AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to James Tarkowski
Players most similar to James Tarkowski (Defender, €7.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to James Tarkowski
- 1.Sepp van den Berg86% DNA match·Brentford€28.0M
- 2.Hjalmar Ekdal86% DNA match·Burnley€6.0M
- 3.Lisandro Martínez86% DNA match·Manchester United€35.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Aerials WonTop 3%
???Bottom 8%
“A Physical Stopper....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Physical StopperAerial
A Physical Stopper. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (6.6 clearances/90), wins the physical battle (68% duel success), dominant in the air (4.0 aerials won/90, 68%) and uses long balls frequently (6.7/90). The three most similar players to James Tarkowski by playing style are:
- Sepp van den Berg(86% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (6.2 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (88% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (66% duel success) and dominant in the air (4.6 aerials won/90, 68%).
- Hjalmar Ekdal(86% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (7.3 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (85% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (64% duel success) and dominant in the air (3.0 aerials won/90, 63%).
- Lisandro Martínez(86% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, commanding in the air (4.4 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (67% duel success), heavily involved in possession (72 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (10.5 final-third passes/90), central to possession (84 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (7.0/90) and active off the ball (2.6 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
Transfer Intelligence
Sepp van den Berg delivers 86% of the same playing style, at a 300% premium over James Tarkowski, with 0.64 tackles won per 90 at age 24.
Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →
Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity
#1
S
Sepp van den Berg
Brentford · Premier League
Netherlands24yContract 2029
Tkl/900.64
KP/900.20
Ball-Playing CBAerial
Last 5: → Stablevs Tarkowski: €21M more expensive · 9y younger
86% match
€28.0M
#2
H
Hjalmar Ekdal
Burnley · Premier League
Sweden27yContract 2027
Tkl/901.40
KP/900.23
Ball-Playing CBAerial
Last 5: → Stablevs Tarkowski: 6y younger
86% match
€6.0M
#3
L
Lisandro Martínez
Manchester United · Premier League
Argentina28yContract 2027
Tkl/901.37
KP/900.34
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
vs Tarkowski: €28M more expensive · 5y younger
86% match
€35.0M
#4
T
Trevoh Chalobah
Chelsea · Premier League
England26yContract 2028
Tkl/901.15
KP/900.16
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
Last 5: ↓ Dip85% match
€40.0M
#5
M
Marc Guéhi
Manchester City · Premier League
England25yContract 2026
Tkl/901.55
KP/900.45
Ball-Playing CBAerial
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€65.0M
#6
J
Joachim Andersen
Fulham · Premier League
Denmark29yContract 2029
Tkl/901.41
KP/900.22
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€25.0M
#7
D
Dan Burn
Newcastle United · Premier League
England34yContract 2027
Tkl/901.63
KP/900.26
Physical StopperAerial
Last 5: → Stable86% match
€5.0M
#8
K
Kevin Danso
Tottenham Hotspur · Premier League
Austria27yContract 2030
Tkl/901.84
KP/900.20
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
Last 5: → Stable86% match
€22.0M
#9
P
Pascal Struijk
Leeds United · Premier League
Netherlands26yContract 2027
Tkl/901.17
KP/900.38
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€22.0M
#10
J
Jaka Bijol
Leeds United · Premier League
Slovenia27yContract 2030
Tkl/901.30
KP/900.36
Ball-Playing CBAerial
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€18.0M
#11
J
Jan Paul van Hecke
Brighton & Hove Albion · Premier League
Netherlands25yContract 2027
Tkl/901.54
KP/900.36
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€35.0M
#12
M
Murillo
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
Brazil23yContract 2029
Tkl/901.48
KP/900.38
Ball-Playing CBAerial
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€12.0M
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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 James Tarkowski.
Ask AI about James Tarkowski →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to James Tarkowski?▼
The top alternatives to James Tarkowski based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Sepp van den Berg, Hjalmar Ekdal, Lisandro Martínez, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guéhi. 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 James Tarkowski in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to James Tarkowski in 2026 include Sepp van den Berg (€28.0M), Hjalmar Ekdal (€6.0M), Lisandro Martínez (€35.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does James Tarkowski play and who plays similarly?▼
James Tarkowski plays as a Defender. Players with a comparable positional profile include Sepp van den Berg (Netherlands, €28.0M); Hjalmar Ekdal (Sweden, €6.0M); Lisandro Martínez (Argentina, €35.0M); Trevoh Chalobah (England, €40.0M).
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.