RisingTransfers
AI DNA Similarity

Best Alternatives to Denis Zakaria

Players most similar to Denis Zakaria (Midfielder, €25.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Top 3 Alternatives to Denis Zakaria

  1. 1.Orel Mangala85% DNA match·Olympique Lyonnais€10.0M
  2. 2.Ibrahim Sangaré85% DNA match·Nottingham Forest€30.0M
  3. 3.Warren Zaïre-Emery85% DNA match·Paris Saint Germain€50.0M

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

RT

Intelligence Verdict

Dribbled PastTop 10%
???Bottom 25%

A Ball-Winner....

See Full Verdict + Share Card →

Playing Style Analysis

Ball-WinnerDefensiveSmall Sample

A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as a reliable supplier (0.17 assists/90), an aggressive ball-winner (2.5 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (94% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (60% duel success), heavily involved in possession (61 passes/90), wins the ball cleanly (2.0 successful tackles/90), central to possession (78 touches/90) and active off the ball (3.0 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. Note: this profile is based on 531 minutes of playing time this season. The three most similar players to Denis Zakaria by playing style are:

  • Orel Mangala(85% match)A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as reads the game exceptionally (1.5 interceptions/90), meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
  • Ibrahim Sangaré(85% 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 (55 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.5 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
  • Warren Zaïre-Emery(85% match)A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.8 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.22 assists/90), active in the tackle (1.8 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (94% pass accuracy), heavily involved in possession (76 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (8.2 final-third passes/90), central to possession (93 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.8 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.

Transfer Intelligence

Orel Mangala delivers 85% of the same playing style, at 60% lower cost (€10.0M vs €25.0M), with 1.05 key passes per 90 at age 28.

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

D
Comparison Base
Denis Zakaria
MidfielderSwitzerland€25.0M
Full profile →

Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity

#1
O
Orel Mangala
Olympique Lyonnais · Ligue 1
Belgium28yContract 2028
KP/901.05
G/900.00
Ball-Winner
Last 5: ↓ Dip
vs Zakaria: €15M cheaper
85% match
€10.0M
#2
I
Ibrahim Sangaré
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
Ivory Coast28yContract 2028
KP/900.54
G/900.09
Ball-WinnerDefensive
Last 5: ↑ Hot
85% match
€30.0M
#3
W
Warren Zaïre-Emery
Paris Saint Germain · Ligue 1
France20yContract 2029
KP/901.50
G/900.00
MetronomeCreative
Last 5: → Stable
vs Zakaria: €25M more expensive · 9y younger
85% match
€50.0M
#4
M
Manuel Locatelli
Juventus · Serie A
Italy28yContract 2028
KP/901.88
G/900.00
MetronomeDefensive
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€25.0M
#5
A
Aurélien Tchouaméni
Real Madrid · La Liga
France26yContract 2028
KP/900.70
G/900.06
Metronome
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€75.0M
#6
G
Granit Xhaka
Sunderland · Premier League
Switzerland33yContract 2028
KP/901.13
G/900.03
Metronome
Last 5: → Stable
83% match
€10.0M
#7
A
Aleix García
Bayer 04 Leverkusen · Bundesliga
Spain28yContract 2026
KP/900.72
G/900.18
MetronomeSmall Sample
Last 5: ↑ Hot
83% match
€20.0M
#8
A
Abdoul Ouattara
Strasbourg · Ligue 1
France20yContract 2029
KP/900.79
G/900.32
Last 5: ↓ Dip
84% match
€9.0M
#9
A
Amadou Haidara
Lens · Ligue 1
Mali28yContract 2029
KP/900.34
G/900.00
Metronome
83% match
€6.0M
#10
V
Valentin Rongier  
Rennes · Ligue 1
France31yContract 2028
KP/901.08
G/900.08
Metronome
Last 5: ↓ Dip
83% match
€9.0M
#11
M
Mamadou Sangaré
Lens · Ligue 1
Mali23yContract 2030
KP/902.24
G/900.00
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable
83% match
€15.0M
#12
L
Lamine Camara
Monaco · Ligue 1
Senegal22yContract 2029
KP/901.40
G/900.00
MetronomeCreative
Last 5: → Stable
83% match
€35.0M

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 Denis Zakaria.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best alternatives to Denis Zakaria?
The top alternatives to Denis Zakaria based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Orel Mangala, Ibrahim Sangaré, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Manuel Locatelli, Aurélien Tchouaméni. 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 Denis Zakaria in 2026?
Players with a similar profile to Denis Zakaria in 2026 include Orel Mangala (€10.0M), Ibrahim Sangaré (€30.0M), Warren Zaïre-Emery (€50.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Denis Zakaria play and who plays similarly?
Denis Zakaria plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Orel Mangala (Belgium, €10.0M); Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast, €30.0M); Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, €50.0M); Manuel Locatelli (Italy, €25.0M).
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.