Most improved U21 defensive midfielders

The most improved U21 defensive midfielders, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the standout for raw talent across U21 defensive midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 95.1, and J. Manzambi has been the form player this season, grading 58.8, and G. Diakité leads the scoring with 7 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: J. Manzambi has improved his Season rating most, up +49.2 on last season, while S. Ebonog's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +36.2 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, N. Sadiki of Sunderland is the most valuable name in this group at 102.7.

Le Havre · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Manzambi+49.2SsN

SC Freiburg · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most improvedCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	ΔSsN	Season	Rating
1	J. Manzambi Defensive midfielder	SC Freiburg	20	+49.2 24/25→25/26	59512.5%	9017%
2	N. Aséko Nkili Defensive midfielder	Hannover 96	20	+44.1 24/25→25/26	461917.4%	7395.2%
3	H. Amass Defensive midfielder	Sheffield Wednesday	19	+43.4 24/25→25/26	481058.5%	704.8%
4	N. Mbamba Defensive midfielder	Dender	21	+40.6 24/25→25/26	441230.3%	6123.2%
5	Justin Janssen Defensive midfielder	FC Nordsjaelland	19	+37.6 24/25→25/26	411074.3%	4933.6%
6	K. Smit Defensive midfielder	AZ Alkmaar	20	+35.8 24/25→25/26	44416.3%	7919.6%
7	V. Barco Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	21	+30.4 24/25→25/26	51144.8%	8612.8%
8	S. Džodić Defensive midfielder	Almeria	21	+28.9 24/25→25/26	33802.8%	689.7%
9	Mathias De Amorim Defensive midfielder	Famalicao	21	+28.8 24/25→25/26	49140.5%	7017.8%
10	A. Khalaili Defensive midfielder	Union St. Gilloise	21	+28.4 24/25→25/26	47151.1%	657.1%
11	M. Madjed Defensive midfielder	Hammarby FF	21	+28.4 24/25→25/26	37338.1%	4117.6%
12	A. Piedfort Defensive midfielder	KVC Westerlo	21	+25.5 24/25→25/26	44136.4%	606.9%
13	C. Inao OulaÃ¯Defensive midfielder	Trabzonspor	20	+25.4 24/25→25/26	39186.8%	555.5%
14	M. Pannewig Defensive midfielder	VfL Bochum	21	+25 24/25→25/26	28806.5%	621.4%
15	K. Kouassi Defensive midfielder	Lorient	21	+24.8 24/25→25/26	48106%	8739.7%
16	Kofi Jeremy Amoako Defensive midfielder	Dynamo Dresden	21	+24 24/25→25/26	32289.2%	6357%
17	M. Tait Defensive midfielder	Livingston	20	+23.8 23/24→25/26	29449.1%	5012.9%
18	J. LÃ¤hteenmÃ¤ki Defensive midfielder	FC Nordsjaelland	20	+22.5 24/25→25/26	33206.4%	4615.5%
19	M. Kislyak Defensive midfielder	CSKA Moscow	20	+22.5 24/25→25/26	4886.9%	4116.6%
20	S. Ebonog Defensive midfielder	Le Havre	21	+22.2 24/25→25/26	26528.6%	7594.3%
21	Marc Bernal Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	19	+21.5 24/25→25/26	24895.8%	8715.7%
22	S. Ouaissa Defensive midfielder	NEC Nijmegen	21	+20.7 24/25→25/26	5462.2%	8212.9%
23	A. Mayor Defensive midfielder	Cambridge United	21	+19.5 24/25→25/26	20	3515%
24	K. WÃ¤tjen Defensive midfielder	VfL Bochum	20	+18.9 24/25→25/26	23420%	6256.1%
25	B. Khela Defensive midfielder	Peterborough	21	+18.7 24/25→25/26	29181.6%	5052%
26	D. Ozoh Defensive midfielder	Derby	21	+18.3 24/25→25/26	30159.1%	6912.7%
27	L. Pedersen Defensive midfielder	Randers FC	20	+16.6 24/25→25/26	25190.8%	4410.7%
28	G. Apostolakis Defensive midfielder	OFI	21	+16.1 24/25→25/26	21315.7%	4113.1%
29	A. Kemlein Defensive midfielder	Union Berlin	21	+14.5 24/25→25/26	27120.8%	779.6%
30	Robert Defensive midfielder	FC Copenhagen	21	+14.1 24/25→25/26	27106%	462.5%
31	R. Walters Defensive midfielder	Port Vale	20	+13.6 23/24→25/26	14	439.9%
32	L. Goemaere Defensive midfielder	Club Brugge II	20	+13.4 24/25→25/26	24132.7%	432.9%
33	K. Mainoo Defensive midfielder	Manchester United	21	+12.8 24/25→25/26	2979.5%	899.7%
34	A. Bouaddi Defensive midfielder	Lille	18	+12.3 24/25→25/26	3262.4%	8714.6%
35	R. Donkor Defensive midfielder	New York Red Bulls	21	+10.3 24/25→25/26	18141.1%	422.7%
36	J. Martini Defensive midfielder	Sudtirol	21	+10.3 24/25→25/26	16168.9%	583.6%
37	A. Ochoa Defensive midfielder	Malaga	19	+10.2 24/25→25/26	15212.5%	6714.2%
38	T. Koudou Defensive midfielder	KV Mechelen	21	+9.3 24/25→25/26	3832.1%	5913.1%
39	J. Colwill Defensive midfielder	Cardiff	21	+9.1 24/25→25/26	2848.7%	5047.9%
40	N. Pisilli Defensive midfielder	AS Roma	21	+8.7 24/25→25/26	3040.7%	844.2%
41	J. Nielsen Defensive midfielder	Silkeborg	20	+8.5 24/25→25/26	14157.4%	400.8%
42	Max Plath Defensive midfielder	FC Ingolstadt 04	21	+8.3 24/25→25/26	14136.1%	411.5%
43	L. Engelns Defensive midfielder	Hoffenheim II	19	+7.9 24/25→25/26	12175.6%	3932.4%
44	Luuk Verheij Defensive midfielder	VVV Venlo	20	+7.7 24/25→25/26	2448.1%	53±0%
45	Jacob Wright Defensive midfielder	Norwich	20	+6.7 24/25→25/26	1672%	663.3%
46	Joel McGregor Defensive midfielder	Swindon Town	20	+6.5 24/25→25/26	1953.3%	334.2%
47	Cameron Bragg Defensive midfielder	Southampton	21	+4.6 24/25→25/26	6328.6%	6256.9%
48	C. Mouzakitis Defensive midfielder	Olympiakos Piraeus	19	+3.7 24/25→25/26	1825.5%	421.2%
49	Nathan De Cat Defensive midfielder	Anderlecht	18	+3.6 24/25→25/26	3910.3%	6229.9%
50	P. Wanner Defensive midfielder	PSV Eindhoven	20	+3.5 24/25→25/26	3810.2%	783.5%