The Premier League’s most versatile players right now | OneFootball

Jack of all trades, master of none, as the saying goes. But sometimes it is better for a team to have a jack of all trades.

Across a 38-game Premier League season, someone who is available to play in multiple positions can be more reliable than a star player who misses matches often. Pep Guardiola loves a versatile player, just look at Rico Lewis.

Another versatile player to come forth recently is Archie Gray. The 18-year-old has played 301 minutes for Tottenham Hotspur across all competitions this season since his move from Leeds United. He’s played at right-back, left-back, centre-back and in central midfield.

So, that got us thinking. Who are the most versatile players in the Premier League right now? We’ve taken a look below.

To narrow down our search, we looked at players with at least 1,500 minutes played in the Premier League since the start of last season.

James Garner

Everton have had injury issues at right-back this season, with James Garner stepping up to the plate. Since joining the Toffees from Manchester United, Garner has been very reliable as a utility man.

Nominally a defensive midfielder, Garner has often been played out on the right under Sean Dyche. It started in more of a wing-back role before providing the extra defensive cover when Dyche shifted to a back four. And now he’s their right-back.

But there have also been a few games where Garner has played in the attacking midfield role, as an extra pressing man to hassle the opposition defence.

Kristoffer Ajer

Sometimes versatility doesn’t mean being able to play centre-back and striker. It can also mean being available across the back line. And that’s what Kristoffer Ajer offers to Brentford.

Since the start of last season, Ajer has played in all three centre-back positions of the back three, though favouring the middle role. He has also played at both left-back and right-back, with some minutes further forward at wing-back.

To top it all off, Ajer even played 13 minutes as a defensive midfielder, though we wouldn’t count that as enough to class the defender as versatile in that regard. Wherever Ajer has played he has been reliable too, which is the most important attribute for a versatile player.

Rayan Ait-Nouri

We’ve heard of Mo Salah running down the wing, but Wolverhampton Wanderers fans should really be singing that about Rayan Ait-Nouri. Although they could change the lyrics to “playing down the wing”.

Wolves like to play a few different systems, so it’s useful to have players that can play in multiple roles. And that’s what they have in Ait-Nouri.

He’s at his best as a left wing-back, where he can get forward more. But Ait-Nouri has also spent significant minute as a more traditional left-back. There have even been moments on the right, though Wolves don’t get as much out of him there.

Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski is a player most managers will want. Wherever you play him, he’ll give his all for the team. And Ange Postecoglou has utilised that.

When Kulusevski first joined Tottenham, he was known as a winger but he struggled to make a massive impact in that position. That wasn’t his fault, though, as Tottenham were struggling in general.

But this season the Swede has really found his home as one of Postecoglou’s central midfielders. Often playing alongside James Maddison, with Rodrigo Bentacur starting deeper, Kulusevski adds another pressing man for Tottenham. This season alone he’s won possession 11 times in the attacking third, more than any other player in the Premier League.

Phil Foden

We said Guardiola likes a versatile player. You don’t really make it in a Guardiola team if you’re not. And in Phil Foden, Guardiola’s got a player who is both versatile and really, really good.

Since the start of last season, Foden has played pretty much everywhere in the midfield and attack for Manchester City. Obviously we’re used to seeing him on the right wing, and that is where a large part of his minutes have been spent. But he’s also spent quite a bit of time on the left.

There isn’t much of a need for Foden to play as as striker with Erling Haaland as a teammate. But we have seen Foden pushed further forward on occasion, with a bit of success. Hampered slightly by injury this season, Foden has still been directly involved in 27 Premier League goals since the start of 2023-24.

Matheus Cunha

Wolves really like their versatile players. Matheus Cunha has played a chunk of minutes practically everywhere in attacking positions for Wolves under Gary O’Neil. He’s had to, with Wolves suffering a lot of injury issues.

Cunha himself has had some time out due to injury problems. His most-used position since the start of last season has been as a striker, whether that be on his own or in a partnership. But in recent weeks, he has been racking up the minutes in a wider role, whether that be on the left or right.

He’s still more at home centrally, but Cunha’s versatility has been helpful to Wolves.

Bruno Fernandes

Another versatile player borne of necessity, Bruno Fernandes has been moved around the pitch to whether Erik ten Hag feels like playing him.

We all know the Portuguese midfielder is most effective in the central attacking midfield role. It’s where he has had the most impact on the Man United team over the years. And it’s where he has played the most minutes since the start of last season.

But we’ve also seen Fernandes pop up on the wing and in a deeper midfield role on occasion. This season he’s even filled in as striker, with Man United struggling up front due to injuries. It has come at a cost, though, with Fernandes not as impactful so far this season.

Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer has been a revelation for Chelsea. No one could have expected him to have the impact he has had since joining the Blues from Man City last summer.

Since his debut for Chelsea in the Premier League, Palmer (44) has been directly involved in more goals than any other player in the competition. This has come with Palmer mostly playing on the right side of Chelsea’s attacking midfield line or through the middle.

But the Englishman has been spread across the pitch. As well as some time as a more orthodox winger, Palmer has also played in central midfield and as Chelsea’s striker. More like a false nine, it’s not an experiment that worked too well, but Palmer’s abilities made it worth a try.

Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus has been a reliable man for West Ham United since joining. And once he’s on the ball it’s tough to get him off it.

Under David Moyes last season, the Ghanaian was part of a fluid attack, with the Hammers really lacking a goalscoring striker. It saw Kudus pop up anywhere from the right to the left, central attacking midfield or even some time as a centre forward.

While most of his roles have been attacking, there have been a handful of minutes in more reserved wing positions. Since the start of last season, Kudus has completed 147 take-ons, more than any other player in the Premier League. He currently leads the way this season with 23, two more than Adama Traore.

John McGinn

It’s quite upsetting that John McGinn hasn’t spent any time in the past two seasons as a striker for Aston Villa. That’s all he’s really missing to complete the offensive set of positions.

But even without that you can see how versatile McGinn is. Much like Kulusevski, he’s a player you know will give you 100% no matter where he plays on the pitch. While you may be more familiar with McGinn in a central midfield role, he’s spent more time in the past two seasons playing out wide.

This time has been fairly evenly split between the left and right flank, though McGinn has popped up more frequently on the latter. He’s also had time in a more attacking central role. With McGinn, you know you’re going to get a player with energy and the ability to press. So it makes sense to utilise him in various positions depending the game state and opponent.