Best centre-backs in 2. Bundesliga

The highest-potential centre-backs in 2. Bundesliga, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

M. Ayhan of FC Schalke 04 is the standout for raw talent across centre-backs in 2. Bundesliga, with a Field Insider Rating of 67.3, and M. N'Diaye has been the form player this season, grading 61, and M. Maglica leads the scoring with 6 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: N. Katić has improved his Season rating most, up +38.9 on last season, while F. Gruber's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +23.7 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, M. N'Diaye of FC Schalke 04 is the most valuable name in this group at 38.8.

1. FC Nürnberg · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

N. Katić+38.9SsN

FC Schalke 04 · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	M. Ayhan Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	19	41	67
2	M. N'Diaye Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	24	6178.9%	6622.3%
3	L. Gechter Centre-back	Hertha BSC	22	45137.2%	665.4%
4	T. Scheller Centre-back	SC Paderborn 07	24	3521.1%	66±0%
5	F. Gruber Centre-back	1. FC Nürnberg	23	29175.5%	6557.5%
6	M. Dárdai Centre-back	Hertha BSC	24	4222.7%	622.1%
7	Julian Andreas Pauli Centre-back	Dynamo Dresden	21	2524.7%	611.6%
8	D. Zec Centre-back	Holstein Kiel	26	37202.5%	6012.8%
9	Kim Ji-Soo Centre-back	1. FC Kaiserslautern	21	17	6015.9%
10	L. Pinckert Centre-back	SV Elversberg	26	3341.1%	5912%
11	K. Ehlers Centre-back	Eintracht Braunschweig	25	3346%	598.4%
12	P. Pfeiffer Centre-back	SV Darmstadt 98	26	40778.3%	5915.1%
13	M. Großer Centre-back	Arminia Bielefeld	24	2321.4%	5934.3%
14	Felipe Sánchez Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	22	208.8%	5817.7%
15	A. Hoti Centre-back	Eintracht Braunschweig	23	20124.4%	5838%
16	F. Muller Centre-back	Dynamo Dresden	19	11	58
17	Jonah Benedict Sticker Centre-back	SC Paderborn 07	22	1427.3%	5729.7%
18	M. Gyamfi Centre-back	1. FC Kaiserslautern	26	38307.4%	5748.2%
19	I. Nekić Centre-back	Holstein Kiel	25	222300%	562.8%
20	M. Beifus Centre-back	Karlsruher SC	23	683.8%	5616.8%
21	E. Egouli Centre-back	Fortuna Düsseldorf	23	17	56
22	L. Frenkert Centre-back	Eintracht Braunschweig	25	1741.7%	557.2%
23	J. Heuer Centre-back	Preußen Münster	26	2320.5%	545.1%
24	M. Maglica Centre-back	SV Darmstadt 98	27	37776.2%	5415.1%
25	K. Schmidt Centre-back	Fortuna Düsseldorf	24	12228.6%	5351.7%
26	B. Tomiak Centre-back	Hannover 96	27	2913.1%	5314.4%
27	J. Hugonet Centre-back	1. FC Magdeburg	26	2353.8%	5221.7%
28	H. Kuruçay Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	28	52206.4%	5110.6%
29	L. Lochoshvili Centre-back	1. FC Nürnberg	28	33487.5%	516.9%
30	M. Bauer Centre-back	Arminia Bielefeld	26	208.3%	508.8%
31	L. Schneider Centre-back	Arminia Bielefeld	26	1435.3%	4918.4%
32	F. Götze Centre-back	SC Paderborn 07	28	344.8%	4819.5%
33	V. Ghiță Centre-back	Hannover 96	28	3329.5%	4731.9%
34	P. Strompf Centre-back	VfL Bochum	28	2827.7%	4713%
35	N. Katić Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	29	48432.2%	440.9%
36	E. Mašović Centre-back	VfL Bochum	27	1453.8%	4328.7%
37	T. Oberdorf Centre-back	Fortuna Düsseldorf	29	3522.6%	4228.4%
38	N. Loosli Centre-back	VfL Bochum	29	29187.3%	421.2%
39	N. Koulis Centre-back	Preußen Münster	27	779.3%	4029.8%
40	J. Elvedi Centre-back	SpVgg Greuther Fürth	29	2919.4%	3927.1%
41	M. Mathisen Centre-back	1. FC Magdeburg	30	4012.4%	3826.2%
42	L. Bünning Centre-back	Dynamo Dresden	28	946%	384.1%
43	L. Boeder Centre-back	Dynamo Dresden	29	1221.1%	368.7%
44	M. Komenda Centre-back	Holstein Kiel	29	1883.3%	3533.3%
45	M. Rohr Centre-back	SV Elversberg	31	4234.6%	3515%
46	N. Kolbe Centre-back	Hertha BSC	29	1768.1%	3427.1%
47	A. Vukotić Centre-back	SV Darmstadt 98	30	242.8%	3323.3%
48	P. Hercher Centre-back	1. FC Magdeburg	30	1318.7%	3131.6%
49	F. Le Joncour Centre-back	SV Elversberg	31	1916.9%	2727.2%
50	T. Paetow Centre-back	Preußen Münster	30	847.2%	2633.4%