Best central midfielders in League One

The highest-potential central midfielders in League One, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

M. Boateng of Plymouth is the standout for raw talent across central midfielders in League One, with a Field Insider Rating of 55.2, and O. Bailey has been the form player this season, grading 51.6.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: M. Boateng has improved his Season rating most, up +31.9 on last season, while E. Brierley's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +15.1 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, M. Boateng of Plymouth is the most valuable name in this group at 34.2.

Exeter City · 22/23→25/26

Most improved

M. Boateng+31.9SsN

Plymouth · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	M. Boateng Central midfielder	Plymouth	24	48204.5%	5522.9%
2	Cian Ashford Central midfielder	Cardiff	21	2222.7%	5220%
3	H. White Central midfielder	Stevenage	24	3946.4%	5210.2%
4	K. Doyle Central midfielder	Reading	20	318.5%	524.2%
5	C. Savage Central midfielder	Reading	23	346.6%	4912.4%
6	E. Brierley Central midfielder	Exeter City	22	2687.1%	4846.3%
7	C. Watts Central midfielder	Plymouth	24	2210%	474.3%
8	Z. Nelson Central midfielder	AFC Wimbledon	21	17120.3%	4623.2%
9	D. Campbell Central midfielder	Northampton	25	3656.8%	4644.5%
10	G. Abbott Central midfielder	Wycombe	20	1563.9%	4512.2%
11	C. Campbell Central midfielder	Stevenage	23	1314.4%	457.2%
12	E. Archer Central midfielder	Port Vale	23	2641.5%	4415.4%
13	L. Woodhouse Central midfielder	Exeter City	21	22	44
14	G. Broadbent Central midfielder	Doncaster	25	241.6%	4425.4%
15	O. Bailey Central midfielder	Doncaster	27	5232.6%	4412.9%
16	D. Kemp Central midfielder	Stevenage	27	316.1%	4310.9%
17	L. Clarkson Central midfielder	Blackpool	24	1255.3%	4311.5%
18	Jack Perkins Central midfielder	Northampton	22	18	43
19	Dylan Williams Central midfielder	Burton Albion	22	1117.3%	426.5%
20	I. El Mizouni Central midfielder	Leyton Orient	25	3061.1%	4231.1%
21	R. Gotts Central midfielder	Doncaster	26	2625.4%	4226.4%
22	C. Boyd-Munce Central midfielder	Wycombe	26	2612.4%	4110.6%
23	R. Trevitt Central midfielder	Wigan	23	711.3%	411%
24	J. Moorhouse Central midfielder	Leyton Orient	20	8	41
25	B. Woods Central midfielder	Peterborough	23	1262.5%	4115.4%
26	Declan Frith Central midfielder	Peterborough	24	9	40
27	T. Nixon Central midfielder	Doncaster	23	7143.3%	4034.2%
28	K. Simon-Swyer Central midfielder	Northampton	23	9	4040.8%
29	J. Headley Central midfielder	Port Vale	24	1691.7%	4022.2%
30	B. Sarpong-Wiredu Central midfielder	Plymouth	26	2314.7%	4023.1%
31	Donay O'Brien-Brady Central midfielder	Peterborough	22	465.3%	403.7%
32	G. Middleton Central midfielder	Doncaster	26	1250.2%	3919.2%
33	A. Lyons Central midfielder	Blackpool	25	9	381.6%
34	J. Hungbo Central midfielder	Wigan	26	13	383%
35	T. Fornah Central midfielder	Northampton	26	1547.3%	3810.8%
36	J. Benson Central midfielder	Rotherham	26	16259.1%	389%
37	J. Randall Central midfielder	Bolton	26	870.5%	3720.8%
38	O. Dale Central midfielder	Plymouth	27	21230.2%	375.4%
39	J. Bowler Central midfielder	Blackpool	27	19743.5%	3728.7%
40	A. Morgan Central midfielder	Blackpool	26	1066.7%	3628.9%
41	J. Powell Central midfielder	Rotherham	27	2441.8%	3627.7%
42	L. Bolton Central midfielder	Mansfield Town	26	763.9%	3614.2%
43	S. McWilliams Central midfielder	Rotherham	27	21122.1%	3510.7%
44	A. Odoh Central midfielder	Peterborough	26	291.2%	3327.1%
45	J. Gibson Central midfielder	Doncaster	28	1926.3%	330.9%
46	H. Clifton Central midfielder	Doncaster	28	2022.8%	324.3%
47	T. Archibald Central midfielder	Leyton Orient	28	1830.8%	3131.3%
48	R. Curtis Central midfielder	Plymouth	30	3892%	3122.7%
49	J. Shipley Central midfielder	Port Vale	28	1617.9%	3021.2%
50	K. Dempsey Central midfielder	Bolton	30	2098.1%	2615.5%