He doesn't have a good awareness. Time after time its what hurts him and causes him to lose the ball in the center of the pitch. Always thinks he has far more space than he actually does, which does lead him to thinking he's better than he actually is. More than anything, what he needed his whole time here but never seemed to get was the right type of coaching to become a natural in that midfield role.
We'll see next season, no doubt he'll be here but I'm not sure if he'll sign a contract, though I'm also not sure if he'll get the teams he wants to spend big on him. Yes he can be a great passer. Yes his dribbling is excellent. But he's just so relaxed most of the time which is not a good quality in there. Like you don't get the feeling that his mind is working a few steps ahead like the best midfielders. Hes a quality player, but hes not "the best midfielder around", and probably not in the top 5. Hes always had the raw attributes to be that, but the mental side of his game just isn't that.
Hes always wanted Madrid or Barca... hes not good enough to be a key player for them because he is just so slow on the ball so often. And his first touch really ought to be better when you look at the rest of his technical ability.
Anyway, hope he turns it on against West Ham and Leicester and then manages to stay fit next season. But with his raw talent, he should be a much better player than he actually is, just unfortunately his intelligence on the pitch isn't up to speed.