Francisco Sierralta

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

Anchoring a defense at a club staring down the barrel of relegation is no easy task, but Francisco Sierralta has emerged as a quiet stabilizer for AJ Auxerre this season. The 28-year-old Chilean centre-back has racked up 952 minutes across 11 appearances, cementing himself as a regular in the heart of a struggling backline with Auxerre languishing in 16th position. While the limelight falls on attacking talents like Sinayoko (70 rating) and Danois (68), Sierralta's aerial dominance and defensive anchor role provide the foundation. His solitary goal and disciplined 1 yellow card in 11 matches tell the story of a no-nonsense defender who prioritizes organization over glory. With a modest €1.5m market value, he represents classic value in modern football—an experienced head keeping heads above water in a survival battle where clean sheets could mean everything.