The Premier League has witnessed some truly remarkable number 7s over the years; the likes of Ronaldo, Beckham, Cantona, Keegan, Best and of course Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Now, not every squad has the perfect no.7 in their attacking line-up, and for some the pressure of the shirt is a bit too much to handle. But we are currently in the midst of a great crop of players donning the famous jersey each week.

We’ve decided to rank every current Premier League no.7 from 20-1. This list is based on opinion and some statistical support, but mainly opinion. Because all opinion-based lists are subjective and often rile up the reader to breaking point because they’d have Andy Carroll at number 10 rather than our number 15 (spoiler alert), please do tweet any disagreement to @NextGoalWinBlog and we’d love to discuss your thoughts on the placement of Shane Long on this list.

Enjoy!

Ranked…

20. Max Meyer (Crystal Palace) – Meyer was touted as a star signing when Palace snapped him up, however it really hasn’t happened for him so far. I do believe we may be nearing the end of his Premier League career as he will look to revive his career elsewhere, and particularly with his wage bill, Palace will be keen to offload him if he doesn’t improve. Having made just 17 appearances in the league (19/20), and with no goals or assists, he unfortunately ends up in 20th.

19. Neeskens Kebano (Fulham) – In 19th, we have Kebano, and although he is still a solid player in the (admittedly few) games I have seen of him, in comparison to the other no.7s on this list, he simply didn’t belong any higher up on this list. In 19/20 he made 16 appearances which isn’t the most statistically strong and unfortunately places him quite low on this list.

18. Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion) – Similarly to Kebano, Robinson is another player who I haven’t yet had much experience of watching. Although he took part in 16 Premier League games for Sheffield United last season, his move to the Hawthorns Stadium meant he was a part of WBAs promotion run-in. With 3 goals and 2 assists in the 16 Championship games he played a part in, he does seem to be a decent member of their side. However, with a previously mediocre spell with Villa in the top-flight alongside his half-season with Sheffield United, Robinson is as of yet, unproven in the Premier League which ultimately brings about his place in this list.

17. Jóhann Guðmundsson (Burnley) – The Burnley midfielder has had a fairly quiet 2019/2020 campaign after a fairly nasty injury seems to have tainted his latest season. However prior to this, he has been involved heavily for Burnley, with 3 goals and 6 assists in 29 games in the previous season. Obviously the latest season has impacted on his placing in this list, and hopefully he can play a more important role for Burnley, who may just need all the help they can get this season.

16. Ian Poveda (Leeds United) – At just 20 years of age, Poveda only has a handful of professional games under his belt, playing in just 4 league games for Leeds in the 2019/2020 season. In these, he managed 1 assist and averaged 2.25 points per game. The reason why he places higher than more experienced players on this list comes from his potential, as at a very young age and finally involved in a first team setup, he seems to be going up and up in the game.

15. Andy Carroll (Newcastle United) – Andy Carroll is the definition off a ‘what could have been’ player. When he first came onto the scene, he had defenders terrified of his physical and technical ability. However, as the years have gone on, and injuries have piled up, he has failed to really bring back the quality he seemed to have at his first Newcastle spell. Despite having played for some of the countries biggest clubs, it does seem to now be more of an impact-sub role that he is taking up at Newcastle, which seems to suit both him and the club.

14. Demarai Gray (Leicester City) – The now 24 year old feels like he has been around for about 10 years in the top flight, and somehow just feels like he hasn’t quite reached the high expectation that many had pegged for him in the early days of his Manchester City career. The move to Leicester seemed a great decision at the time, with the hope of first team football and becoming a leader in an exciting, successful side. However, he has failed to replace their main man Jamie Vardy, which although is a huge ask anyway, would have felt like the natural succession of things. Instead, he remains a squad player who is reliable, yet not spectacular.

13. Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham United) – The Ukrainian forward is another one on this list who has slightly under-delivered on expectation in his time in the Premier League. Moving from Dortmund, many would have predicted big things from Yarmolenko, who could have finally answered West Hams striking woes, however playing just 23 times in the league over the last season, it does appear as though their search may need to continue for more prolific attacking players.

12. Shane Long (Southampton) – Shane Long places quite surprisingly high on this list, mainly due to his experience at the top level of English football. Although he didn’t have much of an impact last season for Southampton, he is a reliable squad player in the twilight of his career, and has been a solid player for mid-table / lower table teams in his career. Despite only bagging double figures in the Premier League once in his career, he has been a good servant to the clubs he has played for and has done a job when needed.

