The deepest playmakers in the Premier League 2026/27: Compass top 10
Every possession side is built around one midfielder who keeps the ball moving. This is the list of who does that most in the Premier League this season, measured by the FDscout Compass: the deep playmakers, ranked by the Control energy their numbers show.
Right now. Lewis Miley leads on 6.0 Control, level with Sander Berge. Biggest climber: Ao Tanaka, up 2 places to 7th.
The top 10: Premier League midfielders by Compass Control
| Player | Club | Control | Style | Lean | Link | Drive | Minutes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lewis Miley | Newcastle United · 20 | 6.0 | Architect | Pronounced | 1.9 | 4.1 | 548 | View profile → |
| 2 |  Sander Berge | Fulham · 28 | 6.0 | Architect | Pronounced | 3.2 | 2.8 | 531 | View profile → |
| 3 |  Tyler Adams | AFC Bournemouth · 27 | 6.0 | Architect | Pronounced | 3.1 | 2.9 | 461 | View profile → |
| 4 |  Exequiel Palacios | Ipswich Town · 28 | 6.0 | Regulator | Pronounced | 3.3 | 2.7 | 394 | View profile → |
| 5 |  José María Andrés Baixauli | Brighton & Hove Albion · 21 | 6.0 | Architect | Pronounced | 2.5 | 3.5 | 290 | View profile → |
| 6 |  Saša Lukić | Ipswich Town · 30 | 5.9 | Architect | Pronounced | 2.8 | 3.2 | 493 | View profile → |
| 7 |  Ao Tanaka | Leeds United · 28 | 5.7 | Architect | Classic | 2.1 | 3.9 | 408 | View profile → |
| 8 |  Nico González | Newcastle United · 24 | 5.7 | Regulator | Pronounced | 4.3 | 1.7 | 347 | View profile → |
| 9 |  Yegor Yarmolyuk | Brentford · 22 | 5.7 | Organiser | Pronounced | 1.8 | 4.2 | 329 | View profile → |
| 10 |  Jordan Henderson | Chelsea · 36 | 5.4 | Organiser | Pronounced | 1.3 | 4.7 | 270 | View profile → |
What the numbers mean
The FDscout Compass reads a player's style from his numbers: 8 sectors on a wheel and 4 energies behind them. Control is the possession energy, the one that describes the midfielder who receives constantly, keeps the ball moving and rarely gives it away. This list ranks Premier League midfielders by it.
The wheel on each card shows where he sits: the white point is his style with the ball, the hollow point his style without it, and the ring says how strong the lean is. The bars are his 4 energies against every Premier League midfielder with a profile. A full bar means the top of that group.
The list rebuilds every night from the latest matches, so it will move as the season goes on. The date on each card says when it last changed.
The Compass guide → · The best creators list →
What is Compass Control?
One of the 4 energies of the FDscout Compass. Control is the possession energy: high pass volume, short and safe distribution, few risks, the player a side builds from. The scale runs from 0 to 6.
Why call them deep playmakers?
The Control sectors of the Compass, Architect and Regulator, describe the midfielder who sets the platform and recycles the ball, which is the deep-lying playmaker in coaching language. The list is limited to defensive and central midfielders.
How often does it update?
Every night, from the latest matches. The order, the cards and the table rebuild together, and the date on each card says when the list last changed.
Reading the list
Control is a style, not a verdict. A high-Control midfielder suits a side that wants the ball and needs a base for it; in a side that plays long he is wasted. The Compass sector on each card names the style, and the profile behind each name shows the pass numbers, the role scores and the radar. Every player on FDscout has a Compass reading.