Best Alternatives to Davy Klaassen

Playing Style Analysis

Klaassen remains the Eredivisie’s premier ghost, a midfield scavenger whose utility is defined by an uncanny ability to materialize in the box exactly when the ball does. While his 0.34 goals per 90 puts him in the elite top 10% of league midfielders, his profile is far from that of a creative engine or a ball-carrier. His dribbling is practically non-existent—bottom 10% in the league—proving he is a facilitator who moves the ball early to move himself into space. The three closest DNA matches to Davy Klaassen:

• Kees Smit(82% match) — A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.6 key passes/90), meticulous in distribution (88% pass accuracy), heavily involved in play (67 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.5 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
• Lewis Holtby(81% match) — Holtby is the kind of midfielder who quietly tilts games through distribution and dirty work rather than highlights—a profile that rarely gets the credit it deserves. Operating in the Eredivisie, his key passes and assists both rank in the top 20%, marking him as a genuine creative conduit for a B-tier side.
• Luciano Valente(81% match) — A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.7 key passes/90), a prolific assist provider (0.25 assists/90), penetrates with forward passing (8.3 final-third passes/90), heavily involved in play (68 touches/90) and a high-intensity presser (press score 3.3/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up.

Similarity uses per-90 performance across playing-style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →