Best Alternatives to Sikou Niakaté

Playing Style Analysis

Niakaté is the rare defender who looks more dangerous with the ball at his feet than without it—a profile that makes him genuinely interesting and genuinely complicated. Operating in Liga Portugal, he sits in the top 5% for passes per 90, an extraordinary volume for a defender, and his delivery into the final third ranks among the league's best at his position. His 70% duel win rate places him in the top 20%—but here's the counterintuitive truth: nearly all of that dominance comes on the ground. The three closest DNA matches to Sikou Niakaté:

• Bastien Meupiyou(85% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (4.1 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (85% pass accuracy), uses long balls frequently (5.2/90) and active off the ball (2.2 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
• Gustaf Lagerbielke(85% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (4.2 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (90% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (60% duel success), heavily involved in possession (78 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (10.4 final-third passes/90), central to possession (90 touches/90), dominant in the air (3.5 aerials won/90, 66%) and uses long balls frequently (6.7/90).
• Bright Arrey-Mbi(85% match) — Arrey-Mbi is the kind of defender whose value lives in the margins—a ball-playing centre-back who quietly outworks the league average without ever dominating any single category. His pass accuracy of 86.1% and a passes-per-90 ranking inside the top 20% of Liga Portugal defenders tell you he's comfortable under pressure and willing to circulate possession with purpose.

Similarity uses per-90 performance across playing-style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →