Best U21 defensive midfielders

The highest-potential U21 defensive midfielders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the standout for raw talent across U21 defensive midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 95.1, and J. Manzambi has been the form player this season, grading 55, and M. Madjed leads the scoring with 7 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Manzambi has improved his Season rating most, up +45.6 on last season, while S. Ebonog's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +36.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the most valuable name in this group at 171.2.

Le Havre · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Manzambi+45.6SsN

SC Freiburg · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	N. Sadiki Defensive midfielder	Sunderland	21	344.8%	9545.6%
2	J. Manzambi Defensive midfielder	SC Freiburg	20	55485.1%	9017%
3	K. Mainoo Defensive midfielder	Manchester United	21	2959.1%	899.7%
4	K. Kouassi Defensive midfielder	Lorient	21	4592.7%	8739.7%
5	Marc Bernal Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	19	23788.5%	8715.7%
6	A. Bouaddi Defensive midfielder	Lille	18	3463.9%	8714.6%
7	V. Barco Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	21	50132.4%	8612.8%
8	N. Pisilli Defensive midfielder	AS Roma	21	2938.3%	844.2%
9	S. Ouaissa Defensive midfielder	NEC Nijmegen	21	4952%	8212.9%
10	J. Bellingham Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	20	3032.2%	826.2%
11	M. Lewis-Skelly Defensive midfielder	Arsenal	19	575.4%	815.9%
12	O. Vargas Defensive midfielder	Atletico Madrid	20	1850.3%	8170.5%
13	S. El Mourabet Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	20	44	80
14	D. Methalie Defensive midfielder	Toulouse	20	43	80
15	R. Matondo Defensive midfielder	Paris FC	18	286875%	8024.7%
16	José María Andrés Baixauli Defensive midfielder	VfB Stuttgart	21	31	8012.4%
17	K. Smit Defensive midfielder	AZ Alkmaar	20	42336.1%	7919.6%
18	P. Wanner Defensive midfielder	PSV Eindhoven	20	3610.5%	783.5%
19	L. Miller Defensive midfielder	Udinese	19	1566.2%	7746.6%
20	A. Kemlein Defensive midfielder	Union Berlin	21	27131.6%	779.6%
21	M. Culbreath Defensive midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen	18	14	76
22	A. Bulatović Defensive midfielder	Lens	19	22	76
23	S. Ebonog Defensive midfielder	Le Havre	21	27682.9%	7594.3%
24	A. Vermeeren Defensive midfielder	Marseille	21	1541.6%	748.7%
25	A. Bamba Defensive midfielder	Monaco	20	18	74
26	A. Vossah Defensive midfielder	Toulouse	18	18	74
27	A. Zehnter Defensive midfielder	VfL Wolfsburg	21	2228.6%	732.4%
28	N. Aséko Nkili Defensive midfielder	Hannover 96	20	441603.8%	7395.2%
29	C. Ordoñez Defensive midfielder	Parma	21	1657.9%	7212.9%
30	Mathias De Amorim Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	21	48135%	7017.8%
31	Izan Merino Defensive midfielder	Malaga	20	1525.8%	7012.4%
32	H. Amass Defensive midfielder	Sheffield Wednesday	19	491095.1%	704.8%
33	D. Ozoh Defensive midfielder	Derby	21	30156.8%	6912.7%
34	Rafel Bauzà Defensive midfielder	Mirandes	21	432417.6%	691.9%
35	Maik Defensive midfielder	Sao Paulo	21	23	69
36	S. Džodić Defensive midfielder	Almeria	21	33717.5%	689.7%
37	A. Cacciamani Defensive midfielder	Juve Stabia	19	25	671.7%
38	Tomás Carbonell Defensive midfielder	Real Sociedad II	21	34	67
39	Zé Lucas Defensive midfielder	Sport Recife	18	25	67
40	A. Ochoa Defensive midfielder	Malaga	19	14153.7%	6714.2%
41	A. Santos Defensive midfielder	Sparta Rotterdam	20	28	67
42	A. Stanković Defensive midfielder	Club Brugge KV	20	45	66
43	Jacob Wright Defensive midfielder	Norwich	20	1674.4%	663.3%
44	M. Yalcouyé Defensive midfielder	Swansea	20	141.4%	6596.7%
45	A. Khalaili Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	21	46151.4%	657.1%
46	Cajetan Benjamin Lenz Defensive midfielder	VfL Bochum	20	32	65
47	L. Colombo Defensive midfielder	Monza	21	18	64
48	Fabio Rispoli Defensive midfielder	Catanzaro	19	167750%	6414.9%
49	T. Chennahi Defensive midfielder	Montpellier	21	371360%	644.1%
50	A. Bakoune Defensive midfielder	Monza	20	15	63