Middlesbrough

Adilson Malanda

Malanda arrived in English football with little fanfare and looked immediately comfortable, defending with a calmness new signings usually take months to develop. He carries himself like a centre back who trusts his own reading of the game more than his surroundings.
France Middlesbrough DEF
Appearances
3
Tackles won
1

Season Snapshot

Minutes played
270
90.00 per match
Tackles won
1
Interceptions
3
Clean sheets contributed
17
as defensive proxy

Season Stats

Appearances
3
Minutes played
270
Tackles won
1
Interceptions
3
Clearances
17
Blocks
4

League Rankings

Among EFL Championship 2026/27 defenders

Tackles won
106th of 113
Interceptions
52nd of 113
Clearances
23rd of 145
Blocks
14th of 88
🎯 Pass Master #2 of 455
💪 Workhorses #63 of 294
😈 Bad Boys #106 of 316
👑 Assist Kings #155 of 281
👻 Ghost Players #288 of 294
img EFL
BUR
BUR
20:00
Wed 2 Sep
MID
MID
img EFL
QPR
QPR
14:00
Sat 5 Sep
MID
MID
img EFL
MID
MID
14:00
Sat 12 Sep
NOR
NOR
img EFL
MID
MID
18:45
Tue 15 Sep
MIL
MIL
img EFL
BIR
BIR
14:00
Sat 19 Sep
MID
MID

Adilson Malanda, The Defender Who Settled Instantly

A young centre back whose composure on his debut suggested a calmness most new arrivals take far longer to find.

Malanda deals with pressure in his own box without rushing a clearance or panicking into a needless foul, the kind of composure that stands out immediately in a defender new to a league. That calm extends to how he steps out of defence with the ball. He chooses a pass rather than simply hoofing it clear whenever the option is actually there.

The obvious question with any young defender who impresses early is whether that composure survives a run of tougher, more physical opponents once the initial surprise element wears off. Centre backs everywhere look assured against sides that let them play, and the real test comes against forwards built to unsettle exactly that kind of calm. Watch how he responds the first time a match turns openly physical against him.

The Rest Of The Squad

30 players

Goalkeepers

1
Radek Vítek
Bristol City · Age 22
3 apps
33
Jon McLaughlin
Age 38
0 apps
31
Sol Brynn
Age 25
0 apps

Defenders

2
Callum Brittain
Age 28
3 apps
12
Luke Ayling
Age 35
3 apps 1a
30
Neto Borges
Bristol City · Age 29
3 apps
5
Alfie Jones
Canada · Age 28
2 apps 1g
24
Alex Bangura
Age 27
0 apps
4
Ashley Phillips
Stoke City · Age 21
0 apps
25
George Edmundson
Age 29
0 apps
50
Jack Daley
Age 19
0 apps
—
Sam Byram
Leeds United · Age 32
0 apps

Midfielders

17
Max Arfsten
USA · Age 25
3 apps
14
Myles Peart-Harris
Oxford United · Age 23
3 apps
8
Riley McGree
Age 27
3 apps 1a
6
Sebastian Berhalter
USA · Age 25
3 apps
10
Aidan Morris
Age 24
2 apps
19
Leo Castledine
Age 21
2 apps
42
Abdoulaye Kanté
Age 21
1 app
44
Cruz Ibeh
Age 17
0 apps
46
Finlay Cartwright
Age 19
0 apps
28
Law McCabe
Age 20
0 apps

Forwards

16
Jeremy Sarmiento
Brighton and Hove Albion · Age 24
3 apps 1g
22
Kyle Joseph
Hull City · Age 24
3 apps
11
Morgan Whittaker
Age 25
3 apps 1a
7
Will Lankshear
Oxford United · Age 21
3 apps 4g
9
Tommy Conway
Age 24
1 app
13
David Strelec
Age 25
0 apps
49
Josh Dede
Age 20
0 apps
—
Micah Hamilton
Age 22
0 apps

Adilson Malanda

Adilson Malanda

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