Best defensive U23 midfielders

The best defensive U23 midfielders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

Lamine Yamal of Barcelona is the standout for raw talent across U23 midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 100, and D. Karlsbakk leads the scoring with 18 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: D. Karlsbakk has improved his Season rating most, up +61.2 on last season, while E. Diouf's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +48.8 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, M. Rogers of Aston Villa is the most valuable name in this group at 202.2.

West Ham · 23/24→25/26

Most improved

D. Karlsbakk+61.2SsN

Sarpsborg 08 FF · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most clean sheetsCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	Victor Mow Froholdt Central midfielder	FC Porto	20	20	5645%	7959%
2	R. Mofokeng Attacking midfielder	Orlando Pirates	21	17	37	2
3	N. Paz Attacking midfielder	Como	21	16	5935.9%	954.5%
4	Tawanda Jethro Maswanhise Attacking midfielder	Motherwell	23	15	51112.1%	5311.1%
5	I. Doumbia Central midfielder	Venezia	22	15	49504.9%	7813.7%
6	Gustavo Sá Attacking midfielder	Famalicao	21	15	2623.8%	712.9%
7	M. Perrone Defensive midfielder	Como	23	15	4674.1%	889.2%
8	K. Sebelebele Full-back	Orlando Pirates	23	14	41	2
9	S. Velásquez Full-back	Deportes Tolima	23	14	27	28
10	B. González Defensive midfielder	Guadalajara Chivas	23	14	45	62
11	Tom Iorpenda Central midfielder	Notts County	21	14	399625%	384.5%
12	Mathias De Amorim Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	21	14	48135%	7017.8%
13	N. Árevalo Defensive midfielder	Millonarios	23	13	25	27
14	M. Karlsson Defensive midfielder	Hammarby FF	22	13	3966.2%	427.2%
15	F. Ghedjemis Winger	Frosinone	23	13	54416.2%	7225.7%
16	Y. Arai Central midfielder	Tokyo Verdy	23	13	344137.5%	5216.7%
17	A. Dennis Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	22	13	386.4%	553.8%
18	A. Kurtulan Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	23	13	46219.4%	534.3%
19	N. Paulikas Defensive midfielder	Ghazl El Mehalla	19	12	17	37
20	C. Cîrjan Central midfielder	Dinamo Bucuresti	23	12	41	39
21	D. Matei Winger	Universitatea Craiova	19	12	18	38
22	Vasilije Novicic Attacking midfielder	IMT Novi Beograd	18	12	34	48
23	V. Kostov Central midfielder	FK Crvena Zvezda	18	12	49	50
24	N. Omerović Attacking midfielder	NK Osijek	23	12	24	38
25	Pedro Brazão Attacking midfielder	Bodrum FK	23	12	27135.3%	5120.9%
26	N. Dismas Defensive midfielder	Göztepe	23	12	41103.5%	512%
27	T. Morton Defensive midfielder	Lyon	23	12	4515.1%	8412.3%
28	N. O'Reilly Full-back	Manchester City	21	12	56432.1%	9717.9%
29	Pedro Henrique Attacking midfielder	Zenit	20	12	2210%	394.3%
30	D. Kuzyk Central midfielder	LNZ Cherkasy	23	12	27115.1%	430.9%
31	L. Pérez Central midfielder	Huracan	21	12	22	52
32	A. Piedfort Defensive midfielder	KVC Westerlo	21	12	44132.5%	606.9%
33	I. Sakamoto Attacking midfielder	KVC Westerlo	22	12	318.8%	636.7%
34	K. Van de Perre Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	22	12	35153.6%	6010.5%
35	L. Amatucci Central midfielder	Las Palmas	22	12	5216.7%	717.9%
36	Marcus Lemar Ifill Defensive midfielder	Bromley	22	12	303687.5%	3629.1%
37	I. Price Central midfielder	West Brom	22	12	45183.8%	7230.7%
38	M. Touré Defensive midfielder	Ghazl El Mehalla	23	11	12	35
39	M. Vukotić Attacking midfielder	FK Partizan	23	11	36	46
40	B. Knežević Defensive midfielder	Železničar Pančevo	23	11	18	41
41	R. Pukštas Attacking midfielder	HNK Hajduk Split	21	11	31	42
42	G. Besselink Central midfielder	Willem II	22	11	27743.8%	575.2%
43	J. Alcócer Attacking midfielder	KVC Westerlo	22	11	22180%	6011.6%
44	V. Atangana Edoa Central midfielder	Al-Ahli Jeddah	20	11	377.8%	6025.7%
45	G. Kvernadze Winger	Frosinone	23	11	3136.5%	6911.6%
46	Ângelo Attacking midfielder	Al-Nassr	21	11	3053.8%	629.8%
47	H. Haraldsson Attacking midfielder	Lille	23	11	4238.5%	851.1%
48	E. Brierley Central midfielder	Exeter City	22	11	2687.1%	4846.3%
49	S. Braybrooke Defensive midfielder	Chesterfield	22	10	351234.6%	366.3%
50	B. Chandía Attacking midfielder	Coquimbo Unido	23	10	14	27