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 central midfielder at Santos, enjoying a standout season — 1 goals and 0 assists in 27 appearances, a Season grade of 32, top 19% of Serie A central midfielders. On long-term scout potential he's rated 25.6, ranking 316th of 413 in the Serie A. A seasoned veteran, he has been a regular starter (72.6% 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 32 — a strong campaign that ranks top 20% of the 63 central 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 → 32). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has held fairly steady, peaking in 2023/24.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 26, 48th of 63 of the 63 central 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 7.1 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
- Availability. On the pitch for 72.6% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
- Defensive volume. 3.94 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.
Watch points
- 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 25.6, Rafael carries the 48th-highest potential of the central midfielders in the Serie A of 63. 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.
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
