Best Defenders in the Premier League 2025/26
Per-90 performance rankings · Rising Transfers DNA Analysis · 25 players ranked
Based on per-90 statistics across 25 Premier League defenders in 2025/26, Michael Keane leads the ranking as a Ball-Playing CB with a composite score of 1.41. Chris Richards (Ball-Playing CB) ranks second at 1.39, followed by Marcos Senesi (Ball-Playing CB) at 1.37. All rankings are calculated using Rising Transfers' 47-dimension per-90 analysis methodology.
Methodology: Per-90 stats explained · DNA matching
Michael Keane
27 games · England
Chris Richards
26 games · United States
Marcos Senesi
30 games · Argentina
Full Premier League Defenders Rankings
| # | Player | Style | TW/90 | Int/90 | Clr/90 | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Keane | Ball-Playing CB | 0.84 | 1.54 | 7.25 | 27 |
| 2 | Chris Richards | Ball-Playing CB | 1.20 | 1.58 | 6.17 | 26 |
| 3 | Marcos Senesi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.65 | 7.53 | 30 |
| 4 | Cristian Romero | Ball-Playing CB | 1.42 | 1.47 | 4.51 | 22 |
| 5 | Maxence Lacroix | Ball-Playing CB | 1.16 | 1.27 | 7.35 | 28 |
| 6 | Nordi Mukiele | Active Full-Back | 1.50 | 1.33 | 5.36 | 25 |
| 7 | James Tarkowski | Physical Stopper | 0.79 | 0.93 | 6.90 | 30 |
| 8 | Dan Ballard | Ball-Playing CB | 0.76 | 0.85 | 8.07 | 26 |
| 9 | Maxime Estève | Ball-Playing CB | 0.82 | 1.24 | 6.57 | 28 |
| 10 | Kenny Tete | Physical Stopper | 2.00 | 1.35 | 3.41 | 22 |
| 11 | Joachim Andersen | Ball-Playing CB | 0.72 | 1.06 | 7.33 | 28 |
| 12 | Sepp van den Berg | Ball-Playing CB | 0.21 | 1.02 | 6.70 | 26 |
| 13 | Marc Guéhi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.25 | 5.15 | 20 |
| 14 | Virgil van Dijk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.37 | 0.60 | 7.50 | 31 |
| 15 | Ibrahima Konaté | Ball-Playing CB | 0.93 | 0.82 | 5.90 | 29 |
| 16 | Pascal Struijk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.73 | 1.03 | 6.52 | 28 |
| 17 | Jan Paul van Hecke | Ball-Playing CB | 0.83 | 1.16 | 5.27 | 29 |
| 18 | Trevoh Chalobah | Ball-Playing CB | 0.74 | 1.23 | 5.82 | 29 |
| 19 | Nathan Collins | Ball-Playing CB | 0.42 | 1.12 | 6.58 | 28 |
| 20 | Adrien Truffert | Active Full-Back | 1.45 | 1.42 | 4.06 | 31 |
| 21 | Gabriel Magalhães | Ball-Playing CB | 0.66 | 0.75 | 6.19 | 25 |
| 22 | Reece James | Active Full-Back | 1.47 | 1.52 | 1.85 | 27 |
| 23 | Kristoffer Ajer | Physical Stopper | 1.12 | 0.84 | 5.53 | 24 |
| 24 | Murillo | Ball-Playing CB | 0.99 | 1.32 | 5.37 | 23 |
| 25 | Joe Rodon | Ball-Playing CB | 0.62 | 1.06 | 5.86 | 29 |
KP = Key passes · F3rd = Passes into final third · TW = Tackles won · Int = Interceptions · Clr = Clearances · GC = Goals conceded
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best defender in the Premier League right now?
Based on per-90 data in 2025/26, Michael Keane is the top-ranked defender in the Premier League. Michael Keane is classified as a Ball-Playing CB by Rising Transfers' DNA analysis system.
How are Premier League defenders ranked on Rising Transfers?
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.
What does the DNA archetype mean for defenders?
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.
How often is the Premier League defender ranking updated?
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.
Defenders Rankings in Other Leagues
Other Positions in the Premier League
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.