The most improved U21 defenders, ranked on Field Insider.
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 98.
| # | Player | Team | Age | ΔSsN | Season | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacobo Ramón NaverosCentre-back |  Como | 21 | +71.2 24/25→25/26 | 761369.2% | 8914.7% |
| 2 | E. BáezFull-back |  San Lorenzo | 21 | +39.3 24/25→25/26 | 67141.9% | 5817% |
| 3 | M. RotsFull-back |  Twente | 20 | +34.2 24/25→25/26 | 42456% | 8430.1% |
| 4 | W. Zaïre-EmeryFull-back |  Paris Saint Germain | 20 | +33.3 24/25→25/26 | 6896% | 9412.3% |
| 5 | J. JacquetCentre-back |  Rennes | 21 | +30.2 24/25→25/26 | 43235.9% | 8647.9% |
| 6 | Tiago GabrielCentre-back |  Lecce | 21 | +29.4 24/25→25/26 | 44205.6% | 8450.8% |
| 7 | M. MendozaCentre-back |  Godoy Cruz | 21 | +29.3 24/25→25/26 | 48160.1% | 569% |
| 8 | K. KosugiFull-back |  Djurgardens IF | 20 | +29.1 24/25→25/26 | 43206.4% | 4218.6% |
| 9 | Noah MarkmannFull-back |  FC Nordsjaelland | 19 | +28 24/25→25/26 | 32636.4% | 4522% |
| 10 | A. Ait BoudlalCentre-back | Rennes | 20 | +26.3 24/25→25/26 | 37257.8% | 8240.1% |
| 11 | O. NaaseiCentre-back |  Granada CF | 21 | +25.9 24/25→25/26 | 29809.4% | 6715.7% |
| 12 | Pau NavarroCentre-back |  Villarreal | 21 | +24.4 24/25→25/26 | 35236.9% | 859.9% |
| 13 | M. YoungCentre-back |  Sparta Rotterdam | 20 | +24.3 24/25→25/26 | 5969.4% | 768.3% |
| 14 | Hjalte BidstrupFull-back |  Viborg | 20 | +24.2 24/25→25/26 | 27834.5% | 429.8% |
| 15 | H. AhanorFull-back |  Atalanta | 18 | +24.1 24/25→25/26 | 28587.8% | 7915.1% |
| 16 | J. KaluluFull-back |  PAU | 21 | +23.6 24/25→25/26 | 39155.3% | 6717.3% |
| 17 | I. BaoufCentre-back |  Cambuur | 19 | +23.4 24/25→25/26 | 39150% | 6442.7% |
| 18 | P. MillerFull-back |  New England Revolution | 18 | +22.9 24/25→25/26 | 29357.8% | 4717.9% |
| 19 | Amine ChabaneFull-back |  Amiens | 19 | +22.6 24/25→25/26 | 31272.3% | 606.8% |
| 20 | J. LähteenmäkiDefensive midfielder | FC Nordsjaelland | 20 | +22.5 24/25→25/26 | 33206.4% | 4615.5% |
| 21 | Juan MoranFull-back | Godoy Cruz | 20 | +22.3 24/25→25/26 | 33212.4% | 519.2% |
| 22 | Álex JiménezFull-back |  Bournemouth | 21 | +21.3 24/25→25/26 | 4398.6% | 9118.7% |
| 23 | Abdulay BahCentre-back |  Nice | 20 | +20.9 24/25→25/26 | 28307.4% | 756% |
| 24 | Maximilian HennigFull-back |  TSV Hartberg | 19 | +20.7 24/25→25/26 | 26422.4% | 4823.3% |
| 25 | D. JanseCentre-back |  Groningen | 20 | +20.3 24/25→25/26 | 4294.9% | 7543.5% |
| 26 | S. van der PlasCentre-back |  Jong PSV U21 | 20 | +20.3 24/25→25/26 | 28270.7% | 5718.6% |
| 27 | I. M'BahiaCentre-back |  Clermont Foot | 21 | +19.9 24/25→25/26 | 23585.3% | 6322% |
| 28 | I. RozhkovFull-back |  Rubin | 21 | +19.5 24/25→25/26 | 4965.9% | 36±0% |
| 29 | Emirhan BaşyiğitCentre-back |  Sivasspor | 21 | +19.4 24/25→25/26 | 23538.9% | 411.7% |
| 30 | S. HansenFull-back |  Randers FC | 20 | +18.8 24/25→25/26 | 27232.1% | 429.6% |
| 31 | Ruairi McConvilleCentre-back |  Norwich | 21 | +17.9 24/25→25/26 | 201052.9% | 6819.2% |
| 32 | N. Fernandez-VelizCentre-back |  Nancy | 21 | +17.9 24/25→25/26 | 29168.9% | 6210.3% |
| 33 | Jinairo JohnsonFull-back |  Jong Ajax | 19 | +17.3 24/25→25/26 | 24266.2% | 5312% |
| 34 | F. LubereckiFull-back |  Motor Lublin | 21 | +17.3 24/25→25/26 | 3692% | 414.1% |
| 35 | P. KloosterboerCentre-back |  Jong Utrecht | 21 | +16.8 24/25→25/26 | 23289.7% | 5517.1% |
| 36 | Mathijs MenuCentre-back |  Jong AZ | 21 | +16.2 24/25→25/26 | 20385.7% | 5310% |
| 37 | J. MeghomaFull-back |  Rangers | 20 | +16.1 24/25→25/26 | 24209.1% | 5215.8% |
| 38 | A. OuattaraFull-back |  Strasbourg | 20 | +15.8 24/25→25/26 | 24205.2% | 794.9% |
| 39 | K. OuattaraFull-back |  Monaco | 21 | +15.6 24/25→25/26 | 21294.3% | 796.2% |
| 40 | S. Gomez van HoogenCentre-back |  Club Brugge II | 20 | +15.5 24/25→25/26 | 23209.5% | 448.8% |
| 41 | N. SanguiFull-back |  Paris FC | 20 | +15.1 24/25→25/26 | 27126.9% | 797.4% |
| 42 | F. ChiarodiaCentre-back |  Borussia Mönchengladbach | 21 | +14.6 24/25→25/26 | 22189.6% | 702% |
| 43 | I. GaniouFull-back |  Lens | 21 | +14.5 24/25→25/26 | 4350.3% | 8437.9% |
| 44 | Noahkai Kai Daniel BanksCentre-back |  FC Augsburg | 19 | +14.5 24/25→25/26 | 22207.1% | 7816.4% |
| 45 | Tomas GalvezFull-back | Cambuur | 21 | +14.3 24/25→25/26 | 3282.2% | 6415.6% |
| 46 | Y. KoledinFull-back |  Nizhny Novgorod | 21 | +14.2 24/25→25/26 | 19295.8% | 3118% |
| 47 | I. KrupskyiFull-back |  Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | 21 | +13.7 24/25→25/26 | 3181.1% | 413.1% |
| 48 | T. BlokzijlCentre-back | Groningen | 21 | +13.4 24/25→25/26 | 4149.1% | 768.3% |
| 49 | L. VuškovićCentre-back |  Hamburger SV | 19 | +13.3 24/25→25/26 | 3368.9% | 8740.6% |
| 50 | W. MońkaCentre-back |  Lech Poznan | 19 | +13.2 24/25→25/26 | 21165% | 406.9% |
