A. Witsel

Following his move to Girona, Witsel's current-season form is up 218% on last season (Season 11→35), while his Rating climbed 16→20. His peak season for form remains 2023/24 (Season 40).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Girona · 19th	32	1	2	6.85	20	35
2024/25	Girona	38	0	1	7.04	—	—
2024/25	Atletico Madrid · 16th	14	0	1	7.04	16	11
2023/24	Atletico Madrid · 3rd	35	2	0	6.96	31	40
2023/24	Girona	36	2	0	6.96	—	—
2022/23	Atletico Madrid · 10th	33	0	0	6.74	29	17
2022/23	Girona	37	0	0	6.74	—	—
2021/22	Borussia Dortmund · 2nd	29	2	0	6.88	34	25

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 13 earlier seasons in the full career.

Belgium · international

Side	Apps	G
Belgium	136	12
Belgium U21	3	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Experienced headDefensive midfielder

A. Witsel is a 37-year-old defensive midfielder at Girona, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 2 assists in 32 appearances, a Season grade of 35, top 32% of La Liga defensive midfielders. On long-term scout potential he's rated 20.4, ranking 380th of 389 in the La Liga. A seasoned veteran, he has been a regular starter (78.2% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.74 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Witsel.

Judged on this season alone, Witsel graded 35 — a solid campaign that ranks top 33% of the 34 defensive midfielders in the La Liga, on 1 goal, 2 assists and 2.736 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 11 → 35). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2023/24.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 20, 34th of 34 of the 34 defensive midfielders in the La Liga. At 37 Witsel is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 5.6 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2023/24 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2023/24Holding levelBreakout: 2025/26

Current potential34th of 34 defensive midfielders · La Liga Current seasonTop 33% defensive midfielders · La Liga11th-best defensive midfielder in the La Liga380th in the La Liga · potential34th-highest potential defensive midfielder in the La Liga

20.4

Ratingi

34th of 34 defensive midfielders

35.4

Seasoni

developing / rotation level

78.2%

Minutes

a regular starter

2.74

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Girona finished 19th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side

2.74

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

2.74 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 4 clean sheets across 32 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (19th of 20) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 2 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 78.2% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.

Watch points

Age curve. At 37, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 20.4, Witsel carries the 34th-highest potential of the defensive midfielders in the La Liga of 34, and he is posting that for a relegation-threatened side (Girona finished 19th of 20) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.74 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.5× and falling).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %78.2%

Available fixtures36 of 38

Goals / 900.036

Assists / 900.071

Goal contribution / 900.107

Defensive actions / 902.736

Player flow

Goal involvements3

Shot conversion %20

Shot accuracy %31.3

Pass accuracy %91

Dribble success %71.4

Cards / 900.071

Foul involvement / 902.523

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~23), then tapers with age. At 37, Witsel sits on 5.6, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Witsel's projected Rating — 20.4 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among defensive midfielders in the La Liga with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Shots on target5

Shots16

Passing

Assists2

Pass accuracy91%

Possession

Successful dribbles10

Dribble success71.4%

Fouls won37

Defending

Tackles36

Interceptions30

Blocks11

Fouls committed34

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards2

Red cards0

Transfer history

€87.5M total transfer fees · 7 moves

WWitsel Axel2026/27 – now

Girona2025/26 – 2026/27Free Transfer

Atletico Madrid2022/23 – 2025/26Free

Borussia Dortmund2018/19 – 2022/23€ 20M

Tianjin Songjiang2016/17 – 2018/19€ 20M

Zenit2012/13 – 2016/17€ 40M

Benfica2011/12 – 2012/13€ 7.5M

Standard Liegeuntil 2011/12

About A. Witsel

Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel is a 37-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Girona, born on January 12, 1989 in Liège, standing 186 cm tall. He is from Belgium. Girona currently sit 19th of 20 in the La Liga.

This season

In the current season, A. Witsel has made 32 appearances with 1 goal and 2 assists across 2,533 minutes, averaging a 6.97 match rating over his last 10 rated games, with 2 yellow cards.

When A. Witsel plays, Girona's record this season is 8W-12D-13L — and his match ratings average 6.8 at home against 6.92 on the road.

Recent matches

May 23, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Elche (58 minutes, 6.6 rating)
May 17, 2026: 0-1 loss away at Atletico Madrid (56 minutes, 6.9 rating)
May 14, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Real Sociedad (57 minutes, 6.7 rating)
May 11, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Rayo Vallecano (90 minutes, 6.9 rating)
May 1, 2026: 0-1 loss at home vs Mallorca (90 minutes, 7.3 rating)
April 25, 2026: 1-2 loss away at Valencia (90 minutes, 7.5 rating)
April 21, 2026: 2-3 loss at home vs Real Betis (90 minutes, 6.3 rating)
April 10, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Real Madrid (90 minutes, 6.6 rating)
April 6, 2026: 1-0 win at home vs Villarreal (90 minutes, 7.7 rating)
March 21, 2026: 0-1 loss away at Osasuna (90 minutes, 7.2 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates A. Witsel at 20.4 with a Season form score of 35.4, ranking 380th of 389 defensive midfielders in the La Liga. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Availability: A. Witsel has missed 2 matches this season (1 through injury, 1 through suspension).

His honours include 23 career titles — among them the DFB Pokal and the Super Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 18 recorded seasons, A. Witsel has totalled 619 club appearances with 61 goals and 13 assists for 7 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2024/25, with 38 appearances for Girona.

A. Witsel's career has also included time at WWitsel Axel, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tianjin Songjiang, Zenit, Benfica and Standard Liege.

On the international stage, A. Witsel has represented Belgium and Belgium U21 — 139 caps and 12 goals in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Girona finished 19th of 20 · a relegation-threatened side

Strengths

Watch points