U21 defenders with the Best Potential

The highest-potential U21 defenders, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers Best midfielders Best attackers Most in-form defenders Top-scoring defenders Most valuable defenders

At a glance

Pau Cubarsí Paredes of Barcelona is the standout for raw talent across U21 defenders, with a Field Insider Rating of 95.3, and K. Kosugi has been the form player this season, grading 54.2, and A. Warneryd leads the scoring with 5 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: K. Kosugi has improved his Season rating most, up +40.1 on last season, while A. Faye's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +53.3 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, Pau Navarro of Villarreal is the most valuable name in this group at 89.2.

Best talent

Pau Cubarsí Paredes95.3RTG

Celta Vigo · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

K. Kosugi+40.1SsN

Eintracht Frankfurt · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	Pau Cubarsí Paredes Centre-back	Barcelona	19	5134.3%	953.3%
2	Álex Jiménez Full-back	Fiorentina	21	425.1%	934.3%
3	L. Yoro Centre-back	Manchester United	20	2338.5%	8710.4%
4	J. Belocian Centre-back	Bayer Leverkusen	21	1717100%	8627.5%
5	Vitor Nunes Centre-back	Manchester City	20	3520.3%	8519.8%
6	M. Rots Full-back	1899 Hoffenheim	20	44486.7%	8430.1%
7	Pau Navarro Centre-back	Villarreal	21	32210.7%	848.4%
8	A. Faye Centre-back	Celta Vigo	21	2122.9%	84176.5%
9	S. Britschgi Full-back	Parma	20	30	82
10	Abdoul Karim Coulibaly Centre-back	Werder Bremen	19	22	80
11	J. Hato Centre-back	Chelsea	20	20±0%	80±0%
12	Joshua Kofi Acheampong Full-back	Chelsea	20	9±0%	79±0%
13	H. Ahanor Centre-back	Atalanta	18	27568.3%	7814.4%
14	Abdulay Bah Centre-back	Manchester City	20	28314.7%	7810.8%
15	Noahkai Kai Daniel Banks Centre-back	FC Augsburg	19	21198.6%	7815.8%
16	A. Ouattara Centre-back	Ipswich	20	22±0%	77±0%
17	N. Sangui Full-back	Paris FC	20	2286.6%	763.7%
18	Yarek Gasiorowski Full-back	PSV Eindhoven	21	28±0%	76±0%
19	Finn Jeltsch Centre-back	VfB Stuttgart	20	268.8%	7622.7%
20	Fellipe Jack Centre-back	Cremonese	20	8127.8%	7511.7%
21	I. Ogbus Centre-back	SC Freiburg	20	152416.7%	7410.5%
22	C. Mawissa Elebi Full-back	Monaco	21	1963.9%	737.1%
23	A. Phillips Centre-back	Middlesbrough	21	33±0%	733.9%
24	T. Rothe Full-back	Union Berlin	21	1371.4%	7211.8%
25	K. Potulski Centre-back	FSV Mainz 05	18	12	72
26	A. Matturro Full-back	Genoa	21	146.3%	72±0%
27	A. Zehnter Centre-back	VfL Wolfsburg	21	874.3%	723.8%
28	E. Bitshiabu Centre-back	RB Leipzig	21	1162.5%	724.7%
29	N. Äelik Centre-back	Lens	20	13	72
30	Gonçalo Oliveira Centre-back	Rennes	20	11	7063.5%
31	Arthur Centre-back	Palmeiras	20	30	70
32	M. Ayhan Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	19	41	69
33	K. Kita Centre-back	Real Sociedad	20	29±0%	696.3%
34	Jahmai Simpson-Pusey Full-back	1. FC Köln	20	92833.3%	697.9%
35	T. Gooijer Full-back	Ajax	21	194725%	6921.7%
36	F. Chiarodia Centre-back	Borussia Mönchengladbach	21	17122.1%	684.1%
37	Tyler Bindon Centre-back	Nottingham Forest	21	2423.5%	6837.5%
38	A. Núñez Full-back	Argentinos JRS	21	19	66
39	Maykon Centre-back	Vitoria	20	12	66
40	Pedro Gabriel Full-back	Gremio	18	18	66
41	Vitalie Becker Centre-back	FC Schalke 04	21	36	66
42	Francisco Chissumba Full-back	SC Braga	21	20±0%	667.7%
43	A. Koné Centre-back	RB Leipzig	21	543735.7%	655.7%
44	Kieran Morgan Full-back	QPR	20	120.9%	653.6%
45	L. Morgalla Centre-back	Red Bull Salzburg	21	243300%	6573.7%
46	Tomas Galvez Full-back	GO Ahead Eagles	21	3282.2%	6517.1%
47	R. Kofler Centre-back	Cagliari	21	3474.5%	644%
48	Iker Córdoba Centre-back	Valencia	20	8	646.5%
49	S. Bakayoko Centre-back	Rizespor	21	2437.2%	633.3%
50	Viery Centre-back	Fiorentina	21	284550%	6310.6%