of 40

Pass completion79% 36th of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 901.84 35th of 40

Dribbles per 901.53 3rd of 40

Big chances created per 900.51 2nd of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.00 21st of 40

Times dispossessed per 903.37 40th fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Javi Hernández's page

10 JM

Javi MorcilloElche · 20 · Spain 2810th of 12 Dispossessed 0.242nd fewestPass completion 92%3rdNon-penalty goals 0.0021st

Key passes per 900.24 38th of 40

Accurate passes per 9042.28 22nd of 40

Pass completion92% 3rd of 40

Tackles and interceptions per 902.78 22nd of 40

Dribbles per 900.36 27th of 40

Big chances created per 900.00 25th of 40

Non-penalty goals per 900.00 21st of 40

Times dispossessed per 900.24 2nd fewest of 40

Each dot is one of the 40 central midfielders; further right is better. The dashed line is the middle of the group.Javi Morcillo's page

Each figure with his place among the 40 central midfielders. Fewest is best for times dispossessed per 90.
Player	Standing	Key passes	Accurate passes	Pass completion	Tackles + int.	Dribbles	Big chances	Non-penalty goals	Dispossessed
1Pedri	79	2.563rd	76.472nd	91%7th	2.0231st	0.8514th	0.1122nd	0.1113th	1.0729th fewest
2Pablo Barrios	71	1.4916th	57.876th	88%14th	4.174th	1.792nd	0.1520th	0.0021st	1.9338th fewest
3Miguel Román	65	1.0919th	57.158th	88%17th	1.7139th	0.4722nd	0.1617th	0.169th	0.314th fewest
4Ilaix Moriba	59	0.5033rd	47.0015th	93%1st	3.618th	0.3032nd	0.1024th	0.1017th	0.8022nd fewest
5Daniel Requena Sánchez	49	0.6527th	26.5933rd	86%23rd	4.383rd	0.6518th	0.0025th	0.168th	0.8123rd fewest
6Peio Canales Urtasun	41	1.0520th	45.1517th	87%21st	1.9432nd	0.9012th	0.1519th	0.0021st	0.9026th fewest
7Izan Merino	40	0.5630th	54.1512th	93%2nd	1.3140th	0.0039th	0.0025th	0.0021st	0.19fewest
8Asier Osambela	38	0.4435th	34.1629th	77%38th	3.2815th	1.0910th	0.0025th	0.223rd	1.3133rd fewest
9Javi Hernández	32	1.849th	17.3540th	79%36th	1.8435th	1.533rd	0.512nd	0.0021st	3.3740th fewest
10Javi Morcillo	28	0.2438th	42.2822nd	92%3rd	2.7822nd	0.3627th	0.0025th	0.0021st	0.242nd fewest

2 more central midfielders aged 23 or under are ranked in The Prism

See every one, filter by age, foot and height, and open any player's full profile.

See all 12 in The Prism

Where all 40 sit

Every central midfielder in La Liga with 378 minutes or more, on The Prism standing. Blue is this ranking's top 10; the other 30 are named in The Prism.

Since last season

The same players' standings last season, among their league's central midfielders then.

↑ Ilaix Moriba46 last season, 59 now

↓ Pedri91 last season, 79 now

↓ Pablo Barrios81 last season, 71 now

How this ranking is made

Central midfielders aged 23 or under in La Liga 2026/27 with at least 378 league minutes, ranked on key passes per 90, accurate passes per 90, pass completion, tackles and interceptions per 90, dribbles per 90, big chances created per 90, non-penalty goals per 90 and times dispossessed per 90. Each measure is a percentile against every central midfielder in the league with the same minutes, so a young player is judged by the standard of the whole position, not only of his age group. 12 matchdays have been played, so the minutes bar is 378. It rises as the season goes on, until it reaches 450, about five full matches.

What each measure counts for, out of 100:

Key passes per 9020Accurate passes per 9015Pass completion15Tackles and interceptions per 9015Dribbles per 9010Big chances created per 9010Non-penalty goals per 9010Times dispossessed per 905

How The Prism ranks players, in full

More rankings

Centre backs Full backs Defensive midfielders Wingers Strikers Central midfielders, all ages FC Barcelona young players Atlético de Madrid young players Celta de Vigo young players Levante young players Athletic Club young players Málaga young players Osasuna young players Espanyol young players Elche young players

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