U21 midfielders with the Best Potential

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

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

At a glance

M. Palestra of Chelsea is the standout for raw talent across U21 midfielders, with a Field Insider Rating of 86.8, and V. Kostov has been the form player this season, grading 54.9.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: M. Palestra has improved his Season rating most, up +39.8 on last season, while R. Bardghji's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +43.4 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, M. Palestra of Chelsea is the most valuable name in this group at 94.3.

Barcelona · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

M. Palestra+39.8SsN

Chelsea · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	M. Palestra Central midfielder	Chelsea	21	421895.2%	8721.7%
2	R. Bardghji Central midfielder	Barcelona	20	10	83110.2%
3	J. Bahoya Attacking midfielder	Leeds	21	2542.5%	80±0%
4	O. Vargas Central midfielder	Atletico Madrid	21	3915.2%	7864.8%
5	D. Methalie Defensive midfielder	Sunderland	20	37	78
6	M. Culbreath Defensive midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen	19	14	76
7	Breno Central midfielder	Corinthians	21	3627%	745.6%
8	Andre Attacking midfielder	Corinthians	19	34439.7%	7418.3%
9	H. Amass Defensive midfielder	Manchester United	19	26541.5%	721.9%
10	A. Touré Central midfielder	Metz	20	20185.7%	7121%
11	Gabriel Bontempo Central midfielder	Santos	21	2938.9%	719.8%
12	N. Villareal Attacking midfielder	Cruzeiro	21	24	71
13	T. Land Winger	PSV Eindhoven	20	31±0%	700.7%
14	G. Justino Central midfielder	Botafogo	19	19	67
15	A. Ochoa Attacking midfielder	Malaga	19	12143.8%	6612.6%
16	T. Pérez Defensive midfielder	Atletico-MG	21	12618.8%	6652%
17	Huguinho Central midfielder	Botafogo	19	21±0%	6548.1%
18	O. Pietuszewski Central midfielder	FC Porto	18	16	6588.6%
19	Cajetan Benjamin Lenz Central midfielder	1899 Hoffenheim	20	35	64
20	A. Bassinga Central midfielder	Las Palmas	21	146900%	6412%
21	Gustavo Henrique Pereira Defensive midfielder	Santos	21	19	62
22	S. Fusire Defensive midfielder	Sheffield Wednesday	21	27239.7%	62114.1%
23	Ruben Müller Central midfielder	SC Paderborn 07	21	16	62
24	C. Bonsu Baah Central midfielder	Al-Qadisiyah FC	21	43±0%	62±0%
25	J. Monga Central midfielder	Swansea	17	111030%	6210.3%
26	João Simões Central midfielder	Sporting CP	19	914.9%	621.1%
27	K. WÃ¤tjen Central midfielder	VfL Bochum	20	23±0%	62±0%
28	J. Harder Defensive midfielder	FC Basel 1893	20	17	61
29	P. Nuamah Attacking midfielder	Sassuolo	20	68.5%	614.5%
30	K. Eichhorn Defensive midfielder	Bayer Leverkusen	17	19	60
31	Bae Seung-Gyun Defensive midfielder	Feyenoord	18	19	60
32	J. Hartog Attacking midfielder	AZ Alkmaar	20	30874.2%	6021.1%
33	Y. Saidu Defensive midfielder	Zaragoza	21	22	60
34	J. RodrÃguez Central midfielder	Tondela	20	15	60
35	N. Schelotto Attacking midfielder	Gimnasia L.P.	20	29233.3%	5922.2%
36	Alexandre Bi Zaouai Central midfielder	Bastia	21	24	59
37	Matheus Gonçalves Central midfielder	Al-Ahli Jeddah	21	25100.8%	5913.5%
38	A. Koné Attacking midfielder	NEOM	21	41±0%	59±0%
39	M. Servais Attacking midfielder	Millwall	21	2253.4%	5911.2%
40	Noah Makanza Central midfielder	KV Mechelen	21	49	58
41	J. Simons Attacking midfielder	De Graafschap	21	0100%	5810.9%
42	Afonso Assis Central midfielder	Moreirense	20	16	5810.8%
43	Saïmon Bouabré Central midfielder	Al-Hilal Saudi FC	20	184400%	5714.8%
44	A. Bah Defensive midfielder	Al-Hazm	20	38±0%	57±0%
45	C. Comotto Defensive midfielder	AC Milan	18	13	57
46	M. Nkota Central midfielder	Orlando Pirates	21	25	57
47	S. Wegen Central midfielder	Jong Utrecht	21	34±0%	57±0%
48	M. Leiva Defensive midfielder	Leganes	20	7	57
49	M. Caprini Central midfielder	Cesena	20	4	57
50	Ismael Barea Central midfielder	Real Betis	21	8	57