As Football Manager players, we all love to see a young player develop into a top-class or star player.
These wonderkids can star in your team for a decade or more. In this article, we are going to look at some of our favourite wonderkids in each position.
Here are some of our favourite wonderkids in each position:
(All stats are taken from the game’s original database)
Goalkeepers
Anatoli Trubin (Benfica)
The Ukrainian stopper has been one of my favourite goalkeepers, not just my favourite young goalkeepers, for the last few editions of FM.
His move to Benfica from Shakhtar Donetsk has made him slightly more expensive when it comes to signing him, though.
In FM23, he could be bought around the £20-£25m mark. However, now he is at Benfica, he is usually valued closer to £45m.
That hasn’t put me off signing the youngster, who is 21 years of age when the first season on FM24 kicks off. He is usually a suitable replacement for Jordan Pickford when he decides to leave the club.
Guillaume Restes (Toulouse)
The goalkeeper is just 18 years of age when the game starts. However, he is one of the best and most value-for-money young goalkeepers in the game.
His starting stats are decent, and with the right nurturing, he becomes one of the best goalkeepers in the game. One of the other positives of Restes is that he can cost just £25m at the start of the game.
The fee seems a lot for a player of his age. However, there are very few other young goalkeepers who represent such value at the start of the game.
The fact that Restes played 34 games for Toulouse in Ligue One last season despite his tender years shows just how highly-rated he is in real life.
Dennis Seimen (Stuttgart)
When the game starts, Seimen is 17 years of age and very much one for the future. However, that shouldn’t stop you from signing the youngster now.
The quicker you sign him, the less money he will cost you. Seimen is your classic, sign him now, loan him out for a few seasons and watch his stats grow.
His starting stats are better than most goalkeepers his age, and sometimes he can be signed for just £3m, rising to a potential fee of £8m at the start of your save.
Seimen goes on to become an outstanding goalkeeper in most saves. However, the German stopper seems to need more careful nurturing than most, as sometimes he doesn’t wholly fulfil his potential.
If you sign him, then you are unlikely to be disappointed, though, especially as he costs such a small fee compared to some of his goalkeeping counterparts.
Lucas Chevalier (Lille)
The Lille goalkeeper is another one of my favourite replacements for Jordan Pickford when he leaves Everton. He proves to be as good as the England number one, if not better.
Chevalier is 21 when you first start the game if, of course, you have set the season start date to the European campaigns.
His starting stats are best described as ‘solid’. Although he doesn’t have many stand-out stats, many of his stats are between 12-14. Those stats improve if he has the right coaching and game time, and he becomes a competent top-flight goalkeeper.
The fact that he can sometimes be bought for between £25-£30m may attract or put many off. However, he does improve immensely after a few seasons. The fee is worth it, as he tends to prove good value for money.
I will say that he doesn’t have the same potential or ceiling as some of the other players on our list.
However, still a highly worthwhile player to sign in the early few seasons of the game. If you leave it until too late, another club may have snapped him up.
Elia Caprile (Verona)
The Italian stopper is quite similar to Chevalier in that his starting stats are not great. However, he does have 15 for both handling and reflexes.
In my experience, though, Caprile tends to have more potential than his French counterpart. He also has slightly better stats than the Lille star.
Arguably, Caprile is better value for money than Chevalier. If I had to choose, it would be difficult, but I would probably choose the Verona star.
The main reason for that choice is that Caprile can be bought for less than £12m, plus add-ons. As much as I like Chevalier, that is a massive difference, especially if you are managing a club that doesn’t have a huge transfer budget.
Gavin Bazunu (Southampton)
Despite only being 22, Bazunu has just started his third season as first-choice goalkeeper at Southampton following a £12m move from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
Bazunu is also 21 when the game starts. His stats reflect that he is already a good goalkeeper. However, with the right nurturing, the Republic of Ireland can develop into an excellent goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, when you try to sign the former Shamrock Rovers youngster, a Premier League tax is applied, and he can cost between £30-40m.
Like the other players on our list, he can prove to be decent value for money, especially if he is your long-term goalkeeper.
Maarten Vandevoordt (Genk)
The young Belgian seems to have been a wonderkid for a long time, as he has had the wonderkid tag for the last few editions of the game.
I think in FM22, he was one of my favourite ever signings. The main reason was that he started the game with decent stats, and he developed into a world-class goalkeeper.
