AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to Samu Castillejo
Players most similar to Samu Castillejo (Attacker, €21.3M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to Samu Castillejo
- 1.Jesús Rodríguez86% DNA match·Como€30.0M
- 2.Santiago Castro85% DNA match·Bologna€35.0M
- 3.Patrick Cutrone85% DNA match·Parma€5.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Key PassesTop 5%
???Bottom 0%
“A Link-up Striker....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Link-up StrikerSmall Sample
A Link-up Striker. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (2.5 key passes/90). Note: this profile is based on 531 minutes of playing time this season. The three most similar players to Samu Castillejo by playing style are:
- Jesús Rodríguez(86% match) — A Dynamic Forward. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (2.2 key passes/90), a prolific assist provider (0.46 assists/90), a dynamic dribbler (2.4/90) and creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.53 big chances/90).
- Santiago Castro(85% match) — Castro arrived in Serie A as a teenager and has quietly built a profile that rewards closer inspection than his modest surface numbers suggest. His 0.37 goals per 90 places him above average among Serie A forwards, and his shot volume backs that up — 2.49 attempts per 90 puts him in elite attacking territory. The counterintuitive read here is his pass accuracy: at 70.9%, it looks damning, but his passes-per-90 sits in the bottom 10% of the league, meaning he's not a distributor at all — he's a finisher operating in tight spaces where clean execution is harder.
- Patrick Cutrone(85% match) — A Forward. Statistically, he stands out as a constant goal threat (2.5 shots/90). Note: this profile is based on 895 minutes of playing time this season.
Transfer Intelligence
Jesús Rodríguez delivers 86% of the same playing style, at a 41% premium over Samu Castillejo, with 0.08 goals per 90 at age 20.
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
J
Jesús Rodríguez
Como · Serie A
Spain20yContract 2030
G/900.08
A/900.46
Dynamic ForwardDribbler
Last 5: ↓ Dipvs Castillejo: €9M more expensive · 11y younger
86% match
€30.0M
#2
S
Santiago Castro
Bologna · Serie A
Argentina21yContract 2028
G/900.43
A/900.09
vs Castillejo: €14M more expensive · 10y younger
85% match
€35.0M
#3
P
Patrick Cutrone
Parma · Serie A
Italy28yContract 2026
G/900.00
A/900.00
Small Sample
vs Castillejo: €16M cheaper · 3y younger
85% match
€5.0M
#4
M
Matteo Politano
Napoli · Serie A
Italy32yContract 2027
G/900.00
A/900.16
85% match
€8.0M
#5
R
Romain Del Castillo
Brest · Ligue 1
France30yContract 2027
G/900.42
A/900.00
Inside ForwardProlific
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€7.0M
#6
A
Armand Laurienté
Sassuolo · Serie A
France27yContract 2027
G/900.42
A/900.42
Inside ForwardProlific
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€14.0M
#7
N
Nicolò Cambiaghi
Bologna · Serie A
Italy25yContract 2029
G/900.22
A/900.22
84% match
€18.0M
#8
K
Kamaldeen Sulemana
Atalanta · Serie A
Ghana24yContract 2029
G/900.21
A/900.21
Dynamic ForwardDribbler
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€18.0M
#9
R
Rafael Leão
AC Milan · Serie A
Portugal26yContract 2028
G/900.00
A/900.33
Small Sample
84% match
€70.0M
#10
Á
Álex Berenguer
Athletic Club · La Liga
Spain30yContract 2027
G/900.11
A/900.11
84% match
€5.0M
#11
M
Matteo Cancellieri
Lazio · Serie A
Italy24yContract 2027
G/900.25
A/900.08
Complete Forward
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€5.5M
#12
M
Mattia Zaccagni
Lazio · Serie A
Italy30yContract 2029
G/900.15
A/900.00
83% match
€15.0M
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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 Samu Castillejo.
Ask AI about Samu Castillejo →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to Samu Castillejo?▼
The top alternatives to Samu Castillejo based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Jesús Rodríguez, Santiago Castro, Patrick Cutrone, Matteo Politano , Romain Del Castillo. 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 Samu Castillejo in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Samu Castillejo in 2026 include Jesús Rodríguez (€30.0M), Santiago Castro (€35.0M), Patrick Cutrone (€5.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Samu Castillejo play and who plays similarly?▼
Samu Castillejo plays as a Attacker. Players with a comparable positional profile include Jesús Rodríguez (Spain, €30.0M); Santiago Castro (Argentina, €35.0M); Patrick Cutrone (Italy, €5.0M); Matteo Politano (Italy, €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.