The most direct wingers in the Premier League 2026/27: Compass top 10
Every coach says he wants a direct winger. This is the list of who actually is one in the Premier League this season, measured by the FDscout Compass rather than by reputation: the wingers whose numbers show the most early forward play, the most carries and the quickest shots.
Right now. Brennan Johnson leads on 5.6 Drive, 0.3 ahead of Elliot Stroud. New to the 10 since the last change: Sorba Thomas.
The top 10: Premier League wingers by Compass Drive
| Player | Club | Drive | Style | Lean | Spark | Link | Minutes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brennan Johnson | Everton · 25 | 5.6 | Enforcer | Classic | 3.4 | 0.4 | 312 | View profile → |
| 2 |  Elliot Stroud | Hull City · 24 | 5.3 | Enforcer | Classic | 2.9 | 0.7 | 279 | View profile → |
| 3 |  Sorba Thomas | Hull City · 27 | 5.0 | Enforcer | Classic | 4.9 | 1 | 274 | View profile → |
| 4 |  Daizen Maeda | Ipswich Town · 28 | 4.5 | Organiser | Classic | 0.9 | 1.5 | 414 | View profile → |
| 5 |  Bryan Mbeumo | Manchester United · 27 | 4.3 | Organiser | Classic | 1.4 | 1.7 | 630 | View profile → |
| 6 |  Rayan | AFC Bournemouth · 20 | 4.2 | Enforcer | Adaptable | 3.1 | 1.8 | 617 | View profile → |
| 7 |  Pedro Neto | Chelsea · 26 | 3.7 | Organiser | Adaptable | 2 | 2.3 | 509 | View profile → |
| 8 |  Antoine Semenyo | Manchester City · 26 | 3.5 | Architect | Classic | 1.2 | 2.5 | 553 | View profile → |
| 9 |  Víctor Muñoz | Liverpool · 23 | 3.4 | Igniter | Classic | 5.5 | 2.6 | 428 | View profile → |
| 10 |  Abdul Fatawu Issahaku | Ipswich Town · 22 | 3.4 | Igniter | Pronounced | 6 | 2.6 | 376 | View profile → |
What the numbers mean
The FDscout Compass reads a player's playing style from his numbers and places him on a wheel of 8 styles, with 4 energies behind it: Control, Drive, Spark and Link. Drive is the direct one: early forward passes and crosses, carries into space, shots at the first opportunity. This list ranks Premier League wingers by it.
The wheel on each card shows where he sits: the white point is his style with the ball, the hollow point his style without it, and the ring says how strong the lean is. The bars are his 4 energies against every Premier League winger with a profile. A full bar means the top of that group.
The list rebuilds every night from the latest matches, so it will move as the season goes on. The date on each card says when it last changed.
The Compass guide → · How to scout a dribbler →
What is Compass Drive?
One of the 4 energies of the FDscout Compass, which reads a player's style from his numbers. Drive is the direct-running and early-forward-play energy: carries, early crosses and shots, first forward option, on a scale of 0 to 6.
Is direct the same as good?
No. Drive says how a winger plays, not how well. The most direct winger in the league might be the most effective or the most wasteful; the radar and the role scores on his profile say which.
How often does it update?
Every night, from the latest matches. The order, the cards and the table rebuild together, and the date on each card says when the list last changed.
Reading the list
Direct is a style, not a grade. A winger at the top of this list suits a side that attacks fast and wants width early; one at the bottom is a combination player who needs runners around him. The Compass sector on each card names the style, and the profile behind each name shows how well it works. Every player on FDscout has a Compass reading.