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, Virgil van Dijk leads the ranking as a Ball-Playing CB with a composite score of 0.76. James Hill (Physical Stopper) ranks second at 0.76, followed by Wesley Fofana (Ball-Playing CB) at 0.75. All rankings are calculated using Rising Transfers' 47-dimension per-90 analysis methodology.
Methodology: Per-90 stats explained · DNA matching
Virgil van Dijk
36 games · Netherlands
James Hill
27 games · England
Wesley Fofana
23 games · France
Full Premier League Defenders Rankings
| # | Player | Style | TW/90 | Int/90 | Clr/90 | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virgil van Dijk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.37 | 0.64 | 7.42 | 36 | Similar → |
| 2 | James Hill | Physical Stopper | 0.78 | 1.68 | 7.31 | 27 | Similar → |
| 3 | Wesley Fofana | Ball-Playing CB | 0.76 | 1.88 | 6.76 | 23 | Similar → |
| 4 | Joachim Andersen | Ball-Playing CB | 0.72 | 1.13 | 7.16 | 33 | Similar → |
| 5 | Marc Guéhi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.25 | 5.15 | 20 | Similar → |
| 6 | Cristian Romero | Ball-Playing CB | 1.42 | 1.44 | 4.51 | 23 | Similar → |
| 7 | Ibrahima Konaté | Ball-Playing CB | 0.93 | 0.89 | 5.61 | 34 | Similar → |
| 8 | Jan Paul van Hecke | Ball-Playing CB | 0.83 | 1.31 | 5.26 | 34 | Similar → |
| 9 | Konstantinos Mavropanos | Physical Stopper | 0.89 | 1.72 | 6.87 | 29 | Similar → |
| 10 | Marcos Senesi | Ball-Playing CB | 0.95 | 1.56 | 7.03 | 35 | Similar → |
| 11 | Harry Maguire | Ball-Playing CB | 0.72 | 0.73 | 5.55 | 21 | Similar → |
| 12 | James Tarkowski | Physical Stopper | 0.79 | 0.83 | 6.60 | 35 | Similar → |
| 13 | Malick Thiaw | Ball-Playing CB | 0.82 | 0.91 | 5.79 | 23 | Similar → |
| 14 | Trevoh Chalobah | Ball-Playing CB | 0.74 | 1.18 | 5.68 | 32 | Similar → |
| 15 | Gabriel Magalhães | Ball-Playing CB | 0.66 | 0.79 | 5.99 | 30 | Similar → |
| 16 | Reece James | Active Full-Back | 1.47 | 1.54 | 1.92 | 28 | Similar → |
| 17 | Maxence Lacroix | Ball-Playing CB | 1.16 | 1.25 | 7.38 | 33 | Similar → |
| 18 | Lewis Dunk | Ball-Playing CB | 0.73 | 0.98 | 4.54 | 31 | Similar → |
| 19 | Chris Richards | Ball-Playing CB | 1.20 | 1.45 | 6.24 | 31 | Similar → |
| 20 | Michael Keane | Ball-Playing CB | 0.84 | 1.34 | 7.09 | 31 | Similar → |
| 21 | Lewis Hall | Active Full-Back | 1.35 | 1.26 | 3.24 | 28 | Similar → |
| 22 | Sven Botman | Ball-Playing CB | 0.70 | 1.25 | 6.95 | 23 | Similar → |
| 23 | Nordi Mukiele | Active Full-Back | 1.50 | 1.24 | 5.04 | 30 | Similar → |
| 24 | Maxime Estève | Ball-Playing CB | 0.82 | 1.17 | 6.87 | 33 | Similar → |
| 25 | Piero Hincapié | Ball-Playing CB | 1.26 | 1.28 | 4.60 | 23 | Similar → |
KP = Key passes · 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, 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.
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.