Best U23 defenders

The highest-potential U23 defenders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

W. Zaïre-Emery of Paris Saint Germain is the standout for raw talent across U23 defenders, with a Field Insider Rating of 94.3, and Jacobo Ramón Naveros has been the form player this season, grading 76.4, and Š. Chaloupek leads the scoring with 9 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Jacobo Ramón Naveros has improved his Season rating most, up +71.2 on last season, while L. Høgsberg's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +33.8 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, H. Opsahl of Norway U21 is the most valuable name in this group at 181.2.

Best talent

W. Zaïre-Emery94.3RTG

Paris Saint Germain

In form

Jacobo Ramón Naveros76.4SsN

Como

Rising potential

L. Høgsberg+33.8RTG

Strasbourg · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Jacobo Ramón Naveros+71.2SsN

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	W. Zaïre-Emery Full-back	Paris Saint Germain	20	6894.3%	9412.3%
2	M. Kayode Full-back	Brentford	22	45566.2%	9320.3%
3	Pau Cubarsí Paredes Centre-back	Barcelona	19	5134.3%	93±0%
4	Wesley Full-back	AS Roma	22	7177.4%	9123%
5	Álvaro Fernández Full-back	Real Madrid	23	5314.3%	9128.5%
6	Álex Jiménez Full-back	Bournemouth	21	4398.6%	9118.7%
7	D. Huijsen Centre-back	Real Madrid	21	4621.8%	903.2%
8	Jacobo Ramón Naveros Centre-back	Como	21	761369.2%	8914.7%
9	M. Kerkez Full-back	Liverpool	22	2924.5%	8811.6%
10	N. Brown Full-back	Eintracht Frankfurt	23	4013.8%	88±0%
11	M. Gusto Full-back	Chelsea	23	323.8%	881.6%
12	L. Yoro Centre-back	Manchester United	20	2442.6%	8710.8%
13	L. Vušković Centre-back	Hamburger SV	19	3368.9%	8740.6%
14	L. Hall Full-back	Newcastle	21	3320.2%	877.6%
15	J. Jacquet Centre-back	Rennes	21	43235.9%	8647.9%
16	Alejandro Balde Full-back	Barcelona	22	3843.8%	865.8%
17	O. El Hilali Full-back	Espanyol	22	466.3%	862.3%
18	Vitor Nunes Centre-back	Girona	20	3417.9%	8621.4%
19	T. Livramento Full-back	Newcastle	23	2351.2%	868.2%
20	Pau Navarro Centre-back	Villarreal	21	35236.9%	859.9%
21	G. Doué Full-back	Strasbourg	23	4544.1%	853%
22	Javi Rodríguez Full-back	Celta Vigo	23	323.5%	854.7%
23	A. Khusanov Centre-back	Manchester City	22	4273.4%	8518.7%
24	João Vitor Cardoso de Souza Centre-back	Londrina	23	0	85
25	D. Bartesaghi Central midfielder	AC Milan	20	301682.4%	8524.6%
26	Álex Valle Full-back	Como	22	54429.4%	8516.7%
27	J. Quansah Full-back	Bayer Leverkusen	23	32180.9%	859%
28	I. Ganiou Full-back	Lens	21	4350.3%	8437.9%
29	S. Baidoo Centre-back	Lens	22	55	84
30	Angel Pérez Full-back	Alaves	23	15	84
31	Jon Martín Centre-back	Real Sociedad	20	2166.9%	8410.8%
32	I. Zabarnyi Centre-back	Paris Saint Germain	23	6871.3%	849.8%
33	A. Circati Full-back	Parma	22	521133.3%	8425.4%
34	Tiago Gabriel Centre-back	Lecce	21	44205.6%	8450.8%
35	G. Scalvini Full-back	Atalanta	22	53964%	8418.5%
36	M. Rots Full-back	Twente	20	42456%	8430.1%
37	C. Lukeba Centre-back	RB Leipzig	23	5039.2%	848.6%
38	J. Aramburu Full-back	Real Sociedad	23	3829.4%	840.7%
39	C. Bradley Full-back	Liverpool	23	30141.5%	830.7%
40	T. Muharemović Centre-back	Sassuolo	23	4213.9%	8323.4%
41	N. Ngoy Centre-back	Lille	23	53111.6%	8358.7%
42	Juanlu Sánchez Full-back	Sevilla	22	249%	820.6%
43	Cristhian Mosquera Full-back	Arsenal	22	351.4%	828.7%
44	N. Mendy Centre-back	Rayo Vallecano	21	334542.9%	8217%
45	L. Querfeld Centre-back	Union Berlin	22	3963.8%	828%
46	A. Ait Boudlal Centre-back	Rennes	20	37257.8%	8240.1%
47	A. Heaven Centre-back	Manchester United	19	11	8215.7%
48	C. Cresswell Centre-back	Toulouse	23	425%	82±0%
49	Raúl Asencio Centre-back	Real Madrid	23	307.5%	812.2%
50	M. Moreno Centre-back	Levante	22	368.5%	8154.6%