Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Santos.
Injury-affected season
Missed 9 of Santos's ~38 games this season through 9 injury absences (back, yellow cards). He still appeared 27 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Serie A | 27 | 1 | 0 | 1895 | 6.99 |
 Copa Do Brasil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 6.9 |
Scout report
Zé Rafael is a 33-year-old defensive midfielder at Santos, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 0 assists in 27 appearances, a Season grade of 24, top 21% of Serie A defensive midfielders. On long-term scout potential he's rated 22.4, ranking 336th of 421 in the Serie A. A seasoned veteran, he has been a rotation option (55.4% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.94 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Rafael.
Judged on this season alone, Rafael graded 24 — a strong campaign that ranks top 21% of the 34 defensive midfielders in the Serie A, on 1 goal, 0 assists and 3.942 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 15 → 24). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2023/24.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 22, 29th of 34 of the 34 defensive midfielders in the Serie A. At 33 Rafael is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 6.2 reflects that trajectory.
Read the appearance count in context: Rafael missed 9 games through injury (back, yellow cards) out of roughly 38 this season. The 27 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.
Past his 2023/24 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.
Output in context · Santos finished 12th of 20 · a mid-table side
3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 6 clean sheets across 27 appearances. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Defensive volume. 3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.
Watch points
- Game time. Only 55.4% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
- Age curve. At 33, 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 22.4, Rafael carries the 29th-highest potential of the defensive midfielders in the Serie A of 34. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.7× and falling).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Season statistics
Bars = where he ranks among defensive midfielders in the Serie A with 600+ minutes this season.
Shooting
Passing
Possession
Defending
Yellow/red cards
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
