27. Kevin De Bruyne
Within a game or two of his Manchester City career, Kevin De Bruyne proved he belonged at one of Europe’s top clubs. While injuries prevented both he and City from truly living up to expectations last season, the Belgian certainly belongs on this list.
Maybe it’s because both City and EPL teams in general have faltered in the Champions League in recent season, but for whatever reason, it didn’t seem like the Citizens belonged in the semifinals of Europe’s top club competition. And yet there they were thanks to De Bruyne.
In a two-leg epic against favored PSG, De Bruyne proved to be the top player on the pitch. After opening the scoring in Paris in what ultimately was a 2-2 draw, De Bruyne provided the lone goal of the turnaround fixture to vault City into new territory in the Champions League.
Now playing under Pep Guardiola, De Bruyne has helped put City right where we expected — top of the table in the EPL. With the most complete attack in the league, anything but top after Match Day 38 would be a disappointment for both De Bruyne and the club.