U21 defenders with the Best Potential

The highest-potential U21 defenders, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers Best midfielders Best attackers Most in-form defenders Top-scoring defenders Most valuable defenders

At a glance

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.

Best talent

W. Zaïre-Emery94.3RTG

Paris Saint Germain

In form

Jacobo Ramón Naveros76.4SsN

Como

Rising potential

L. Høgsberg+33.8RTG

Strasbourg · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Jacobo Ramón Naveros+71.2SsN

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	W. Zaïre-Emery Full-back	Paris Saint Germain	20	6896%	9412.3%
2	Pau Cubarsí Paredes Centre-back	Barcelona	19	5134.3%	93±0%
3	Álex Jiménez Full-back	Bournemouth	21	4398.6%	9118.7%
4	D. Huijsen Centre-back	Real Madrid	21	4621.8%	903.2%
5	Jacobo Ramón Naveros Centre-back	Como	21	761369.2%	8914.7%
6	L. Yoro Centre-back	Manchester United	20	2442.6%	8710.8%
7	L. Vušković Centre-back	Hamburger SV	19	3368.9%	8740.6%
8	L. Hall Full-back	Newcastle	21	3320.2%	877.6%
9	J. Jacquet Centre-back	Rennes	21	43235.9%	8647.9%
10	Vitor Nunes Centre-back	Girona	20	3417.9%	8621.4%
11	Pau Navarro Centre-back	Villarreal	21	35236.9%	859.9%
12	D. Bartesaghi Central midfielder	AC Milan	20	301664.7%	8524.6%
13	I. Ganiou Full-back	Lens	21	4350.3%	8437.9%
14	Tiago Gabriel Centre-back	Lecce	21	44205.6%	8450.8%
15	Jon Martín Centre-back	Real Sociedad	20	2166.9%	8410.8%
16	M. Rots Full-back	Twente	20	42456%	8430.1%
17	N. Mendy Centre-back	Rayo Vallecano	21	334542.9%	8217%
18	A. Ait Boudlal Centre-back	Rennes	20	37257.8%	8240.1%
19	A. Heaven Centre-back	Manchester United	19	11	8215.7%
20	M. Lewis-Skelly Defensive midfielder	Arsenal	19	478%	815.9%
21	Davinchi Full-back	Getafe	18	23	81
22	J. Belocian Full-back	VfL Wolfsburg	21	2625800%	8119.2%
23	S. Britschgi Centre-back	Parma	19	31	80
24	J. Hato Full-back	Chelsea	20	2069.4%	803.2%
25	Z. Athekame Centre-back	AC Milan	21	16	80
26	Abdoul Karim Coulibaly Centre-back	Werder Bremen	19	24	79
27	Joshua Kofi Acheampong Full-back	Chelsea	20	9141%	792.3%
28	T. Tati Centre-back	Nantes	18	27	79
29	A. Ouattara Full-back	Strasbourg	20	24205.2%	794.9%
30	N. Sangui Full-back	Paris FC	20	27126.9%	797.4%
31	K. Ouattara Full-back	Monaco	21	21294.3%	796.2%
32	C. Mawissa Elebi Full-back	Monaco	21	3141.6%	79±0%
33	H. Ahanor Full-back	Atalanta	18	28587.8%	7915.1%
34	L. Høgsberg Centre-back	Strasbourg	20	2522.3%	7876.1%
35	Noahkai Kai Daniel Banks Centre-back	FC Augsburg	19	22207.1%	7816.4%
36	Finn Jeltsch Centre-back	VfB Stuttgart	20	3127.6%	7825.8%
37	S. Amo-Ameyaw Attacking midfielder	Strasbourg	20	16114.5%	775.6%
38	J. Rodríguez Centre-back	Cagliari	21	30	77
39	A. Zehnter Defensive midfielder	VfL Wolfsburg	21	2227.3%	762%
40	M. Young Centre-back	Sparta Rotterdam	20	5969.4%	768.3%
41	T. Blokzijl Centre-back	Groningen	21	4149.1%	768.3%
42	Yarek Gasiorowski Centre-back	PSV Eindhoven	21	2883.7%	761.2%
43	T. Rothe Central midfielder	Union Berlin	21	2837.1%	767.9%
44	Yusi Full-back	Alaves	20	8	76
45	Jorge Salinas Full-back	Racing Santander	19	3534700%	7532.5%
46	M. Sarr Centre-back	Strasbourg	20	1857.1%	759.8%
47	G. Read Full-back	Feyenoord	20	2717.2%	753%
48	D. Janse Centre-back	Groningen	20	4294.9%	7543.5%
49	P. Comuzzo Centre-back	Fiorentina	21	2635.8%	7510.2%
50	Abdulay Bah Centre-back	Nice	20	28307.4%	756%