Best defensive defensive midfielders

The best defensive defensive midfielders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the standout for raw talent across defensive midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 95.1, and J. Veerman has been the form player this season, grading 75.3, and L. Haraslín leads the scoring with 13 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: G. Zechiël has improved his Season rating most, up +55.9 on last season, while D. Svensson's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +41.4 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, R. Gravenberch of Liverpool is the most valuable name in this group at 188.

Borussia Dortmund · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

G. Zechiël+55.9SsN

Utrecht · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most clean sheetsCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	J. Nieto Defensive midfielder	Deportes Tolima	33	18	28	11
2	B. Baiye Defensive midfielder	Erzurumspor FK	25	18	4388.5%	5633%
3	C. McGrandles Defensive midfielder	Lincoln	30	18	4581.5%	345.3%
4	T. Augello Defensive midfielder	Palermo	31	17	3228.9%	3831.3%
5	P. Mpanzu Defensive midfielder	Cambridge United	32	17	274.7%	1738.5%
6	M. Grimes Defensive midfielder	Coventry	31	17	383.5%	4215.6%
7	A. Matusiwa Defensive midfielder	Ipswich	28	16	478.8%	5716.9%
8	A. Cherni Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	25	16	3126.7%	538.4%
9	A. Zorgane Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	26	16	456.1%	589.9%
10	A. Khalaili Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	21	16	46151.4%	657.1%
11	B. Cristante Defensive midfielder	AS Roma	31	16	427.2%	4711.4%
12	M. Pinnock Defensive midfielder	Bromley	31	16	3313.3%	2137.8%
13	B. Rovira Defensive midfielder	Deportes Tolima	29	15	29	20
14	V. Malcorra Defensive midfielder	Rosario Central	38	15	4413.9%	1611.9%
15	E. Watt Defensive midfielder	Motherwell	26	15	51113.5%	476.3%
16	L. Fadinger Defensive midfielder	Motherwell	25	15	38	49
17	T. van de Looi Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	27	15	245.2%	553.5%
18	M. Pessina Defensive midfielder	Monza	29	15	45485.5%	483.6%
19	L. da Cunha Defensive midfielder	Como	25	15	5138%	8810.8%
20	M. Perrone Defensive midfielder	Como	23	15	4674.1%	889.2%
21	L. Bennett Defensive midfielder	Cambridge United	24	15	2631.8%	3424.7%
22	B. González Defensive midfielder	Guadalajara Chivas	23	14	45	62
23	Mathias De Amorim Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	21	14	48135%	7017.8%
24	W. Barrios Defensive midfielder	Zenit	32	14	275.9%	1817.7%
25	T. Kubo Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	27	14	46183.9%	498.3%
26	N. Tripichio Defensive midfielder	San Lorenzo	30	14	3531.2%	3223.3%
27	F. Ibarra Defensive midfielder	Rosario Central	25	14	4514.6%	514.2%
28	Lucas Silva Defensive midfielder	Cruzeiro	33	14	34101.2%	308.9%
29	L. Romero Defensive midfielder	Cruzeiro	32	14	4435.6%	379.3%
30	F. Ranocchia Defensive midfielder	Palermo	25	14	4668.4%	676.7%
31	J. Segre Defensive midfielder	Palermo	29	14	4036.5%	469.7%
32	Paulo Azzi Defensive midfielder	Monza	32	14	50177.2%	351.4%
33	Z. Çelik Defensive midfielder	AS Roma	29	14	3922.2%	5712.1%
34	M. Locatelli Defensive midfielder	Juventus	28	14	5216.5%	6415.3%
35	A. Charles Defensive midfielder	Bromley	27	14	41147%	301.3%
36	Bernardo Silva Defensive midfielder	Manchester City	31	14	4410.4%	5120.7%
37	N. Árevalo Defensive midfielder	Millonarios	23	13	25	27
38	S. PirgiÄDefensive midfielder	Železničar Pančevo	23	13	35	43
39	A. Kabacalman Defensive midfielder	FC Sion	30	13	39	28
40	A. Aslan Defensive midfielder	Bodrum FK	25	13	34109.8%	5120.2%
41	R. Mulumba Defensive midfielder	Bandırmaspor	33	13	2926.8%	1959.9%
42	M. Karlsson Defensive midfielder	Hammarby FF	22	13	3966.2%	427.2%
43	M. Power Defensive midfielder	Bradford	32	13	311076.9%	2694.1%
44	Wendel Defensive midfielder	Zenit	28	13	282.8%	2714.6%
45	Martinelli Defensive midfielder	Fluminense	24	13	4034.8%	724.2%
46	Marlon Freitas Defensive midfielder	Botafogo	31	13	4017%	4116%
47	A. Westwood Defensive midfielder	Charlotte	36	13	335.4%	181.6%
48	A. Dennis Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	22	13	386.4%	553.8%
49	A. Kurtulan Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	23	13	46219.4%	534.3%
50	D. Haspolat Defensive midfielder	KVC Westerlo	26	13	4514.5%	549.4%