RisingTransfers
AI DNA Similarity

Best Alternatives to Nicolás de la Cruz

Players most similar to Nicolás de la Cruz (Midfielder, €9.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Top 3 Alternatives to Nicolás de la Cruz

  1. 1.Lucas Da Cunha 86% DNA match·Como€15.0M
  2. 2.Fisayo Dele-Bashiru86% DNA match·Lazio€6.5M
  3. 3.Alberto Grassi85% DNA match·Cremonese€8.4M

Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

RT

Intelligence Verdict

InterceptionsTop 4%
???Bottom 0%

A Metronome....

See Full Verdict + Share Card →

Playing Style Analysis

MetronomeCreative

A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.5 key passes/90), active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (64% duel success), heavily involved in possession (76 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (11.6 final-third passes/90), central to possession (90 touches/90), draws fouls effectively (3.0/90) and active off the ball (2.9 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. The three most similar players to Nicolás de la Cruz by playing style are:

  • Lucas Da Cunha (86% match)A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a capable chance creator (1.5 key passes/90), active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy), heavily involved in possession (65 passes/90), central to possession (79 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.8 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
  • Fisayo Dele-Bashiru(86% match)A Balanced Midfielder. Statistically, he stands out as meticulous in distribution (93% pass accuracy). Note: this profile is based on 518 minutes of playing time this season.
  • Alberto Grassi(85% match)A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as reads the game exceptionally (2.0 interceptions/90), wins the physical battle (58% duel success), heavily involved in play (60 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (5.3/90) and active off the ball (2.8 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. Note: this profile is based on 860 minutes of playing time this season.

Transfer Intelligence

Lucas Da Cunha  delivers 86% of the same playing style, at a 67% premium over Nicolás de la Cruz, with 1.51 key passes per 90 at age 24.

Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →

N
Comparison Base
Nicolás de la Cruz
MidfielderUruguay€9.0M
Full profile →

Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity

#1
L
Lucas Da Cunha 
Como · Serie A
France24yContract 2029
KP/901.51
G/900.11
Metronome
Last 5: ↓ Dip
vs Cruz: €6M more expensive · 4y younger
86% match
€15.0M
#2
F
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Lazio · Serie A
Nigeria25yContract 2028
KP/900.35
G/900.00
Balanced MidfielderSmall Sample
Last 5: → Stable
vs Cruz: 3y younger
86% match
€6.5M
#3
A
Alberto Grassi
Cremonese · Serie A
Italy31y
KP/900.31
G/900.00
Box-to-BoxSmall Sample
Last 5: ↑ Hot
vs Cruz: 3y older
85% match
€8.4M
#4
L
Luis Henrique
Inter · Serie A
Brazil24yContract 2030
KP/901.31
G/900.00
Creator
Last 5: → Stable
85% match
€23.0M
#5
A
Adrián Bernabé
Parma · Serie A
Spain24yContract 2027
KP/902.16
G/900.08
CreatorCreative
84% match
€15.0M
#6
I
Ivan Ilić
Torino · Serie A
Serbia25yContract 2027
KP/901.73
G/900.00
Creative Playmaker
85% match
€10.0M
#7
S
Samuele Ricci
AC Milan · Serie A
Italy24yContract 2029
KP/901.61
G/900.00
Ball-WinnerCreative
Last 5: ↑ Hot
85% match
€25.0M
#8
A
Amir Richardson
FC København · Serie A
France24yContract 2026
KP/900.65
G/900.09
Box-to-BoxDefensive
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€9.0M
#9
C
Charles De Ketelaere
Atalanta · Serie A
Belgium25yContract 2028
KP/902.53
G/900.06
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable
84% match
€35.0M
#10
N
Nikola Moro
Bologna · Serie A
Croatia28yContract 2027
KP/902.95
G/900.00
Chance Creator
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€6.5M
#11
S
Sandi Lovrić
Hellas Verona · Serie A
Slovenia28yContract 2027
KP/900.94
G/900.00
Creator
84% match
€6.0M
#12
M
Mario Pašalić
Atalanta · Serie A
Croatia31yContract 2028
KP/901.75
G/900.10
Creative Playmaker
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€7.0M

Ask AI: Why are these players similar?

Our 768-dimension Player DNA model matches playing style, physical profile, pressing intensity, and tactical fit. Ask the AI to explain exactly what makes these players statistically similar to Nicolás de la Cruz.

Ask AI about Nicolás de la Cruz

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best alternatives to Nicolás de la Cruz?
The top alternatives to Nicolás de la Cruz based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Lucas Da Cunha , Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alberto Grassi, Luis Henrique, Adrián Bernabé. These players were matched using Rising Transfers' 768-dimension DNA model across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit — not just position or market value.
Which players are similar to Nicolás de la Cruz in 2026?
Players with a similar profile to Nicolás de la Cruz in 2026 include Lucas Da Cunha  (€15.0M), Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (€6.5M), Alberto Grassi (€8.4M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Nicolás de la Cruz play and who plays similarly?
Nicolás de la Cruz plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Lucas Da Cunha  (France, €15.0M); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria, €6.5M); Alberto Grassi (Italy, €8.4M); Luis Henrique (Brazil, €23.0M).
How does Rising Transfers find similar players?
Rising Transfers uses a proprietary 768-dimension Player DNA model trained on 3.2 million match events. Each player is represented as a vector across 35+ per-90 metrics including pressing intensity, passing footprint, dribbling profile, and defensive contribution. Similarity is measured using cosine distance — the same technique used in state-of-the-art AI systems — making it the most precise player comparison tool available publicly.