Centre-backs with the Best Potential

The highest-potential centre-backs, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers Best defenders Best midfielders Best attackers Most in-form centre-backs Top-scoring centre-backs

At a glance

W. Saliba of Arsenal is the standout for raw talent across centre-backs, with a Field Insider Rating of 87.8, and J. Bednarek has been the form player this season, grading 80.9, and Luciano Juba leads the scoring with 10 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Jacobo Ramón Naveros has improved his Season rating most, up +63.1 on last season, while O. Provstgaard's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +31.5 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, W. Saliba of Arsenal is the most valuable name in this group at 145.4.

O. Provstgaard+31.5RTG

Lazio · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Jacobo Ramón Naveros+63.1SsN

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	W. Saliba Centre-back	Arsenal	25	6217.3%	885.7%
2	M. Thiaw Centre-back	Newcastle	25	36±0%	87±0%
3	Natan Centre-back	Napoli	25	351.4%	863.6%
4	Eric García Centre-back	Barcelona	25	62±0%	85±0%
5	Sergio Gómez Centre-back	Real Sociedad	26	22±0%	807.5%
6	Raúl Asencio Centre-back	Real Madrid	23	273.6%	803.9%
7	I. Konaté Centre-back	Real Madrid	27	42±0%	771.7%
8	O. Braude Centre-back	Heerenveen	22	30±0%	76±0%
9	C. Bassey Centre-back	Fulham	26	38±0%	76±0%
10	Y. Baas Centre-back	Ajax	23	50±0%	76±0%
11	B. Diakité Centre-back	Bournemouth	25	17±0%	75±0%
12	N. Savona Centre-back	Nottingham Forest	23	1266.1%	756.9%
13	Yoel Lago Centre-back	Celta Vigo	22	15±0%	74±0%
14	S. Walukiewicz Centre-back	Sassuolo	26	35741.5%	7421.1%
15	I. Ogbus Centre-back	SC Freiburg	20	152416.7%	7410.5%
16	L. Østigård Centre-back	Genoa	26	331.2%	732%
17	C. Hughes Centre-back	Hull City	23	43145.5%	7211.9%
18	M. Vitík Centre-back	Bologna	23	24	72
19	J. Branthwaite Centre-back	Everton	24	10±0%	72±0%
20	A. Zehnter Centre-back	VfL Wolfsburg	22	874.3%	723.8%
21	J. Stephenson Centre-back	Crewe	18	18	72
22	E. Bitshiabu Centre-back	Galatasaray	21	1162.5%	724.7%
23	N. Äelik Centre-back	Lens	20	13	72
24	Carlos Domínguez Centre-back	Oviedo	25	29204.2%	716.4%
25	C. Widell Centre-back	Excelsior	23	28±0%	71±0%
26	M. Diaz Centre-back	Estac Troyes	23	288.5%	71±0%
27	R. Nijstad Centre-back	Twente	18	16±0%	71±0%
28	A. Giay Centre-back	Palmeiras	22	374.6%	71±0%
29	S. Botman Centre-back	Newcastle	26	23±0%	71±0%
30	C. Doyle Centre-back	Wrexham	23	1939.3%	711.7%
31	M. Willemsen Centre-back	Heerenveen	23	22±0%	71±0%
32	Gonçalo Oliveira Centre-back	Rennes	20	11	7063.5%
33	Jonathan Centre-back	Cruzeiro	22	39125%	706.1%
34	Arthur Centre-back	Palmeiras	21	30	70
35	Alejandro Francés Centre-back	Girona	24	27111.1%	70±0%
36	Gustavo Marques Centre-back	RB Bragantino	25	46285.6%	7020%
37	R. Meissen Centre-back	Excelsior	24	31±0%	69±0%
38	K. Kita Centre-back	Real Sociedad	21	29±0%	697.1%
39	S. Lemkin Centre-back	Twente	23	22538.2%	6989.8%
40	B. Okoh Centre-back	Auxerre	23	20	69
41	Gonçalo Inácio Centre-back	Sporting CP	25	54±0%	692.5%
42	C. Devenish Centre-back	Metz	25	238.7%	6923.2%
43	Copete Centre-back	Valencia	27	2411.2%	687.8%
44	A. Buongiorno Centre-back	Napoli	27	4813.3%	6811.6%
45	M. Senaya Centre-back	Auxerre	25	38396.1%	686.4%
46	Ruairi McConville Centre-back	Norwich	21	478.1%	67±0%
47	David López Centre-back	Mallorca	23	1425.8%	679.8%
48	F. Bonini Centre-back	Almeria	25	3316.7%	67±0%
49	Diego Murillo Centre-back	Malaga	25	44290.3%	6719.6%
50	G. Campbell Centre-back	West Brom	25	1265.6%	662.5%