Once again, at 21, he has decent starting stats, and he inevitably improves with the right coaching and playing experience.
However, I feel he no longer has the same potential as in previous editions of the game. That may just be because I haven’t nurtured him properly.
He still becomes a very good goalkeeper. In real life, he joined RB Leipzig in the summer of 2024. Depending on the database you are using, he can still be bought from Genk for a fee of around £18m, and he is worth every penny of the money.
Defenders
Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta)
The Italian international defender is arguably now more high-profile than he was when FM24 came out.
He has been one of my favourite defenders in the last few editions of the game. When you start your FM24 game, he is 19 and one of the young defenders with the best overall potential.
He usually fulfils that potential and becomes a world-class centre-back or even defensive midfielder.
The only downside to signing Scalvini is that he can come with a hefty transfer fee, even early in the game.
Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)
Diomande is right up there with Scalvini when it comes to young defenders, who I always seem to sign on every save.
Like Scalvini, the Ivory Coast international is 19 at the start of your FM24 save, and like his Italian counterpart, he becomes one of the best centre-backs in the game after a few seasons.
The youngster is ready to play in the top flight as soon as you buy him. However, he only gets better with more experience at the top level, whether that be in England, Spain, Italy or Germany.
He is slightly cheaper to buy at the start of the game than Scalvini. However, he could still cost you around £60m, but the fee is well worth it.
Jorrel Hato (Ajax)
Like many players on our list, the young Dutch defender is now more a familiar name to most European football fans. He is just 17 when you start your FM24 save.
However, despite his tender years, he became a regular in the Ajax team in season 2023/24. His performances and quality reportedly attracted interest from some of European football’s biggest names and Manchester United!
For a player of such a young age, he starts the game with exceptional stats. Like the other players, he only gets better as the game goes on.
Hato will not come cheap, though, as he ends up being one of the most in-demand young players in the game. This will also be likely the case in real life, as his ceiling is so high.
Antonio Silva (Benfica)
Silva is another player who has enjoyed a breakout couple of seasons at Benfica. At 19 (when the game starts), he is regarded as one of the brightest young up-and-coming stars in the world game. His profile has grown over the last 12 months.
On the game, like some of his counterparts on our list, his starting stats are excellent for such a young player. He will become amongst the best players in his position within a few years.
However, he will likely cost around £50m at the beginning of the game. If you are an upwardly mobile club in need of a top centre-back, Silva may be your player.
Leny Yoro (Lille)
As we all know. Yoro’s talent didn’t go unnoticed while playing for Lille in Ligue One in season 2023/24. At just 18 years of age, he joined Premier League Manchester United in the summer for a fee of around £52.2 million.
However, if you are playing the original database, not the updated one, then he will still be a Lille player with massive potential and decent stats.
Unfortunately, to sign him from Lille, you will likely have to pay a similar fee to the one United paid in real life. If you are using an updated database, then you are unlikely to be able to sign Yoro in the first season, anyway, as United are unlikely to sell him.
Aaron Hickey (Brentford)
Hickey is one of the few full-backs on our list. The Scottish international is slightly older than the other players.
He also maybe doesn’t have quite the same level of potential as some of the others. However, the 21-year-old is a very good player with stats that grow.
The fact that he can play in both full-back positions is also a bonus to signing the former Hearts star.
With him being at a Premier League club, he comes with a significant premium when trying to sign him.
Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP)
The centre-back has been an FM favourite for a couple of years. He starts the game in FM24 as a 21-year-old with good stats and potential.
The Portuguese defender may not have as much scope for improvement, but his starting stats are good enough that he is a starter for most top/elite teams, and he improves sufficiently to play in that class of teams for a long time.
He may well prove to be the cheapest player on our list, as it is possible to sign him for £40m.
Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen)
Hincapie was part of Bayer’s Bundesliga-winning team in season 2023/24.
At the start of FM24, the Ecuadorian is only 21. However, his starting stats are good, and he only improves with good coaching and time on the field.
The defender can play as a centre-back or left-back, but he will not be cheap to sign. Die Werkself can demand a fee of around £60m for their raw but talented star.
Midfielders
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
The winger is just 21 years of age when the game starts and is now far more high-profile after another excellent campaign for the Gunners in season 2023/24.
Saka’s starting stats are outstanding. He can play on both wings and fill in at left-back and left-wing-back. His stats only improve slightly, but his starting stats are so good at the beginning that it doesn’t matter that they don’t.
