So far in the 2024/25 Serie A campaign, a number of standout players, particularly younger players, have been linked with a move to a ‘bigger’ club.
But what about the older, more experienced players who are still delivering quality performances on a consistent basis?
These days, there is so much focus on the up-and-coming players—and this is understandable—but, at times, it comes at the expense of considering the older player.
This data analysis article looks to rectify that.
In this analysis, we’re looking for central midfielders in Serie A who are 30 years old or older and still important first-team figures for their respective clubs.
Criteria & Player Overview
The criteria for this data analysis were kept fairly open and straightforward – we ran a search on Wyscout for Serie A central midfielders who are currently 30+ years old, with a minimum of 500 league minutes under their belt this season.
To be able to highlight and discuss a range of central midfielders, this analysis includes any role that falls under the central midfield banner – sixes, eights, and tens (some players can/have played in other positions, but all players involved have their main position as one of the central midfield roles).
The search resulted in a list of 16 midfielders, as seen in the graph below.
This graph shows the 16 midfielders and gives an overall understanding of their defensive and attacking contributions so far this season.
Regarding attacking actions, Pedro (4.06 successful attacking contributions per 90 for Lazio) and Paulo Dybala (4.1 successful attacking contributions per 90 for AS Roma) are two players to instantly be on the lookout for throughout the rest of this analysis.
Meanwhile, there are a host of defensive midfielders offering consistent ability – Marten de Roon (9.41 successful defensive actions per 90 for Atalanta) and Remo Freuler (9.08 per 90 for Bologna) are the picks of the bunch.
Elsewhere, Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan) and Hernani (Parma) offer a good balance of attacking and defensive actions.
Serie A Central Midfielders 30+: Defensive Qualities
Central midfielders can be key players in a team’s defensive tactics.
From interceptions to tackles, there are a range of ways midfielders can add value to off-the-ball phases of play.
Defensive duels can occur all over the pitch, as we know, but the data above suggests that, as far as central midfielders go, they occur in deeper areas of midfielder more often than not, rather than higher up the pitch.
Hernani is an exception to that notion, as the Parma midfielder, who can play in a deeper role, often plays as an attacking midfielder, but still brings a high engagement for defensive duels.
A number of midfielders have posted what you could call average engagement numbers for defensive duels, but with exceptional success rates – the likes of Sergi Roberto, Çalhanoğlu, Freuler, and Stanislav Lobotka all match that description.
However, there is only one midfielder taking the defensive duels crown for the 30+ category, and that is Marten de Roon, who offers a high average of 7.66 defensive duels per 90, with an incredible success rate of 66.91% — that is consistent quality in a defensive setting.
Making interceptions in midfield can be crucial to a team’s success.
Depending on the area and scenario, an effective intercept could give the team a chance to launch a counterattack.
A few midfielders stand out for praise – De Roon, Lobotka and Freuler once again pop up, along with Ondrej Duda of Hellas Verona and Fiorentina’s Danilo Cataldi.
However, Croatian midfielder Milan Badelj leads the way, offering a remarkable 4.81 interceptions per 90 for Genoa while playing in that defensive midfield role.
Serie A Central Midfielders 30+: Ability In Possession
Today, even your most defensive midfielders need to be competent at the very least on the ball.
Not every midfielder can be a passing master or a dribbling wizard.
Still, there is an expectation to at least be able to contribute to your team’s possession phase when required, even if that means just completing the small yet important tasks.
In this analysis, though, we’re looking to highlight the best 30+-year-old midfielders in Serie A.
Thus, this segment is all about finding the best passers and dribblers.
We start with progressive passes, which require executing a pass that takes your team significantly closer to the opposition's goal.
Çalhanoğlu’s name appears in a good light once again, which is no surprise given his technical excellence.
The Inter midfielder offers the highest engagement rate in the group (11.47 progressive passes per 90) and an incredible accuracy rate of 87.29%, highlighting his importance in Inter’s tactics.
