Who should replace Unai López?
CM/CDMRayo Vallecano · 2025/26 · ranked by tactical + market fitUnai López's profile ↗
If a club needs to replace Unai López, the best-fitting central midfielders are Niklas Schmidt, Youri Tielemans, Petar Sučić. Niklas Schmidt (Toulouse) matches the role at 91/100 on tactical profile (82/100 overall). A cheaper option: Dani Parejo at about €1.0m. Data as of July 2026.
Best replacements for Unai López
| # | Player | Club | Age | Value | Tactical | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niklas Schmidtsimilar↗ | Toulouse | 25 | €1.6m | 91 | 82 |
| 2 | Youri Tielemanssimilar↗ | Aston Villa | 27 | €33m | 90 | 79 |
| 3 | Petar Sučićsimilar↗ | Inter | 22 | €44m | 90 | 78 |
| 4 | Nicolò Fagiolisimilar↗ | Fiorentina | 24 | €15m | 89 | 79 |
| 5 | Angelo Stillersimilar↗ | VfB Stuttgart | 22 | €46m | 88 | 78 |
| 6 | Lucas Da Cunhasimilar↗ | Como | 24 | €18m | 88 | 83 |
| 7 | Dominik Szoboszlaisimilar↗ | Liverpool FC | 25 | €91m | 88 | 79 |
| 8 | Dani Parejosimilar↗ | Villarreal | 34 | €1.0m | 88 | 78 |
| 9 | Henrikh Mkhitaryansimilar↗ | Inter | 34 | €2.9m | 88 | 78 |
| 10 | Gerard Gumbausimilar↗ | Granada | 29 | €1.2m | 88 | 78 |
| 11 | Edu Expósitosimilar↗ | Espanyol | 29 | €4.5m | 87 | 82 |
| 12 | Ryan Christiesimilar↗ | Bournemouth | 28 | €8.6m | 87 | 78 |
* estimated market value · scores 0–100, league-strength adjusted · data: Sofascore, last 3 seasons
Why these players match Unai López
≈ 100% Unai López · strong: Accurate long balls, Accurate crosses · medium reliability
Strengths: Accurate long balls /90, Accurate crosses /90, Key passes /90
≈ 100% Unai López · strong: Big chances created, Sofascore rating · low reliability
Strengths: Big chances created /90, Sofascore rating, Key passes /90
≈ 100% Unai López · strong: Accurate final-third passes, Big chances created · medium reliability
Strengths: Accurate final-third passes /90, Big chances created /90, Accurate long balls /90
FAQ
Who is the best replacement for Unai López?
By Doppel's tactical-fit score, Niklas Schmidt (Toulouse) does the closest job to Unai López, at 91/100 on profile. Youri Tielemans and Petar Sučić follow.
Is there a cheaper player who can replace Unai López?
Yes — Dani Parejo (Villarreal) plays a similar central midfielder role at roughly €1.0m, a 78/100 match.
How does Doppel find replacements for Unai López?
Doppel learns Unai López's role profile from his 2025/26 season and ranks central midfielders across the big-5 leagues and more by how closely they do the same job, adjusted for league strength.
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