Real Betis midfielder Nabil Fekir is one of the top-performing players across Europe’s top-five leagues in 2021.
That is according to CIES Football Observatory as the Frenchman – who has been linked with a £26m summer move to Arsenal – perhaps surprisingly, ranks higher than every Premier League player except for Jorginho and Ruben Dias.
The organisation has revealed its ranking after comparing each club’s best player this calendar year irrespective of their position, using a unique methodology to produce a scoring system for league matches since January 1.
Fekir comes in at sixth behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, and the aforementioned Premier League duo.
With a score of 87.6, the 27-year-old has been revealed as the joint-second best player in La Liga since the turn of the year alongside Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.
Furthermore, he is the only attacking midfielder in the top 10 which technically makes him the best attacking midfielder in Europe right now.
This after scoring twice and weighing in with five assists in La Liga – as per transfermarkt – since the turn of the year as his form has kept Real Betis in the mix for a Europa League spot next season.
But will the Frenchman still be at the Benito Villamarín Stadium for the 2021/22 campaign?
Despite links to Arsenal, football.london has revealed that interest in the attacking midfielder is ‘tentative’ and unlikely to be pursued this summer.
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This is because technical director Edu is focusing his attention on keeping Martin Odegaard at the club.
The Norway international has impressed since joining on loan from Real Madrid in the January transfer window, and many fans are keen for him to extend his stay in north London.
However, if Edu reverses this decision, the Gunners can sign Europe’s best attacking midfielder for a cut-price £26m fee this summer.