Best Defenders in the Serie A 2025/26
Per-90 performance rankings · Rising Transfers DNA Analysis · 25 players ranked
Based on per-90 statistics across 25 Serie A defenders in 2025/26, Victor Nelsson leads the ranking as a Physical Stopper with a composite score of 1.51. Tiago Gabriel (Ball-Playing CB) ranks second at 1.39, followed by Tarik Muharemović (Ball-Playing CB) at 1.31. All rankings are calculated using Rising Transfers' 47-dimension per-90 analysis methodology.
Methodology: Per-90 stats explained · DNA matching
Victor Nelsson
30 games · Denmark
Tiago Gabriel
30 games · Portugal
Tarik Muharemović
26 games · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Full Serie A Defenders Rankings
| # | Player | Style | TW/90 | Int/90 | Clr/90 | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Nelsson | Physical Stopper | 0.86 | 1.83 | 7.29 | 30 |
| 2 | Tiago Gabriel | Ball-Playing CB | 1.12 | 1.22 | 7.16 | 30 |
| 3 | Tarik Muharemović | Ball-Playing CB | 0.73 | 1.39 | 7.38 | 26 |
| 4 | Christian Kabasele | Physical Stopper | 0.33 | 1.54 | 6.62 | 23 |
| 5 | Guillermo Maripán | Ball-Playing CB | 1.38 | 1.20 | 6.35 | 24 |
| 6 | Antonio Caracciolo | Physical Stopper | 1.30 | 1.38 | 6.00 | 28 |
| 7 | Oumar Solet | Ball-Playing CB | 1.46 | 1.51 | 4.02 | 27 |
| 8 | Jacobo Ramón | Ball-Playing CB | 1.16 | 1.24 | 4.04 | 26 |
| 9 | Saúl Coco | Ball-Playing CB | 1.04 | 1.27 | 4.77 | 27 |
| 10 | Filippo Terracciano | Ball-Playing CB | 0.49 | 1.71 | 3.61 | 28 |
| 11 | Mario Gila | Ball-Playing CB | 1.37 | 0.98 | 3.97 | 26 |
| 12 | Johan Vásquez | Ball-Playing CB | 0.93 | 1.25 | 4.68 | 29 |
| 13 | Simone Canestrelli | Physical Stopper | 0.75 | 0.82 | 5.99 | 29 |
| 14 | Gaspar | Physical Stopper | 0.39 | 0.89 | 6.94 | 22 |
| 15 | Federico Baschirotto | Ball-Playing CB | 0.60 | 0.92 | 6.72 | 25 |
| 16 | Danilo Veiga | Defender | 1.83 | 0.88 | 4.10 | 28 |
| 17 | Jay Idzes | Ball-Playing CB | 0.43 | 1.29 | 5.43 | 29 |
| 18 | Alessio Romagnoli | Ball-Playing CB | 0.55 | 1.18 | 4.14 | 25 |
| 19 | Valentin Antov | Ball-Playing CB | N/A | 1.59 | 3.44 | 32 |
| 20 | Matteo Bianchetti | Ball-Playing CB | 1.28 | 0.59 | 5.14 | 22 |
| 21 | Frédéric Guilbert | Defender | N/A | 1.72 | 3.63 | 31 |
| 22 | Sebastian Walukiewicz | Defender | 1.04 | 0.80 | 3.00 | 28 |
| 23 | Enrico Delprato | Defender | 0.61 | 0.88 | 3.37 | 28 |
| 24 | Tommaso Barbieri | Defender | 1.39 | 0.73 | 1.99 | 22 |
| 25 | Antonino Gallo | Active Full-Back | 1.27 | 0.41 | 3.55 | 30 |
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 Serie A right now?
Based on per-90 data in 2025/26, Victor Nelsson is the top-ranked defender in the Serie A. Victor Nelsson is classified as a Physical Stopper by Rising Transfers' DNA analysis system.
How are Serie A 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 Serie A 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 Serie A season.
Defenders Rankings in Other Leagues
Other Positions in the Serie A
Rankings are generated by Rising Transfers using per-90 statistics from the 2025/26 Serie A 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.