AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to Sam Smith
Players most similar to Sam Smith (Attacker, €2.4M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to Sam Smith
- 1.Toni Martínez85% DNA match·Deportivo Alavés€3.5M
- 2.Thierno Barry85% DNA match·Everton€30.0M
- 3.Enes Ünal85% DNA match·AFC Bournemouth€8.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Aerials WonTop 3%
???Bottom 7%
“A Target Man....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Target ManProlific
A Target Man. Statistically, he stands out as a proven goalscorer (0.47 goals/90), strong in aerial duels (5.9 aerials won/90) and top 20% scorer in the league. The three most similar players to Sam Smith by playing style are:
- Toni Martínez(85% match) — A Target Man. Statistically, he stands out as a constant goal threat (3.2 shots/90), a regular goalscorer (0.39 goals/90) and strong in aerial duels (6.2 aerials won/90).
- Thierno Barry(85% match) — A Target Man. Statistically, he stands out as a proven goalscorer (0.40 goals/90) and strong in aerial duels (6.2 aerials won/90).
- Enes Ünal(85% match) — Ünal is the kind of striker Premier League defenders quietly dread—a physical menace in the air who backs it up with real end product. His aerial win rate sits in the top 5% of forwards in this division, and crucially, those duels are translating: 5.68 aerials won per 90 is not a volume stat, it's dominance. His goals and assists numbers place him comfortably in the top 20% and top 10% respectively, which is the counterintuitive truth here—a player often dismissed as a target-man throwback is actually contributing to chance creation at an elite rate.
Transfer Intelligence
Toni Martínez delivers 85% of the same playing style, at a 46% premium over Sam Smith, with 0.39 goals per 90 at age 28. That's 84% of Sam Smith's output in goals per 90 — a credible like-for-like option.
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
T
Toni Martínez
Deportivo Alavés · La Liga
Spain28yContract 2028
G/900.39
A/900.10
Target Man
Last 5: ↑ Hotvs Smith: -0.08 G/90
85% match
€3.5M
#2
T
Thierno Barry
Everton · Premier League
France23yContract 2029
G/900.40
A/900.00
Target ManProlific
Last 5: ↑ Hotvs Smith: €28M more expensive · 5y younger · -0.07 G/90
85% match
€30.0M
#3
E
Enes Ünal
AFC Bournemouth · Premier League
Turkey29yContract 2028
G/900.46
A/900.00
Target ManProlific
Last 5: ↓ Dipvs Smith: €6M more expensive
85% match
€8.0M
#4
A
Armando Broja
Burnley · Premier League
Albania24yContract 2030
G/900.11
A/900.11
Target ManSmall Sample
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€8.0M
#5
V
Viktor Gyökeres
Arsenal · Premier League
Sweden27yContract 2030
G/900.57
A/900.04
PoacherProlific
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€65.0M
#6
C
Chris Wood
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
New Zealand34yContract 2027
G/900.35
A/900.00
Target ManSmall Sample
Last 5: ↑ Hot84% match
€8.0M
#7
D
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Leeds United · Premier League
England29yContract 2028
G/900.46
A/900.04
Target ManProlific
Last 5: ↑ Hot83% match
€22.0M
#8
J
Jonah Kusi-Asare
Fulham · Premier League
Sweden18yContract 2026
G/900.35
A/900.00
Target ManSmall Sample
84% match
€4.0M
#9
Z
Zian Flemming
Burnley · Premier League
Netherlands27yContract 2029
G/900.56
A/900.06
Target ManProlific
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€12.0M
#10
J
Janderson
Göztepe · Super Lig
Brazil27y
G/900.23
A/900.11
Target Man
Last 5: → Stable83% match
N/A
#11
Y
Youssef Chermiti
Rangers · Premier League
Portugal21yContract 2029
G/900.67
A/900.22
Complete ForwardProlific
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€9.0M
#12
J
Jørgen Strand Larsen
Crystal Palace · Premier League
Norway26yContract 2029
G/900.06
A/900.06
Target Man
Last 5: ↑ Hot83% match
€45.0M
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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 Sam Smith.
Ask AI about Sam Smith →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to Sam Smith?▼
The top alternatives to Sam Smith based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Toni Martínez, Thierno Barry, Enes Ünal, Armando Broja, Viktor Gyökeres. 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 Sam Smith in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Sam Smith in 2026 include Toni Martínez (€3.5M), Thierno Barry (€30.0M), Enes Ünal (€8.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Sam Smith play and who plays similarly?▼
Sam Smith plays as a Attacker. Players with a comparable positional profile include Toni Martínez (Spain, €3.5M); Thierno Barry (France, €30.0M); Enes Ünal (Turkey, €8.0M); Armando Broja (Albania, €8.0M).
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.