Meet Today’s Perfect Midfielder

Vitinha is fast becoming one of Europe's best.

This is a guest article by Chirag Sharatkumar. Subscribe to Sideline Stories.

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He is, by all accounts and according to Luis Enrique, “the perfect midfielder.” Roberto Martinez believes him to be “the maestro of European football.” Many others have now taken notice of just how good he is. But hang on, who is this?

We’re not talking about the Andres Iniesta of old, nor are we referring to a vintage of Xavi. It’s not the too-soon-retired Toni Kroos, or the somehow still-going Luka Modric. Nope, not even Ballon d’Or winner Rodri or his pass-pinging teammate Kevin De Bruyne. No, this is about a guy a bit smaller, maybe even stockier, but just as clever: Vitinha.

Slight in stature and silky in movement, Vitinha often isn’t the Paris Saint Germain player that catches your eye upon first glance. Those laurels, once automatically reserved for Kylian Mbappe and for a time granted to Neymar and Lionel Messi, are reserved now for the ensemble cast of Ousmane Dembele, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gianluigi Donnarumma and the lot. But Vitinha is, as there must always be one, the quiet engine, the clock that keeps PSG ticking, game in and game out.