One caveat to Saka is that he is very hard to sign in the first few seasons, as Arsenal don’t want to sell, and his transfer fee is high. However, I have signed him later on in the game when he is in his mid-20s. He turns out to be one of the best signings I have made in FM24.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
The England and Real Madrid starlet is quite simply one of the best midfield players on FM24. His starting stats are difficult to beat in a player of his age.
Even though his starting stats are strong, he only gets better, and his status as the best midfielder in the game is almost undisputed after a few seasons. He can play in any of the central midfield roles.
Like Saka, he is difficult to sign in the early seasons of the game because of his reputation, and massive value.
Bellingham’s profile rose immensely in season 2023/24, as he starred in his debut season for Real Madrid. He is now one of the favourites to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or in real life.
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
The young German playmaker is now regarded as one of the best young attacking midfielders in football in real life after helping Die Werkself to their first-ever Bundesliga title in season 2023/24.
Wirtz is just 20 when the season starts, but his starting stats are outstanding, and he only gets better with experience and the right coaching.
He is one of my favourite players on FM24, and he was also one of my favourite players on FM23. Whether he plays on either flank, as a number ten or even as a central midfielder, he produces top displays.
Pedri (Barcelona)
The Spanish international seems to have been around forever, as he has been in the Barcelona squad since he was 16. At the start of FM24, the talented midfielder is just 20.
His starting stats are absolutely fantastic. His technique, first touch, and vision are all 18, while his passing, dribbling and flair are 17. His stats make him an excellent signing for any club.
The fact that he is a two-footed player who can play in any midfield or attacking midfield position only adds to the attraction. He is also frighteningly consistent.
The biggest caveat to signing Pedri is that he is likely to cost close to £100m to sign in the first season. After a few seasons, though, he is easier to sign but may still cost £60m-plus.
Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
The French youngster is only 17 when the game starts, but like most players on our list, his starting stats are strong. However, arguably, he has the biggest scope to improve of any of the players on our list.
He can play as both a defensive midfielder and a normal central midfielder. If you play him in either position, he will develop into a world-class player and be brilliantly consistent.
Strangely, for a player considered a defensive midfielder, there have been seasons when he has also made a significant attacking contribution for my teams, scoring goals and producing assists.
Zaire-Emery could be signed for a fee of around £35m at the beginning of the game. The cost seems like a lot for such a young player, but he develops into such a top player that he turns out to be a bargain buy.
Joao Neves (Benfica)
The 18-year-old Portuguese star is one of the most highly-rated young up-and-coming central midfielders in the world. Neves has the attributes to be the ultimate central midfielder.
On FM, he can play as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, and attacking midfielder, and he can do everything. His starting stats are what you would expect from a highly-rated young, potential elite player.
His strongest attributes are 17 for aggression, determination, work rate and natural fitness. His concentration, bravery and stamina are also 16. However, all his stats are reasonably strong. He only gets better with experience and the right coaching.
Neves doesn’t come cheap, as he can cost upwards of £52m. However, his versatility means that he proves to be a shrewd signing.
Gabri Veiga (Al-Ahli)
The Spaniard was regarded as one of the shining young lights of Spanish football before joining Al-Ahli in the summer of 2023. He cost the Saudi Arabian club €40m.
His starting stats are decent, and he gets better with experience and can become a world-class central or attacking midfielder. If you are lucky enough to sign him, then Veiga will be a consistent source of assists and goals.
Veiga is basically impossible to sign in the first transfer window, as Al-Ahli can demand a £100M-plus fee for the former Celta Vigo star. His wage demands are also massive.
However, I have signed Veiga after four or five years for around £50m, or even on a free transfer when his contract with his current employers expires. He then turns into a bargain.
Nico Gonzalez (Porto)
The 21-year-old Porto midfielder came through the youth system at Barcelona’s famous La Masia. However, he joined Porto in the summer for just €8.5 million. It was a bargain for the Portuguese club.
On FM24, Nico may not have attributes as good as some of the other players on our list. However, he starts the game with solid stats, and by the time he reaches his mid-20s, he becomes world-class.
His best role tends to be as a defensive midfielder in the deep lying playmaker role or even in the same role in a more advanced role as a central midfielder.
Nico can be bought for £30m-plus in the first transfer window. He turns out to be a great signing, as he is a player who you can build a team around him.
