AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to Joe Willock
Players most similar to Joe Willock (Midfielder, €16.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to Joe Willock
- 1.Sean Longstaff89% DNA match·Leeds United€18.0M
- 2.Sandro Tonali85% DNA match·Newcastle United€80.0M
- 3.Joelinton85% DNA match·Newcastle United€30.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Tackles WonTop 8%
???Bottom 6%
“A Balanced Midfielder....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Balanced MidfielderSmall Sample
A Balanced Midfielder. Statistically, he stands out as a capable chance creator (1.2 key passes/90), active in the tackle (2.0 tackles/90) and active off the ball (2.9 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. Note: this profile is based on 852 minutes of playing time this season. The three most similar players to Joe Willock by playing style are:
- Sean Longstaff(89% match) — A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (2.3 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.18 assists/90), an aggressive ball-winner (3.5 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (85% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (58% duel success), wins the ball cleanly (2.0 successful tackles/90), heavily involved in play (59 touches/90), active off the ball (2.4 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions, top 10% creator in the league and top 10% tackler in the league. However, he can be exposed in 1v1 situations.
- Sandro Tonali(85% match) — A Ball-Winner. Statistically, he stands out as a capable chance creator (1.1 key passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (9.0 final-third passes/90), central to possession (71 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (5.3/90) and active off the ball (2.7 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
- Joelinton(85% match) — A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (2.0 tackles/90), heavily involved in play (55 touches/90) and a high-intensity presser (press score 3.0/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up.
Transfer Intelligence
Sean Longstaff delivers 89% of the same playing style, at a 12% premium over Joe Willock, with 2.28 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 →
Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity
#1
S
Sean Longstaff
Leeds United · Premier League
England28yContract 2029
KP/902.28
G/900.18
Ball-WinnerCreative
Last 5: ↑ Hotvs Willock: 2y older
89% match
€18.0M
#2
S
Sandro Tonali
Newcastle United · Premier League
Italy26yContract 2028
KP/901.12
G/900.00
Ball-Winner
Last 5: → Stablevs Willock: €64M more expensive
85% match
€80.0M
#3
J
Joelinton
Newcastle United · Premier League
Brazil29yContract 2028
KP/900.78
G/900.09
Box-to-Box
Last 5: ↓ Dipvs Willock: €14M more expensive · 3y older
85% match
€30.0M
#4
B
Bruno Guimarães
Newcastle United · Premier League
Brazil28yContract 2028
KP/901.80
G/900.35
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€75.0M
#5
R
Ryan Christie
AFC Bournemouth · Premier League
Scotland31yContract 2027
KP/901.00
G/900.18
Ball-WinnerDefensive
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€9.0M
#6
F
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool · Premier League
Germany23yContract 2030
KP/902.34
G/900.19
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€110.0M
#7
B
Brenden Aaronson
Leeds United · Premier League
United States25yContract 2027
KP/901.24
G/900.15
Creator
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€15.0M
#8
Y
Yegor Yarmolyuk
Brentford · Premier League
Ukraine22yContract 2031
KP/900.56
G/900.04
Box-to-Box
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€25.0M
#9
T
Tijjani Reijnders
Manchester City · Premier League
Netherlands27yContract 2030
KP/901.04
G/900.29
84% match
€60.0M
#10
M
Morgan Gibbs-White
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
England26yContract 2027
KP/901.41
G/900.40
Creator
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€65.0M
#11
M
Mats Wieffer
Brighton & Hove Albion · Premier League
Netherlands26yContract 2029
KP/900.99
G/900.10
Ball-WinnerDefensive
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€25.0M
#12
A
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Hamburger SV · Bundesliga
Belgium26yContract 2028
KP/901.32
G/900.50
Box-to-Box
84% match
€8.0M
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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 Joe Willock.
Ask AI about Joe Willock →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to Joe Willock?▼
The top alternatives to Joe Willock based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Sean Longstaff, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Bruno Guimarães, Ryan Christie. 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 Joe Willock in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Joe Willock in 2026 include Sean Longstaff (€18.0M), Sandro Tonali (€80.0M), Joelinton (€30.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Joe Willock play and who plays similarly?▼
Joe Willock plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Sean Longstaff (England, €18.0M); Sandro Tonali (Italy, €80.0M); Joelinton (Brazil, €30.0M); Bruno Guimarães (Brazil, €75.0M).
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.