⬡ AI DNA · Live season

Chelsea· 2024/2025 · Premier League · FULL

Best Alternatives to Dário Essugo

Defensive MidfieldPortugal21y€15.0MFull profile →

Ball-WinnerDefensive

0.65KP/90

0.05G/90

0.00A/90

Based on 1,951 min · 2024/2025 · Premier League · FULL

Ranked by AI DNA similarity — playing style, pressing, and tactical fit. Below: the closest replacements with per-90 stats and form.

DNA matchPrioritizes Premier League & top-tier peers

Top 3 alternatives to Dário Essugo

Lesley Ugochukwu88% match
Burnley · Premier League · €25.0M
Soungoutou Magassa86% match
West Ham United · Premier League · €17.0M
Ibrahim Sangaré86% match
Nottingham Forest · Premier League · €20.0M

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Intelligence Verdict

InterceptionsTop 8%

“A Ball-Winner....”

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Playing Style Analysis

Ball-WinnerDefensive

A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as an aggressive ball-winner (2.7 tackles/90), reads the game exceptionally (1.9 interceptions/90), meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy), heavily involved in play (60 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. The three closest DNA matches to Dário Essugo:

Lesley Ugochukwu(88% match) — A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (2.0 tackles/90) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
Soungoutou Magassa(86% match) — A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as an aggressive ball-winner (3.8 tackles/90), reads the game exceptionally (1.6 interceptions/90), wins the physical battle (59% duel success), wins the ball cleanly (2.0 successful tackles/90), heavily involved in play (55 touches/90), a high-intensity presser (press score 3.0/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up and top 10% tackler in the league.
Ibrahim Sangaré(86% match) — A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as an aggressive ball-winner (2.6 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (87% pass accuracy), heavily involved in play (56 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.7 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.

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

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Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity

Lesley Ugochukwu

Burnley · Premier League

France22yContract 2030

KP/900.38

G/900.12

Ball-WinnerSteady form

vs Essugo: €10M more expensive

88% match

€25.0M

Compare Essugo vs Ugochukwu →

Ask about replacements for Essugo

Same DNA shortlist as above — budget fit, who to avoid, or why the top match works.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best alternatives to Dário Essugo?▼

The top alternatives to Dário Essugo based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Lesley Ugochukwu, Soungoutou Magassa, Ibrahim Sangaré, Cheick Doucouré, Florentino. 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 Dário Essugo in 2026?▼

Players with a similar profile to Dário Essugo in 2026 include Lesley Ugochukwu (€25.0M), Soungoutou Magassa (€17.0M), Ibrahim Sangaré (€20.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.

What position does Dário Essugo play and who plays similarly?▼

Dário Essugo plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Lesley Ugochukwu (France, €25.0M); Soungoutou Magassa (France, €17.0M); Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast, €20.0M); Cheick Doucouré (Mali, €13.0M).

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.

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