11. Aaron Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion) – Just missing out on the top 10, is Brighton’s Aaron Connolly. Another player on this list with much potential to offer and at a young age it seems incredibly promising for the Irishman. Under Potter, he will look to keep growing and developing, and after 24 appearances last season, with 3 goals and 2 assists, he will surely be looking to better that this season.

10. John Lundstram (Sheffield United) – One of Sheffield United’s key players in last years remarkable season, Lundstram just makes in into the top 10. This would be much higher, if he had more top-flight experience under his belt. That being said, in just his first Premier League season, he managed 34 appearances and bagged 5 goals and 3 assists. A real solid start to life in the top-flight.

9. James Milner (Liverpool) – What a player Milner has been in his career. A player that has been quality for so long and still is heavily relied upon at one of the World’s best sides. It feels wrong to place him this low on the list, however with those ahead of him having a bit more game time and potential ahead, it does appear like Milner may not be as used in the future as he and others would like to see.

8. Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – Neto is an incredibly talented player who I honestly believe is still underrated. At just 20 years of age, the Wolves player is a big part of their Portuguese squad, and this is only going to increase given the departure of Jota this summer. I am incredibly excited about this coming season for Pedro Neto and am expecting a bright future for the player.

7. Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) – There are some players on this list that have placed quite low due to being unproven in the Premier League, and although the same could easily be said of Cavani in that regard, his reputation at Europe’s top table has placed him as the no.7 no.7. After successes at some of Europe’s biggest sides in Napoli and PSG, there is real excitement at his decision to take on England’s top division, even at the age of 33. With still a few good years left under his belt, it will be certainly interesting to see what he will bring to United’s front-line.

6. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – Saka has so much potential, and will undoubtedly become one of the league’s top players if he continues his current trajectory. In just a years’ time, it could well have been that Saka ended up in the top 3 of this list. However, despite bursting into the spotlight, he simply couldn’t break into the top 5 of the no.7 jersey wearers as those above him have the experience and performances that Saka is YET to possess.

5. N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea) – One of my absolute favourite footballers of the past 10 years, it was incredibly tough to place Kanté only in 5th, however his recent performances under Lampard seem to have really underutilised his immense talent, leading many to speculate there has been some disregard from the English manager towards the Frenchman. A World Cup winner and part of that immense Leicester City side, he’s just a loveable footballer who is a certainty to improve any team, if he can only sort his recent form out we will hopefully see him back to his best.

4. Richarlison (Everton) – It takes a lot of skill to become Brazil’s main striker, however STILL at only 23 years of age, Richarlison has done just that. Although not yet at his full potential in my opinion, the Everton front-man is a real asset to what is becoming (on paper at least) a talent-packed Everton squad. I believe he needs to bring consistency to his game a bit more, however from what I have seen from Richarlison, he’s on the path for a great career on Merseyside. They will likely need to make Europe at some point soon however to prevent the temptation from other clubs.

3. John McGinn (Aston Villa) – What an underrated talent McGinn is for Aston Villa. Often overshadowed by Grealish, McGinn is one of the stars of the bottom half of the league. A player who was crucial in their promotion season, and despite an injury lay-off in 2019/20, he was still pivotal in saving the side from relegation. With many managers and teammates putting respect on McGinn’s name, it’s only a matter of time before the wider audiences appreciate the midfielder, and as a result, ‘bigger’ sides come sniffing around the Scott.

2. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) – So close to the top spot, but just falling short, is Raheem Sterling. Many would surely have him as the number 1 on this list, however he just lost out on my personal listing. Sterling is still a superb player who has been excellent since bursting onto the scene with Liverpool. Under Pep Guardiola he has truly hit some world-beating form and should he be able to lead City to that Champions League trophy, it’s not unrealistic to imagine his inclusion in more prestigious awards alongside the likes of Neymar, Mbappe and others.

1. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) – In first spot, and just pipping Sterling to the no.1 no.7 is Spurs’ South-Korean superstar. Alongside Harry Kane, Son has been a remarkable player, goalscorer and contributor who has carried his team whenever called upon. With some incredible goals under his belt, and plenty of fantastic performances, he has just edged this list to the top spot.

Drop us a tweet @NextGoalWinBlog if you agree or disagree with our ranking.