Best defensive U23 players in Champions League

The best defensive U23 players in Champions League, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

Lamine Yamal of Barcelona is the standout for raw talent across U23 players in Champions League, with a Field Insider Rating of 100.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: M. Godts has improved his Season rating most, up +55.4 on last season, while R. Bardghji's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +42.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, F. Wirtz of Liverpool is the most valuable name in this group at 191.6.

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#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	K. Tzolakis Goalkeeper	Olympiakos Piraeus	23	19	7659.4%	467.2%
2	A. Khalaili Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	21	16	46151.4%	657.1%
3	W. Zaïre-Emery Full-back	Paris Saint Germain	20	14	6894.3%	9412.3%
4	I. Zabarnyi Centre-back	Paris Saint Germain	23	14	6871.3%	849.8%
5	S. Dahl Full-back	Benfica	23	13	60165.2%	6984.5%
6	K. Yıldız Attacking midfielder	Juventus	21	13	5340%	932.8%
7	V. Kostov Central midfielder	FK Crvena Zvezda	18	12	49	50
8	F. Sjøvold Full-back	Bodo/Glimt	22	12	4827.8%	529.1%
9	Pau Cubarsí Paredes Centre-back	Barcelona	19	12	5134.3%	93±0%
10	N. O'Reilly Full-back	Manchester City	21	12	56432.1%	9717.9%
11	K. Van de Perre Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	22	12	35153.6%	6010.5%
12	R. Højlund Centre-forward	Napoli	23	12	59198.5%	9310.9%
13	M. Godts Winger	Ajax	21	11	79238.8%	8411.8%
14	Y. Baas Centre-back	Ajax	23	11	545.7%	764.5%
15	Lamine Yamal Winger	Barcelona	19	10	9148.9%	100±0%
16	F. Leysen Full-back	Union St. Gilloise	23	10	376.9%	553.9%
17	B. Barcola Winger	Paris Saint Germain	23	10	4732%	839.5%
18	Francisco Conceição Attacking midfielder	Juventus	23	10	2947.2%	853.5%
19	Álvaro Fernández Full-back	Real Madrid	23	10	5314.3%	9128.5%
20	M. Beier Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	23	10	538.1%	894.7%
21	A. Stanković Defensive midfielder	Club Brugge KV	20	10	45	66
22	J. Seys Full-back	Club Brugge KV	21	10	3728.4%	6615.3%
23	Senny Mayulu Full-back	Paris Saint Germain	20	10	60323.2%	9112.4%
24	J. Ordoñez Centre-back	Club Brugge KV	22	9	3314.8%	601.2%
25	D. Gassama Attacking midfielder	Rangers	22	9	2311%	5427.1%
26	O. Rosengren Central midfielder	Malmo FF	23	9	48187.9%	399.6%
27	Carlos Forbs Attacking midfielder	Club Brugge KV	22	9	41	665.6%
28	P. Sučić Central midfielder	Inter	22	9	30	80
29	J. Bellingham Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	20	9	3032.2%	826.2%
30	António Silva Centre-back	Benfica	22	9	418.5%	644.6%
31	A. Dedić Full-back	Benfica	23	9	38772.1%	668.3%
32	Beraldo Central midfielder	Paris Saint Germain	22	9	3018%	802.4%
33	Pedri Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	23	9	5915.9%	908.4%
34	G. Simeone Winger	Atletico Madrid	23	9	3639.4%	882.5%
35	Guilherme Henriques da Silva Carvalho Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	23	8	38	6188.9%
36	S. Jatta Centre-forward	Sturm Graz	23	8	2212.4%	4715%
37	C. Mouzakitis Defensive midfielder	Olympiakos Piraeus	19	8	1829.4%	421.2%
38	A. Kozubal Defensive midfielder	Lech Poznan	21	8	3017.2%	437%
39	M. Gurgul Full-back	Lech Poznan	20	8	2729.4%	454.4%
40	A. Engels Defensive midfielder	Celtic	22	8	3116%	536.7%
41	M. Moore Attacking midfielder	Rangers	18	8	29717.1%	5524.8%
42	N. Tresoldi Centre-forward	Club Brugge KV	21	8	5681.9%	661%
43	A. Schjelderup Attacking midfielder	Benfica	22	8	36238.3%	6811.4%
44	L. Valente Attacking midfielder	Feyenoord	22	8	3212.5%	773.9%
45	João Neves Central midfielder	Paris Saint Germain	21	8	4424.6%	844.4%
46	D. Doué Winger	Paris Saint Germain	21	8	473.5%	870.7%
47	D. Huijsen Centre-back	Real Madrid	21	8	4621.8%	903.2%
48	F. Esposito Centre-forward	Inter	21	8	3243.9%	8612.5%
49	Fermín Attacking midfielder	Barcelona	23	8	5075.2%	916.4%
50	R. Cherki Attacking midfielder	Manchester City	22	8	4617%	949%