Best defensive U23 defensive midfielders

The best defensive U23 defensive midfielders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the standout for raw talent across U23 defensive midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 95.1, and G. Zechiël has been the form player this season, grading 66.2, and J. James leads the scoring with 11 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 A. Pyrka's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +37.8 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, A. Scott of Bournemouth is the most valuable name in this group at 173.5.

FC St. Pauli · 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	A. Khalaili Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	21	16	46151.4%	657.1%
2	M. Perrone Defensive midfielder	Como	23	15	4674.1%	889.2%
3	B. González Defensive midfielder	Guadalajara Chivas	23	14	45	62
4	Mathias De Amorim Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	21	14	48135%	7017.8%
5	N. Árevalo Defensive midfielder	Millonarios	23	13	25	27
6	S. PirgiÄDefensive midfielder	Železničar Pančevo	23	13	35	43
7	M. Karlsson Defensive midfielder	Hammarby FF	22	13	3966.2%	427.2%
8	A. Dennis Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	22	13	386.4%	553.8%
9	A. Kurtulan Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	23	13	46219.4%	534.3%
10	N. Paulikas Defensive midfielder	Ghazl El Mehalla	19	12	17	37
11	N. Dismas Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	23	12	41103.5%	512%
12	T. Morton Defensive midfielder	Lyon	23	12	4515.1%	8412.3%
13	A. Piedfort Defensive midfielder	KVC Westerlo	21	12	44132.5%	606.9%
14	K. Van de Perre Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	22	12	35153.6%	6010.5%
15	Marcus Lemar Ifill Defensive midfielder	Bromley	22	12	303687.5%	3629.1%
16	M. Touré Defensive midfielder	Ghazl El Mehalla	23	11	12	35
17	B. Knežević Defensive midfielder	Železničar Pančevo	23	11	18	41
18	C. Favasuli Defensive midfielder	Catanzaro	22	11	47127.4%	7216.4%
19	S. Braybrooke Defensive midfielder	Chesterfield	22	10	351234.6%	366.3%
20	Paul Michael Junior Okon-Engstler Defensive midfielder	Sydney	21	10	335366.7%	2249.2%
21	V. Dragojević Defensive midfielder	FK Partizan	20	10	38	45
22	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	10	3238.9%	544.9%
23	M. Beier Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	23	10	538.1%	894.7%
24	A. Stanković Defensive midfielder	Club Brugge KV	20	10	45	66
25	A. Bouaddi Defensive midfielder	Lille	18	10	3463.9%	8714.6%
26	Aleix Garrido Defensive midfielder	Eibar	22	10	2612950%	676.7%
27	A. Mayor Defensive midfielder	Cambridge United	21	10	19	3515%
28	M. Popović Defensive midfielder	Radnik Surdulica	22	9	22	39
29	M. Amadou Sabo Defensive midfielder	Javor	21	9	33	43
30	A. Pajaziti Defensive midfielder	HNK Hajduk Split	23	9	23359.2%	381%
31	M. Zanotti Defensive midfielder	FC Lugano	23	9	42	4830.4%
32	N. Sadiki Defensive midfielder	Sunderland	21	9	344.8%	9545.6%
33	M. Siltanen Defensive midfielder	Djurgardens IF	19	9	39	42
34	I. Perruzzi Defensive midfielder	San Lorenzo	21	9	27	56
35	Izan Merino Defensive midfielder	Malaga	20	9	1525.8%	7012.4%
36	J. Bellingham Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	20	9	3032.2%	826.2%
37	A. Scott Defensive midfielder	Bournemouth	22	9	47361.4%	9118.6%
38	F. Kocaba Defensive midfielder	Zaglebie Lubin	21	9	31	4127.5%
39	S. González Defensive midfielder	Tigre	23	9	1945.7%	501.8%
40	Y. Titraoui Defensive midfielder	Charleroi	22	9	4254.4%	6110.5%
41	E. Camara Defensive midfielder	Charleroi	23	9	46139.6%	595.6%
42	G. Zechiël Defensive midfielder	Utrecht	22	9	66542.7%	8226.1%
43	A. Engwanda Defensive midfielder	Utrecht	23	9	43129.7%	7410.8%
44	T. Chennahi Defensive midfielder	Montpellier	21	9	371360%	644.1%
45	Pedri Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	23	9	5915.9%	908.4%
46	Ismeal Kabia Defensive midfielder	Shrewsbury	20	9	25	34
47	A. Robertson Defensive midfielder	Cardiff	23	9	3211.3%	5125.1%
48	K. Chauke Defensive midfielder	Burton Albion	23	9	2117.7%	47±0%
49	A. Wharton Defensive midfielder	Crystal Palace	22	9	51134.9%	908.9%
50	Lee Tae-Seok Defensive midfielder	Austria Vienna	23	8	47490%	4910.8%