Best Alternatives to Newton

Top 3 Alternatives to Newton

1. 1.Sandro Tonali84% DNA match·Newcastle United€80.0M
2. 2.Remo Freuler85% DNA match·Bologna€4.0M
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 Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (88% pass accuracy), heavily involved in play (65 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.6 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. However, he prone to committing fouls (2.6/90). The three most similar players to Newton by playing style are:

• Sandro Tonali(84% 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.
• Remo Freuler(85% match) — Freuler is the metronomic heartbeat of a Serie A engine room, a player whose relentless efficiency transforms a Tier C squad into a ball-dominant unit. Ranking in the top 10% for passes into the final third (8.87/90), he is not merely a sideways recycler but a progressive catalyst who dictates tempo with elite precision. While his low interception rate might suggest a passive defensive stance, the reality is far grittier; he is a specialist in the physical confrontation, winning ground duels and tackles at a rate that places him in the league's top 20%.
• 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 →