Per-90 performance rankings · Rising Transfers DNA Analysis · 25 players ranked
Based on per-90 statistics across 25 Premier League defenders in 2025/26, Virgil van Dijk leads the ranking as a Ball-Playing CB with a composite score of 0.77. Wesley Fofana (Ball-Playing CB) ranks second at 0.76, followed by Joachim Andersen (Ball-Playing CB) at 0.74. All rankings are calculated using Rising Transfers' 47-dimension per-90 analysis methodology.
Methodology: Per-90 stats explained · DNA matching
38 games · Netherlands
25 games · France
| # | Player | Style | TW/90 | Int/90 | Clr/90 | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virgil van Dijk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.37 | 0.74 | 7.24 | 38 | Similar → |
| 2 | Wesley Fofana | Ball-Playing CB | 0.76 | 2.08 | 6.72 | 25 | Similar → |
| 3 | Joachim Andersen | Ball-Playing CB | 0.72 | 1.13 | 7.16 | 33 | Similar → |
| 4 | James Hill | Physical Stopper | 0.78 | 1.66 | 7.20 | 29 | Similar → |
| 5 | Cristian Romero | Ball-Playing CB | 1.42 | 1.44 | 4.51 | 23 | Similar → |
| 6 | Jan Paul van Hecke | Ball-Playing CB | 0.83 | 1.32 | 5.30 | 36 | Similar → |
| 7 | Marc Guéhi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.25 | 5.15 | 20 | Similar → |
| 8 | Ibrahima Konaté | Ball-Playing CB | 0.93 | 0.84 | 5.52 | 36 | Similar → |
| 9 | Konstantinos Mavropanos | Physical Stopper | 0.89 | 1.74 | 6.88 | 31 | Similar → |
| 10 | Kevin Danso | Ball-Playing CB | 0.85 | 1.56 | 8.10 | 24 | Similar → |
| 11 | Marcos Senesi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.53 | 6.92 | 37 | Similar → |
| 12 | James Tarkowski | Physical Stopper | 0.79 | 0.86 | 6.54 | 37 | Similar → |
| 13 | Harry Maguire | Ball-Playing CB | 0.72 | 0.76 | 5.76 | 23 | Similar → |
| 14 | Malick Thiaw | Ball-Playing CB | 0.82 | 0.97 | 5.58 | 23 | Similar → |
| 15 | Trevoh Chalobah | Ball-Playing CB | 0.74 | 1.20 | 5.76 | 34 | Similar → |
| 16 | Maxence Lacroix | Ball-Playing CB | 1.16 | 1.31 | 7.35 | 35 | Similar → |
| 17 | Josko Gvardiol | Ball-Playing CB | 0.90 | 0.98 | 4.00 | 18 | Similar → |
| 18 | Gabriel Magalhães | Ball-Playing CB | 0.66 | 0.75 | 5.96 | 32 | Similar → |
| 19 | Lewis Dunk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.73 | 0.95 | 4.51 | 33 | Similar → |
| 20 | Michael Keane | Ball-Playing CB | 0.84 | 1.35 | 7.05 | 33 | Similar → |
| 21 | Nordi Mukiele | Active Full-Back | 1.50 | 1.29 | 5.04 | 32 | Similar → |
| 22 | Rúben Dias | Ball-Playing CB | 0.26 | 1.05 | 4.92 | 26 | Similar → |
| 23 | Sven Botman | Ball-Playing CB | 0.70 | 1.37 | 6.90 | 25 | Similar → |
| 24 | Chris Richards | Ball-Playing CB | 1.20 | 1.43 | 6.24 | 33 | Similar → |
| 25 | Maxime Estève | Ball-Playing CB | 0.82 | 1.13 | 6.77 | 34 | Similar → |
KP = Key passes · TW = Tackles won · Int = Interceptions · Clr = Clearances · GC = Goals conceded
Based on per-90 data in 2025/26, Virgil van Dijk is the top-ranked defender in the Premier League. Virgil van Dijk is classified as a Ball-Playing CB by Rising Transfers' DNA analysis system.
Rising Transfers ranks defenders using a composite per-90 score across key performance dimensions specific to the position. All statistics are normalised per 90 minutes of play to allow fair comparison between players with different minutes. Only players with 1,350+ minutes (equivalent to approximately 15 full matches) are included to ensure statistical reliability.
Each player is assigned a DNA archetype (e.g. Creator, Ball-Winner, Pressing Forward) based on their playing style vector — a 768-dimensional representation of their per-90 performance across 47 metrics. The archetype describes how the player plays, not just their position.
Rankings are recalculated weekly as new match data is processed into Rising Transfers' DNA pipeline. The underlying per-90 statistics are sourced from live match data across the Premier League season.
Rankings are generated by Rising Transfers using per-90 statistics from the 2025/26 Premier League season. Only players with 1,350+ minutes in the current season are included to ensure statistical reliability. Scores are computed using a position-specific composite formula across 47 performance dimensions. Data is refreshed weekly. Learn more about our methodology →
Some players may be excluded due to data availability (e.g. mid-season transfers, injury absences, or cup-only appearances). Rankings reflect on-pitch statistical performance and do not account for team defensive structure or shot quality — elite players on dominant teams may rank lower on volume-based metrics.
