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

L. Vušković of Brighton is the standout for raw talent across U21 defenders, with a Field Insider Rating of 87, and Jacobo Ramón Naveros has been the form player this season, grading 68.3, and Neil Pierre leads the scoring with 4 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 L. Vušković's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +25.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, J. Jacquet of Liverpool is the most valuable name in this group at 88.2.

Jacobo Ramón Naveros68.3SsN

Como

Rising potential

L. Vušković+25.2RTG

Brighton · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Jacobo Ramón Naveros+63.1SsN

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	L. Vušković Centre-back	Brighton	19	304.2%	873%
2	Jacobo Ramón Naveros Centre-back	Como	21	68±0%	87±0%
3	Jon Martín Full-back	Real Sociedad	20	19±0%	82±0%
4	Z. Athekame Full-back	Lyon	21	15±0%	823.1%
5	X. Mandza Tsiendi Full-back	Nice	17	15	78
6	Jorge Salinas Full-back	Racing Santander	19	35±0%	783.1%
7	Max Alleyne Full-back	Burnley	21	813.7%	7726.2%
8	N. Sangui Full-back	Paris FC	20	2286.6%	763.7%
9	T. Blokzijl Full-back	Groningen	21	41±0%	76±0%
10	X. Espart Full-back	Barcelona	18	5±0%	76±0%
11	C. Tapé Full-back	Toulouse	20	8	74
12	I. Ogbus Centre-back	SC Freiburg	20	152416.7%	7410.5%
13	G. Antwi Full-back	Strasbourg	19	10	72
14	A. Zehnter Centre-back	VfL Wolfsburg	21	874.3%	723.8%
15	J. Stephenson Centre-back	Crewe	18	18	72
16	E. Bitshiabu Centre-back	Galatasaray	21	1162.5%	724.7%
17	N. Äelik Centre-back	Lens	20	13	72
18	R. Nijstad Centre-back	Twente	18	16±0%	71±0%
19	Buba Sangaré Full-back	Elche	19	8±0%	70±0%
20	Gonçalo Oliveira Centre-back	Rennes	20	11	7063.5%
21	Arthur Centre-back	Palmeiras	21	30	70
22	K. Kita Centre-back	Real Sociedad	21	29±0%	697.1%
23	G. Read Full-back	Feyenoord	20	14±0%	69±0%
24	Rio Cardines Full-back	Bristol City	20	92025%	69±0%
25	Rafita Full-back	Malaga	20	27±0%	68±0%
26	Ruairi McConville Centre-back	Norwich	21	478.1%	67±0%
27	E. Dijkstra Full-back	AZ Alkmaar	20	23±0%	66±0%
28	Maykon Centre-back	Vitoria	20	12	66
29	Pedro Gabriel Full-back	Gremio	18	18	66
30	Francisco Chissumba Full-back	SC Braga	21	20±0%	667.7%
31	I. Baouf Centre-back	Cambuur	20	39±0%	653.8%
32	A. Koné Centre-back	RB Leipzig	21	543735.7%	655.7%
33	J. Arango Centre-back	Girona	17	19	65
34	Íñigo Arguibide Full-back	Osasuna	21	1±0%	65±0%
35	Roger Hinojo Centre-back	Espanyol	21	24±0%	65±0%
36	F. Merién Centre-back	Jong PSV U21	18	1648.9%	659.1%
37	K. Pedro Full-back	Saint Etienne	20	2810.8%	64±0%
38	E. Zidane Full-back	RED Star FC 93	20	30	64
39	L. Martes Centre-back	Sparta Rotterdam	17	18±0%	64±0%
40	E. Kouadio Centre-back	Monza	20	110%	64±0%
41	J. Seys Full-back	Club Brugge KV	21	37±0%	634%
42	E. N'Gatta Centre-back	Sochaux	19	32	63
43	N. Fernandez-Veliz Centre-back	Nancy	21	29±0%	62±0%
44	K. Pascini Full-back	Atletico-MG	17	7	62
45	João Henrique Full-back	QPR	20	1515100%	626.9%
46	Andrés Cuenca Full-back	Sporting Gijon	19	22148.9%	62±0%
47	S. Rodriguez Full-back	Oviedo	20	20	61
48	Marc Bombardó Centre-back	FC Andorra	20	1414.3%	61±0%
49	Pedro Francisco Full-back	Famalicao	21	30±0%	61±0%
50	S. Bocoum Full-back	AC Milan	20	20	60