Other accurate passers in this group include Dybala, Hernani, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – though those three midfielders have some of the lowest engagement averages.
Lobotka, Cataldi, and De Roon all show positive signs of being important players in possession with decent engagement rates that combine with more-than-respectable accuracy rates.
Assessing the midfielders’ data with long passing gives us the chance to gain some valuable insight into their passing range.
No surprise as Hakan Çalhanoğlu yet again offers impressive numbers in terms of both success and engagement – the Turkish midfielder is proving to be one of the most effective 30+ CMs in Serie A!
Dybala and Lobotka fall into the category of average engagement numbers combined with solid accuracy rates, suggesting that they can be consistently effective with long passes when called upon.
You’ll notice that there is a cluster of defensive midfielders with high attempt averages but low accuracy rates—this may be due to positioning.
As defensive midfielders, they’re often positioned deeper.
We tend to see defensive midfielders attempt long passes, whether over the top for the forward to latch onto or into the flanks to try to bring the wingers into play.
However, these passes are thought of as low-percentage passes.
So why continue to attempt them?
Despite a low(er) accuracy rate in these scenarios, the payoff from a successful long pass can be pivotal, as it could give the team a chance to launch a dangerous attack.
Furthermore, if you look at the numbers, the players in question all average 4-5 long passes per 90 minutes, with accuracy ratings that range from 40-55%.
This means you’re still getting around two accurate long passes per 90 minutes from those players on average, which could be important in providing attacking chances.
Being able to carry the ball forward from midfield can be a rare trait, but when executed well, it can be difficult to defend against, as well as being entertaining to watch.
Pedro and Dybala both offer high attempt averages, which is no surprise given their natural attacking play styles – but their success levels differ, with the former offering an exceptional success rate when running with the ball, which can be vital in the final third as well as in midfield areas.
As you can see, the data above shows a number of midfielders who offer less than one dribble per 90.
This is likely a tactical element, as their respective teams and managers may not want to focus possession on dribbling through midfield.
Serie A Central Midfielders 30+: Goal Threat
Scoring goals from midfield can be something that adds value to your stock as a midfielder – if you are an attacking midfielder/number 10, then it’s more of an expectation than a luxury that you chip in with goals and assists.
Starting with goals and assists, there are a few standouts.
Pedro (again) leads the way, this time for his goalscoring ability.
The Spaniard has scored seven in all competitions this season – including three in Serie A combat, which equates to 0.51goals per 90, more than any other 30+ CM in Serie A.
He has yet to register an assist, though, and he will be desperate to do so in the second half of the campaign.
Regarding assists, Duda leads the way with two assists, 0.19 per 90.
Lazio’s Matías Vecino has three assists in all competitions, with one of them coming in Serie A, giving him a current average of 0.17 assists per 90, which is just behind Duda’s register.
These statistics tell us that central midfielders, generally speaking, are more likely to score goals than create them.
Despite the previous point, the data also tells us that midfielders are key in creating chances on goal, as evidenced by the key passing metric in Figure 8.
Pedro, yet again, continues to impress, making 0.85 key passes per 90, so it should only be a matter of time before the former Chelsea man starts bagging some assists.
Dybala isn’t too far behind Pedro – these two have been quite close in a number of attacking metrics in this analysis, hinting at a similarity in roles and playing styles.
Hernani also offers a strong presence with key passing, making 0.67 per 90 for Parma, often as an attacking midfielder.
Conclusion
Experience in older players has always been valued, particularly by coaches and managers.
Hopefully, this data analysis has also helped you appreciate their technical exploits more.
Marten de Roon, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Remu Freuler, and Stanislav Lobotka all offer strength and consistency in a range of defensive metrics, stating their value to their teams’ tactics.
Meanwhile, players such as Pedro, Paulo Dybala, and Hernani offer excellence on the ball.
Çalhanoğlu and Lobotka are two players who offer great data results in both defensive and attacking metrics, showcasing their technical versatility.
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