The best FM23 wonderkids and young players

FM23 wonderkids aren’t your average young player, they’re the cream of the crop. While still younger than 21, they often have the current ability to compete with the average top division player and have a potential so high that it would make any Champions League team blush. However, because of this, they can often cost you tens of millions in the management game, although if you’re smart you might be able to pick yourself up a bargain. If you’re looking to build a team for the future in FM23 and don’t mind developing these players, then you might bag yourself a future club legend.

So while you’re blitzing through the seasons in your beta save for the football game, we wanted to provide you with a list of some of the best wonderkids in FM23. Whether you’re looking for a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, winger, or striker, we’ve got you covered with ten of the most promising young talents on the market for each position. However, if you’re looking to seriously save some cash, look towards our guide with the best FM23 free agents, or if you’re unsure who to manage for your career, read up on the best teams to manage in FM23.

Goalkeepers

Gavin Bazunu and Anatolli Trubin offer top division quality at only 20 years old which is reflected in their higher values, while Faaris Yusufu and Charlie Setford are great value players for the future if you’re willing to put the time in. Nathaniel Nwosu is excellent value, but he may struggle to get a work permit early on.

Defenders

There’s a few great choices at centre-back coming out of Serie A, with Okoli and Scalvini making Atalanta a hugely inviting place to start your career. Nicola Zalewski can play all down the left side of the pitch and Devyne Rensch covers your entire defence, both providing great flexibility for their price, while Martim Fernandes is a future star right-back for a bargain price.

Midfielders

Camavinga, Bellingham, Gavi, Pedri and Musiala are all world-class players who will only improve, which is why you’ll have to spend a fortune to get them – but you’ll be guaranteed quality. On the other side, Faticanti, Zaïre-Emery and Güler have the potential to reach the same world-class quality in time for a much lower cost if you’re willing to put the years in to develop them.

Wingers

Fati and Reyna are great options down the left-wing for anyone who can afford them, but we think you should be raiding the Norwegian and Danish leagues for Schjelderup and Gulliksen, two bargain players who have some huge potential.

On the right-wing, Saka is potentially out of even the richest clubs’ grasp with his eye-watering value, but Pino, Elliott and Kayky can all fit the bill and will be competing at the same level as Saka in a few seasons time, while for those without the megabucks to spend, Prestianni at Argentinian side Vélez could be a steal at only £3m.

Strikers

After years of viral clips of his talents, Brazilian wonderkid Endrick is finally in Football Manager, and is a must-buy for any club who can afford him. If you can’t wait for Endrick to fully develop, Adeyemi, João Pedro and Šeško are already solid strikers with room to grow, while now perennial superstar Youssoufa Moukoko still represents as good a buy now as he has been in previous games. To be honest, you can’t really go wrong with any of these players.

Any one of these players would be an excellent buy if you have the money to spend. While the likes of Saka, Pedri and Fati are probably unaffordable for all but the PSGs and Manchester Citys of the world, they’re worth the money as they’re already Champions League quality and are only going to get better over time.

For mid table teams, especially those in the English Premier League with a bit more cash, there are affordable players in every position that will easily slot into your starting 11 and will develop into world-class players during your rise to the top. Players like Trubin, Thiaw, Miretti and João Pedro are all already solid players available for less than £50m, and if you manage to poach a couple, they could be the perfect kinds of players to start building a team around.

And while there might not be such a thing as a ‘cheap’ wonderkid per-se, there are certainly some bargains to be had if you know where to look. Smaller European leagues can provide some hidden gems such as Fernandes and Ribeiro in Portugal or Schjelderup and Gulliksen in Norway, while you can never go wrong scouting out Brazil and Argentina where the second coming of Ronaldo, Endrick, is just waiting for you to pick him up.

Finally, while already established wonderkids like Gavi, Pedri, and Fati at Barcelona will always be present in the game no matter what leagues you load in, players at smaller teams such as Schjelderup and Gulliksen in Norway and Denmark may require you to have their leagues playable for them to feature in the database (you can always remove them afterwards if you want).

Want to improve the aesthetics of your Football Manager 2023 game? Download the best skins and logo packs, and if you want to sort out those unofficial club and league names, our guide to the FM23 real name fix is what you’re after.