AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to Will Hughes
Players most similar to Will Hughes (Midfielder, €6.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to Will Hughes
- 1.Alex Scott87% DNA match·AFC Bournemouth€40.0M
- 2.Josh Cullen86% DNA match·Burnley€6.0M
- 3.Elliot Anderson85% DNA match·Nottingham Forest€60.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Aerials WonTop 11%
???Bottom 0%
“A Box-to-Box....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Box-to-Box
A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a capable chance creator (1.2 key passes/90), heavily involved in play (55 touches/90) and active off the ball (2.0 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. The three most similar players to Will Hughes by playing style are:
- Alex Scott(87% match) — A Box-to-Box. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90), wins the physical battle (55% duel success), heavily involved in play (63 touches/90) and a high-intensity presser (press score 3.1/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up.
- Josh Cullen(86% match) — A Balanced Midfielder. Statistically, he stands out as active in the tackle (1.8 tackles/90), wins the physical battle (55% duel success), penetrates with forward passing (9.2 final-third passes/90), heavily involved in play (64 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (5.7/90) and active off the ball (2.5 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
- Elliot Anderson(85% match) — A Metronome. Statistically, he stands out as an elite creator (1.5 key passes/90), an aggressive ball-winner (2.8 tackles/90), meticulous in distribution (85% pass accuracy), heavily involved in possession (64 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (10.2 final-third passes/90), central to possession (89 touches/90), draws fouls effectively (2.1/90), uses long balls frequently (6.0/90) and a high-intensity presser (press score 4.1/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up. However, he loses possession under pressure (1.7 dispossessed/90).
Transfer Intelligence
Alex Scott delivers 87% of the same playing style, at a 567% premium over Will Hughes, with 0.88 key passes per 90 at age 22.
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
A
Alex Scott
AFC Bournemouth · Premier League
England22yContract 2028
KP/900.88
G/900.10
Box-to-Box
Last 5: ↑ Hotvs Hughes: €34M more expensive · 9y younger
87% match
€40.0M
#2
J
Josh Cullen
Burnley · Premier League
Republic of Ireland30yContract 2027
KP/900.77
G/900.12
Balanced Midfielder
86% match
€6.0M
#3
E
Elliot Anderson
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
Scotland23yContract 2029
KP/901.50
G/900.11
MetronomeCreative
Last 5: ↓ Dipvs Hughes: €54M more expensive · 8y younger
85% match
€60.0M
#4
L
Lesley Ugochukwu
Burnley · Premier League
France22yContract 2030
KP/900.37
G/900.12
Ball-Winner
Last 5: → Stable85% match
€25.0M
#5
S
Sean Longstaff
Leeds United · Premier League
England28yContract 2029
KP/902.28
G/900.18
Ball-WinnerCreative
Last 5: ↑ Hot85% match
€18.0M
#6
E
Ethan Ampadu
Leeds United · Premier League
Wales25yContract 2027
KP/900.58
G/900.03
Box-to-Box
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€20.0M
#7
J
James Garner
Everton · Premier League
England25yContract 2026
KP/901.48
G/900.06
Ball-WinnerDefensive
Last 5: → Stable84% match
€35.0M
#8
R
Ryan Yates
Nottingham Forest · Premier League
England28yContract 2028
KP/900.65
G/900.26
Ball-WinnerSmall Sample
Last 5: ↓ Dip85% match
€10.0M
#9
C
Curtis Jones
Liverpool · Premier League
England25yContract 2027
KP/901.03
G/900.00
Metronome
Last 5: ↓ Dip85% match
€40.0M
#10
M
Mathias Jensen
Brentford · Premier League
Denmark30yContract 2026
KP/901.36
G/900.13
Creator
Last 5: ↑ Hot85% match
€12.0M
#11
P
Pape Matar Sarr
Tottenham Hotspur · Premier League
Senegal23yContract 2030
KP/900.53
G/900.13
Box-to-Box
Last 5: ↑ Hot84% match
€32.0M
#12
L
Lewis Cook
AFC Bournemouth · Premier League
England29yContract 2028
KP/901.13
G/900.00
Box-to-BoxDefensive
84% match
€13.0M
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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 Will Hughes.
Ask AI about Will Hughes →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to Will Hughes?▼
The top alternatives to Will Hughes based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Alex Scott, Josh Cullen, Elliot Anderson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Sean Longstaff. 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 Will Hughes in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Will Hughes in 2026 include Alex Scott (€40.0M), Josh Cullen (€6.0M), Elliot Anderson (€60.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Will Hughes play and who plays similarly?▼
Will Hughes plays as a Midfielder. Players with a comparable positional profile include Alex Scott (England, €40.0M); Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland, €6.0M); Elliot Anderson (Scotland, €60.0M); Lesley Ugochukwu (France, €25.0M).
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.