RisingTransfers
AI DNA Similarity

Best Alternatives to Josip Ilicic

Players most similar to Josip Ilicic (Midfielder, €6.4M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Top 3 Alternatives to Josip Ilicic

  1. 1.Simone Verdi86% DNA match·Südtirol€22.0M
  2. 2.Flavio Paoletti85% DNA match·Mantova
  3. 3.Sofiane Boufal84% DNA match·Le Havre€6.0M

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

Playing Style Analysis

CreatorCreative

Josip Iličić is a Creator. Playmaker unlocking defenses with key passes. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (2.6 key passes/90), a constant goal threat (4.2 shots/90), a proven goalscorer (0.50 goals/90), a prolific assist provider (0.29 assists/90), a dynamic dribbler (3.1/90) and top 10% creator in the league. The three most similar players to Josip Ilicic by playing style are:

  • Simone Verdi(86% match) — Simone Verdi is a Creator. Playmaker unlocking defenses with key passes. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.6 key passes/90), a proven goalscorer (0.40 goals/90) and a dynamic dribbler (2.8/90).
  • Flavio Paoletti(85% match) — Flavio Paoletti is a Creator. Playmaker unlocking defenses with key passes. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.6 key passes/90) and top 20% creator in the league.
  • Sofiane Boufal(84% match) — A Creator. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (2.9 key passes/90), a proven goalscorer (0.43 goals/90), a prolific assist provider (0.32 assists/90), a dynamic dribbler (3.7/90), creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.54 big chances/90) and top 10% creator in the league. Note: this profile is based on 837 minutes of playing time this season.

Transfer Intelligence

Simone Verdi delivers 86% of the same playing style, at a 244% premium over Josip Ilicic, with 1.67 key passes per 90 at age 33.

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

J
Comparison Base
Josip Ilicic
MidfielderSlovenia€6.4M
Full profile →

Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity

#1
S
Simone Verdi
Südtirol · Serie A
Italy33yContract 2026
KP/901.67
G/900.44
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable
vs Ilicic: €16M more expensive · 5y younger
86% match
€22.0M
#2
F
Flavio Paoletti
Mantova · Super Lig
Italy23y
KP/901.12
G/900.00
CreatorCreative
Last 5: ↓ Dip
vs Ilicic: 15y younger
85% match
N/A
#3
S
Sofiane Boufal
Le Havre · Ligue 1
Morocco32y
KP/902.10
G/900.00
CreatorCreative
vs Ilicic: 6y younger
84% match
€6.0M
#4
J
James Maddison  
Tottenham Hotspur · Premier League
England29yContract 2028
KP/902.12
G/900.38
CreatorCreative
84% match
€30.0M
#5
M
Mathias Kubel
Aarhus Fremad · Superliga
Denmark24y
KP/901.69
G/900.18
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable
84% match
N/A
#6
D
Dejan Ljubicic
Schalke 04 · Bundesliga
Austria28yContract 2028
KP/900.00
G/900.36
Creator
83% match
N/A
#7
D
Dejan Kulusevski  
Tottenham Hotspur · Premier League
Sweden26yContract 2028
KP/902.53
G/900.27
CreatorCreative
83% match
€35.0M
#8
S
Samir Lagsir
PEC Zwolle · Eredivisie
Netherlands22yContract 2026
KP/902.04
G/900.24
CreatorCreative
84% match
N/A
#9
D
Douglas Luiz
Aston Villa · Premier League
Brazil28yContract 2026
KP/902.37
G/900.17
CreatorCreative
Last 5: ↓ Dip
83% match
€25.0M
#10
L
Luka Ivanušec
PAOK · Eredivisie
Croatia27y
KP/901.96
G/900.00
Box-to-BoxSmall Sample
Last 5: ↓ Dip
83% match
€8.5M
#11
I
Ivan Ilić
Torino · Serie A
Serbia25yContract 2027
KP/901.73
G/900.00
Creative Playmaker
83% match
€10.0M
#12
R
Robin van Cruijsen
FC Volendam · Eredivisie
Netherlands20y
KP/902.20
G/900.27
CreatorCreative
Last 5: → Stable
83% match
N/A
Compare head-to-head:Ilicic vs Verdi →Ilicic vs Paoletti →Ilicic vs Boufal →
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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 Josip Ilicic.

Ask AI about Josip Ilicic →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best alternatives to Josip Ilicic?▼
The top alternatives to Josip Ilicic based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Simone Verdi, Flavio Paoletti, Sofiane Boufal, James Maddison  , Mathias Kubel. 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 Josip Ilicic in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Josip Ilicic in 2026 include Simone Verdi (€22.0M), Flavio Paoletti (N/A), Sofiane Boufal (€6.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Josip Ilicic play and who plays similarly?▼
Josip Ilicic plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Simone Verdi (Italy, €22.0M); Flavio Paoletti (Italy, N/A); Sofiane Boufal (Morocco, €6.0M); James Maddison   (England, €30.0M).
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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