Best Football Manager 23 Wonderkids & Young Players

Now that the FM23 Beta contains the entire FM database, everyone is now desperately searching for unknown wonderkids, players who can be picked up for next to nothing and developed into world superstars. So, if you’re looking for the best young players in Football Manager 23, look no further than our list of wonderkids.

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Best Football Manager 23 Wonderkids & Young Players

If you’ve never heard of current and potential ability ratings, they’re on a scale of 1-200, with 200 being the best. The following is a general understanding of the 200-point scale:

• 130: Midtable Premier League Player
• 140: Good Premier League Player
• 150: Top Premier League Player
• 170: World Class Player

So, anyone with a PA above 150 is going to be of interest, and once you get to 170 and above, you’re going to want to pay attention and get your chequebook out.

Each player has a changing current ability rating, which reflects their current skill level, and a fixed potential ability, which represents their maximum current ability. However, each player’s potential ability is not guaranteed; rather, it is determined by a number of factors such as training, game time, injuries, and the Determination stat. So, just because a player has a high PA doesn’t mean they’ll meet it.

Attacking Midfielders

Arda Guler and Takuhiro Nakai are likely to be your best options here, as convincing any of the other players to leave their clubs will be difficult. However, it does demonstrate that there are quite a few clubs from which to choose if you want to avoid the buying process entirely – though Barcelona is not some hidden gem of a save.

Defenders

There are some truly outstanding choices here, with all seven players having the potential to be world-class. Destiny Udogie and Jurrien Timber are particularly appealing because of their versatility and potentially lower price tag, but you should still expect to pay a reasonable sum if you want to pick them up.

DM & CM

With so many English players on this list, you might want to consider replacing Gareth Southgate in a few years to bring it home. Camavinga and Bellingham are both world-class players who will only get better, which is why they will cost a fortune to acquire – but you will be guaranteed quality. Regardless, there are a plethora of fantastic options for a defensive or possession-minded midfielder, and if you’re lucky, you might even be able to pry a couple away from their clubs.

Goalkeepers

Goalkeeper is undoubtedly the most underserved position for wonderkids, as there aren’t many existing players in the game capable of reaching the highest levels. According to the classification, there is no goalkeeper under the age of 21 in the game right now who will reach world-class status, so you’ll have to rely on regens.

Strikers

Outside of the obvious Erling Haaland, who has by far the highest PA on this list, you have several options.Endrick is finally in Football Manager after years of viral clips of his talents, and is a must-buy for any club that can afford him. If you can’t wait for Endrick to fully develop, there are many solid strikers with room to grow, and perennial superstar Youssoufa Moukoko is still as good a buy now as he has been in previous games. To be honest, it’s difficult to go wrong with any of these players.

Wingers

Aside from the obvious names, players like Cherki and Duranville, who will command a higher price but will be much more accessible than the other names on this list, could have very bright futures. Wingers, on the other hand, are some of the most visible names on your team sheet, so they may be worth the price.

Best Cheap Football Manager 23 Wonderkids

It’s all well and good knowing which players have the greatest potential in the game, but if you can’t actually buy the players, it’s a pointless exercise. However, if you want to know who the best cheap FM23 wonderkids are at the start of the game, we’ve got you covered.

As you can see, there are some real bargains to be had here, with the majority of the players on the list above hovering either just above or just below the world-class expectation, and all for a few million pounds on average. While you may struggle to persuade some of these players to join your club if you aren’t the most well-known, you should be able to sign a few and develop them into superstars.

That brings us to the end of our best Football Manager 23 wonderkids list.