Fastest-improving U21 defenders

The fastest-improving (by % Season change) U21 defenders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

W. Zaïre-Emery of Paris Saint Germain is the standout for raw talent across U21 defenders, with a Field Insider Rating of 94.3, and Jacobo Ramón Naveros has been the form player this season, grading 76.4, and I. Baouf leads the scoring with 6 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, Álex Jiménez of Bournemouth is the most valuable name in this group at 163.3.

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 biggest season change %Customise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Δ%	Season	Rating
1	E. Báez Full-back	San Lorenzo	21	+141.9 24/25→25/26	67141.9%	5817%
2	Álex Jiménez Full-back	Bournemouth	21	+98.6 24/25→25/26	4398.6%	9118.7%
3	D. Janse Centre-back	Groningen	20	+94.9 24/25→25/26	4294.9%	7543.5%
4	W. Zaïre-Emery Full-back	Paris Saint Germain	20	+94.3 24/25→25/26	6894.3%	9412.3%
5	M. Young Centre-back	Sparta Rotterdam	20	+69.4 24/25→25/26	5969.4%	768.3%
6	I. Rozhkov Full-back	Rubin	21	+65.9 24/25→25/26	4965.9%	36±0%
7	I. Ganiou Full-back	Lens	21	+50.3 24/25→25/26	4350.3%	8437.9%
8	T. Blokzijl Centre-back	Groningen	21	+49.1 24/25→25/26	4149.1%	768.3%
9	Iván Fresneda Full-back	Sporting CP	21	+43.5 24/25→25/26	3443.5%	640.9%
10	Pau Cubarsí Paredes Centre-back	Barcelona	19	+34.3 24/25→25/26	5134.3%	93±0%
11	Martim Fernandes Full-back	FC Porto	20	+31.2 24/25→25/26	3931.2%	636.4%
12	J. Seys Full-back	Club Brugge KV	21	+28.4 24/25→25/26	3728.4%	6615.3%
13	Finn Jeltsch Centre-back	VfB Stuttgart	19	+27.6 24/25→25/26	3127.6%	8130.8%
14	N. Held Full-back	Waalwijk	20	+26.2 24/25→25/26	2726.2%	6215.8%
15	R. Besselink Full-back	De Graafschap	21	+24.3 24/25→25/26	2624.3%	586.2%
16	L. Høgsberg Centre-back	Strasbourg	20	+22.3 24/25→25/26	2522.3%	7876.1%
17	D. Huijsen Centre-back	Real Madrid	21	+21.8 24/25→25/26	4621.8%	903.2%
18	Vitor Nunes Centre-back	Girona	20	+17.9 24/25→25/26	3417.9%	8621.4%
19	E. van de Blaak Centre-back	Almere City FC	21	+9.1 24/25→25/26	239.1%	56±0%
20	A. Phillips Centre-back	Stoke City	21	+4.2 24/25→25/26	344.2%	711.6%
21	T. Strata Full-back	Guimaraes	21	+2.5 24/25→25/26	242.5%	604.6%
22	O. Aertssen Full-back	PEC Zwolle	21	+1 24/25→25/26	311%	674.2%
23	E. Dijkstra Full-back	AZ Alkmaar	19	0 24/25→25/26	23±0%	678.8%
24	N. Zézé Centre-back	NEOM	21	-10.6 24/25→25/26	1910.6%	5919.1%
25	Julian Kuijpers Centre-back	FC OSS	21	-12 24/25→25/26	2412%	533.4%
26	G. Read Full-back	Feyenoord	20	-17.2 24/25→25/26	2717.2%	753%
27	L. Hall Full-back	Newcastle	21	-20.2 24/25→25/26	3320.2%	877.6%
28	Leopold Wurm Full-back	SSV Jahn Regensburg	20	-21.7 24/25→25/26	2021.7%	4328.5%
29	L. Vargas Full-back	Union Santa Fe	21	-21.9 24/25→25/26	4021.9%	560.7%
30	Jamie Knight-Lebel Centre-back	Swindon Town	21	-24.5 24/25→25/26	2224.5%	343.7%
31	Tyler Bindon Centre-back	Sheffield Utd	21	-27.1 24/25→25/26	2327.1%	6633.1%
32	K. Symons Full-back	De Graafschap	21	-27.5 24/25→25/26	1927.5%	54±0%
33	N. Verschuren Centre-back	FC Volendam	21	-28.3 24/25→25/26	3028.3%	7022.6%
34	Massien Ghaddari Full-back	Jong Utrecht	21	-28.4 24/25→25/26	1528.4%	545.6%
35	A. Zehnter Defensive midfielder	VfL Wolfsburg	21	-28.6 24/25→25/26	2228.6%	732.4%
36	M. Gurgul Full-back	Lech Poznan	20	-29.4 24/25→25/26	2729.4%	454.4%
37	Francisco Chissumba Full-back	Alverca	21	-32.4 24/25→25/26	2132.4%	613.2%
38	P. Comuzzo Centre-back	Fiorentina	21	-35.8 24/25→25/26	2635.8%	7510.2%
39	P. Ugwu Full-back	FC Volendam	20	-36.9 24/25→25/26	1736.9%	6726.6%
40	T. Rothe Central midfielder	Union Berlin	21	-38.2 24/25→25/26	2838.2%	767.9%
41	C. Mawissa Elebi Full-back	Monaco	21	-41.6 24/25→25/26	3141.6%	79±0%
42	Luca Marianucci Full-back	Torino	21	-52.4 24/25→25/26	1552.4%	736.7%
43	L. Jetten Full-back	Jong Ajax	19	-52.5 24/25→25/26	1652.5%	517.4%
44	M. Sarr Centre-back	Strasbourg	20	-57.1 24/25→25/26	1857.1%	759.8%
45	E. Bitshiabu Centre-back	RB Leipzig	21	-57.5 24/25→25/26	1257.5%	723.7%
46	R. Andrews Centre-back	BSC Young Boys	21	-61 24/25→25/26	861%	3942.8%
47	Sonny Aljofree Centre-back	Notts County	21	-63.5 24/25→25/26	763.5%	314.6%
48	J. Hato Full-back	Chelsea	20	-69.4 24/25→25/26	2069.4%	803.2%
49	E. Alievski Full-back	Trelleborg	21	-76.2 24/25→25/26	676.2%	2519.9%
50	J. Šimić Full-back	Al-Ittihad FC	21	-78 24/25→25/26	978%	5014.2%