Most valuable U21 defensive midfielders

The most valuable 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 55, and M. Madjed 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 +45.6 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 171.2.

Le Havre · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

J. Manzambi+45.6SsN

SC Freiburg · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by highest valueCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	val	Season	Rating
1	N. Sadiki Defensive midfielder	Sunderland	21	171.2	344.8%	9545.6%
2	K. Mainoo Defensive midfielder	Manchester United	21	160.7	2959.1%	899.7%
3	Gavi Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	21	137	181.7%	833.6%
4	M. Lewis-Skelly Defensive midfielder	Arsenal	19	129.9	575.4%	815.9%
5	N. Pisilli Defensive midfielder	AS Roma	21	129.4	2938.3%	844.2%
6	Marc Bernal Defensive midfielder	Barcelona	19	127.8	23788.5%	8715.7%
7	J. Manzambi Defensive midfielder	SC Freiburg	20	127.4	55485.1%	9017%
8	K. Kouassi Defensive midfielder	Lorient	21	127.3	4592.7%	8739.7%
9	A. Milambo Defensive midfielder	Brentford	21	126.5	195%	709.5%
10	O. Vargas Defensive midfielder	Atletico Madrid	20	126.4	1850.3%	8170.5%
11	Dário Essugo Defensive midfielder	Chelsea	21	125.6	293.6%	709.2%
12	V. Barco Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	21	125.5	50132.4%	8612.8%
13	T. Dibling Defensive midfielder	Everton	20	123.4	483.7%	739%
14	José María Andrés Baixauli Defensive midfielder	VfB Stuttgart	21	119.2	31	8012.4%
15	J. Fletcher Defensive midfielder	Manchester United	19	118.7	2	74
16	Rio Cardines Defensive midfielder	Crystal Palace	20	117.3	1	69
17	César Palacios Defensive midfielder	Real Madrid	21	116.1	1	70
18	J. Bellingham Defensive midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	20	115.6	3032.2%	826.2%
19	M. Kanté Defensive midfielder	West Ham	20	115.1	2466.7%	6825.4%
20	A. Diatta Defensive midfielder	Villarreal	21	114.8	0	69
21	A. Kemlein Defensive midfielder	Union Berlin	21	114.4	27131.6%	779.6%
22	E. Banzuzi Defensive midfielder	RB Leipzig	21	111.6	1365.3%	7524.9%
23	C. Ordoñez Defensive midfielder	Parma	21	111.1	1657.9%	7212.9%
24	S. El Mourabet Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	20	110.7	44	80
25	D. Methalie Defensive midfielder	Toulouse	20	110.3	43	80
26	Alejandro Monserrate Defensive midfielder	Atletico Madrid	20	108.9	0	70
27	S. Ebonog Defensive midfielder	Le Havre	21	108.8	27682.9%	7594.3%
28	A. Zehnter Defensive midfielder	VfL Wolfsburg	21	108.8	2228.6%	732.4%
29	A. Vermeeren Defensive midfielder	Marseille	21	108.2	1541.6%	748.7%
30	Alexsandro Amorim Defensive midfielder	Genoa	21	108.1	13	70
31	L. Miller Defensive midfielder	Udinese	19	105.7	1566.2%	7746.6%
32	M. Oyedele Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	21	105.7	1567.4%	7399.2%
33	A. Bouaddi Defensive midfielder	Lille	18	105.1	3463.9%	8714.6%
34	J. Cestero Sancho Defensive midfielder	Real Madrid	19	104.5	0	71
35	V. Carboni Defensive midfielder	Genoa	21	103.4	6600%	670.6%
36	Fabio Amadu Uri Baldé Defensive midfielder	Hamburger SV	20	102.6	116.9%	7317.1%
37	E. Ben Seghir Defensive midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen	21	102	391.5%	6819.7%
38	A. Bamba Defensive midfielder	Monaco	20	102	18	74
39	M. de Carvalho Defensive midfielder	Lyon	21	99	4	68
40	J. Liteta Defensive midfielder	Cagliari	20	98	5	67
41	A. Bulatović Defensive midfielder	Lens	19	97.8	22	76
42	R. Matondo Defensive midfielder	Paris FC	18	97	286875%	8024.7%
43	H. Burcio Defensive midfielder	Celta Vigo	18	96.9	0	70
44	S. Ouaissa Defensive midfielder	NEC Nijmegen	21	94.5	4952%	8212.9%
45	M. Culbreath Defensive midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen	18	94.2	14	76
46	Nouhoum Kamissoko Defensive midfielder	Marseille	21	93.6	1	64
47	M. Amougou Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	20	93.5	634%	681.5%
48	C. Macia Defensive midfielder	Villarreal	17	92.5	2	72
49	F. Sylla Defensive midfielder	Lens	20	91.7	3	67
50	H. Makalou Defensive midfielder	Stade Brestois 29	20	90.2	4	661.4%