Kevin De Bruyne appeared to have a relatively lukewarm season in 2022/23... but still created 22 goals and scored nine in 42 matches across the Premier League and Champions League combined. Injury issues have seen the Belgian fail to dominate our screens as often as he has done in the past, but like Haaland, he has made extraordinary achievements seem, well, ordinary.
KDB could be the greatest crosser of a ball in Premier League history, while his vision and penchant for a defence-splitting pass combine with frightening effectiveness on a number of occasions.
One of the best aspects of De Bruyne is that he comes with all the trimmings. He's a lethal set-piece taker, he is unexpectedly physical and genuinely quick off the mark. Without these things, KDB would remain a top, top player, but with them at his disposal, he is a multi-layered box of tricks.
2. Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Mbappé is a megastar forged by the crucible of the World Cup. It's an old-school way to achieve greatness given the prominence of the Champions League and Premier League, but Mbappé's international heroics prove his ability and mentality beyond all reasonable doubt.Like Neymar, like many before, he has made a mockery of Ligue 1 but his form on the global stage for both club and country puts him out in front. His World Cup final hat-trick will go down as the stuff of legends – a big time performance from a big time player.Mbappé is often portrayed as a dramatic soap character in the ever-brewing psychodrama between PSG and Real Madrid, a large portion of his mind fixed on off-field politics, but the character he showed throughout the World Cup, his mentality and steely determination to drag his team kicking and screaming to the trophy has elevated him up another notch on the ladder.He is one of the fastest footballers we've ever seen grace the field, with a range of shooting like no other. He can strike the ball on the run or with immense power from a dead standing start, he can finesse shots low into the corners and drill the ball high and rising into the roof of the net. If Mbappé has the ball in your half, you are not safe.