Forwards
Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund)
Like some other players on our list, Moukoko seems to have been around forever, as he made his BVB debut just a day after his 16th birthday.
The diminutive forward has been a favourite of mine for a few editions of FM. For some reason, Moukoko seems to have been downgraded from previous editions when it comes to starting stats. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t really pushed on in real life.
However, he is still only 18 when you begin a European season, so he is young and tends to improve immensely, although I haven’t seen him reach the same heights as in previous editions on FM24.
Moukoko can be loaned in the first season, but it is costly. The youngster is well worth signing, if given a run of games, he will score goals and develop into an outstanding player.
Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig)
Similar to Moukoko, Sesko has now been around for quite a few editions of FM as a wonderkid. At 20, his stats are decent but not massively impressive.
However, if given enough playing time, he will improve massively and score a hatful of goals for your team. I have signed him in his early 20s, and he has gone on to score 20-plus goals in multiple seasons.
One downside to Sesko in FM24 is that he is now at RB Leipzig, so he is more expensive than he was at his previous club, Salzburg.
In fact, he can cost £100m-plus, which shows how highly Leipzig rates him. However, he can be acquired for a lower fee a few seasons into the game. If you can get him for a fee of around £60m, then it is likely to be a good deal.
Shaqueel van Persie (Feyenoord)
The son of former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Robin van Persie, Shaqueel starts the game as a 16-year-old in the Feyenoord Under 18’s.
His starting stats are not great. However, I put that down to his age rather than a lack of potential.
On one of my saves, I signed him for around £10m, and by the time he was 21, he was our star player, not just scoring goals but providing assists, too. I sold him for £60m-plus add-ons.
Van Persie’s versatility is a great asset, too, as he can play up front or on either wing.
Evan Ferguson (Brighton)
As he has shown in various spells in real life for Brighton, Ferguson looks to be a top young striker in the making. At just 18, his key stats for a striker are solid, and they improve over the seasons to make him one of the best strikers in the game.
Season after season, he is prolific in front of goal. The Irish forward can be expensive to sign in the first transfer window, with Brighton demanding £100m-plus.
However, I have signed him on loan, with a view to a permanent transfer costing around £50m in the first transfer window. That fee sounds a lot, but it will prove to be money well invested as he is a prolific striker for seasons to come, and they are hard to find.
Vitor Roque (Barcelona)
The Brazilian youngster has been a wonderkid in several FM editions in recent years. Although he joined Barcelona in the January transfer window, when the game starts he is still at his former club, Athletico Miniero, but his transfer to Catalonia was already arranged.
That means you can’t sign him in the first window. However, if you can sign over the following few windows, then he will prove to be one of the best signings you could make.
The one caveat is that as he has moved to Barcelona, he will no longer be available for a bargain fee. He will also be a difficult signing on FM25, as he recently joined Real Betis on a season-long loan deal.
Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)
Tel is a player that has always eluded me on FM24. However, another staff member of the Higher Tempo has been raving about him from one of his saves, so I thought I would include him in our list.
On my saves, Tel usually develops into a fine player. He not only has quality, but he also has versatility, as he can play on both wings and can be trained to play as a number ten.
His fee is steep at the start of the game, as he can cost upwards of £70m plus add-ons. If you wait a few seasons, he usually moves for a lesser fee.
Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund)
The forward is now 21 in FM24 and has been at Dortmund for a few seasons. He has yet to really kick on since his move from Salzburg, who seems to have a knack for developing young players.
Although Adeyemi doesn’t quite have the same potential as he did in previous editions of FM in the current game, he is still a player well worth signing.
The forward, who can play virtually anywhere across the frontline, does improve, and he does get his fair share of goals and assists. He is super fast too.
If signing Adeyemi, my advice would be to wait a few seasons, as BVB usually demand a hefty fee in the first transfer window. Although he is good, he is not worth the £100m-plus asking fee.
Marcos Leonardo (Santos)
Leonardo’s career has had a similar sort of trajectory to that of compatriot Vitor Roque, as they starred for their Brazilian clubs before making big moves to Europe in January.
Unlike Roque, though, Leonardo’s big transfer has not yet been agreed on FM24. That means he starts the game at his former club, Santos, which means he is still a bargain buy.
A fee of around £15m is usually sufficient to persuade Santos to part with the striker/left-winger. That fee proves to be one of the steals of the century, as he scores goals and produces assists galore.
