Best Alternatives to Granit Xhaka

Top 3 Alternatives to Granit Xhaka

1. 1.Declan Rice86% DNA match·Arsenal€120.0M
2. 2.Martín Zubimendi84% DNA match·Arsenal€80.0M
3. 3.Manuel Locatelli84% DNA match·Juventus€25.0M

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

Playing Style Analysis

A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a capable chance creator (1.1 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.20 assists/90), wins the physical battle (61% duel success), penetrates with forward passing (11.3 final-third passes/90), central to possession (71 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (7.8/90) and active off the ball (2.8 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. The three most similar players to Granit Xhaka by playing style are:

• Declan Rice(86% match) — A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.9 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.15 assists/90), active in the tackle (2.0 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (87% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (60% duel success), heavily involved in possession (61 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (8.3 final-third passes/90), central to possession (80 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (5.1/90), active off the ball (2.7 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions and top 10% creator in the league.
• Martín Zubimendi(84% match) — A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (2.1 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (88% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (60% duel success), heavily involved in play (69 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
• Manuel Locatelli(84% match) — Locatelli has spent years being the midfielder that makes everything work without ever making the highlight reel—and the numbers finally prove why that matters. Operating in Serie A's congested midfield battles, he ranks in the top 5% for passes per 90, tackles won, press intensity, and passes into the final third simultaneously; finding a player who dominates all four categories at once is genuinely rare. The counterintuitive read here is his goal contribution figures, which look pedestrian until you understand he's essentially the engine redistributing possession upward—those 15-plus progressive passes per 90 are what create the chances others finish.

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