Every incarnation of football’s greatest management sim – it doesn't matter which edition of the game you're talking about, wonderkids are among the most exciting elements of any Football Manager save. We all remember our first, right?
FM has made heroes of stars who didn’t quite live up to their promise in real life, and unforgettable virtual folklore in bedrooms around the globe.
For Football Manager 2019’s wonderkids, we’ve collected the cream of SI’s crop to bring you the best U21 players in the game. No matter your budget, there’s a talented youngster waiting for you to take their career – and maybe even yours – to the next level...
NOT GOT IT YET? Buy Football Manager 2019 with 25% off!
SEE ALSO 11 brilliant Football Manager 2019 bargains for under £1 million
Please note: Prices are very much a guideline and can differ depending on club status, add-ons and more.
Unlimited budget
Rodrygo
Available for: £35m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Another gem Real Madrid have plucked from South America, Rodrygo is very much in the traditional Santos mould: a magician on the ball, and one blessed with enough natural talent that he can turn a game on his head in an instant. Remember the name.
Ryan Sessegnon
Available for: £38m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s become almost a running joke that Sessegnon is still a teenager, thanks to commentators bringing it up every 4.5 seconds on average.
Amine Gouiri
Available for: £40m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The Frenchman saw what was considered his breakout 2017/18 cut cruelly short thanks to an ACL injury in August, but there’s plenty for Lyon fans to get excited about when he returns. A striker who can befuddle full-backs by cutting onto his right after drifting in from the left channel, Gouiri should still be on course to lead the line for Lyon in the years to come. Providing you don’t snap him up first, that is.
Justin Kluivert
Available for: £40m
In-game stats:
Need to know: A 10-goal season while playing as a winger at Ajax inevitably caught the attentions of Roma, who coughed up £15m for the Dutchman. He’s done more than enough to shake off the tag of merely being Patrick Kluivert’s son.
Manuel Locatelli
Available for: £40m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Scoring with your first two shots in senior club football (one against Gigi Buffon, no less) means things are always going to take a bit of a dip after that. Locatelli, a ruthless operator in the centre of the pitch, has now been shipped off to Sassuolo, where he’s trying to prove ex-coach Gennaro Gattuso wrong for letting him go.
Achraf Hakimi
Available for: £40.5m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Don’t baulk at that release clause: Achraf is a marauding right-back in the mould of a Dani Alves. Pick him up before he becomes unattainable.
Dennis Geiger
Available for: £43m
In-game stats:
Need to know: If helping Hoffenheim to a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga in his debut season didn’t alert football’s elite, Geiger’s supreme confidence on the ball will have done it.
Eder Militao
Available for: £45m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Equally confident at either right-back or centre-back, Militao has suitably impressed Brazil coach Tite – and then Real Madrid.
Lucas Paqueta
Available for: £45m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Sorry, everyone. If you’ve started a game after the Football Manager 2019 beta, you’ll be met by the crushing news that Milan have snapped up this precocious talent. You’ll have to wait a while to lay your hands on the exciting attacking midfielder.
Sergio Gomez
Available for: £46.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Forget about his real-life prowess (he joined Borussia Dortmund from Barcelona): Gomez looks like the real deal from the start in Football Manager 2019. His big-game moxie has already been shown – he scored twice for Spain in a ultimately-lost battle against England in the 2017 U17 World Cup Final – but this won’t be the last you’ve heard of him.
Ben Wilmot
Available for: £47m
In-game stats:
Need to know: You wouldn’t think that someone who'd made only 20 or so senior appearances, and only been playing his current position (centre-back) for around 18 months, would have any chance of making this list. But it speaks volumes about Wilmot’s potential that he’s here. More to come.
Willem Geubbels
Available for: £49m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Kylian Mbappe comparisons are already coming thick and fast for the Frenchman, who joined Monaco for around £17.5m at just 16. They’re not far wrong. The youngest player in Europa League history has it all: pace, power, height, speed, and the unteachable quality of knowing exactly where to be at the right moment. One of the most exciting wonderkids in world football right now.
Angel Gomes
Available for: £49m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The youngest player to play for Manchester United since Duncan Edwards – and the Premier League’s first Year 2000-born star – has all the tools needed to make an impact at Old Trafford. One day?
Joao Felix
Available for: £49.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Few take to the field with the joie de vivre that Felix shows on a weekly basis. Offering up a slate of skills that would scare any full-back, the Portuguese attacking midfielder has recently signed for Atletico Madrid.
Federico Chiesa
Available for: £50m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Chiesa is already excellent and performing at a high level. Blessed with an effortless ability to maintain the ball under pressure, he can also deliver a mean cross and what is now becoming a trademark curling shot into the far corner. We might not have to wait long to see him strut his stuff in the Premier League if certain reports are to be believed.
Wendel
Available for: £54m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Few at Sporting would have been happy to see a large chunk of expensive talent depart over the summer in controversial circumstances, but midfielder Wendel was one of them. He earned plenty more playing time in 2018/19.
Nordi Mukiele
Available for: £55m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Most teams would kill for one wonderkid; RB Leipzig have two. Joining compatriot Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the Bundesliga club’s defence is Frenchman Mukielem, who is also proficient at right-back.
Felix Passlack
Available for: £55m
In-game stats:
Need to know: As long as nominative determinism doesn’t catch up him, Passlack could have a stellar career ahead of him. Upon leaving Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp reportedly remarked: “I could start crying knowing that I won't be coaching this guy.”
Dayot Upamecano
Available for: £56m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Upamecano has already shown he has what it takes to rise above his peers. On the pitch he’s a commanding presence and has even popped up with a goal from time to time, having netted three times during the 2017/18 Bundesliga season.
Abel Ruiz
Available for: £58m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Ruiz has scored prolifically for the various Spanish youth teams he’s played a part in, demonstrating his deadly eye for goal. Can he step up and make a mark at senior level for club and country? That might be up to you.
Matteo Guendouzi
Available for: £61m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The news of Guendouzi’s signing may have had Gunners scrambling for search engines and YouTube compilations, but they needn’t have worried: the Frenchman managed an Arsenal player-of-the-month award and a Europa League goal in his first handful of games, over the course of a strong debut season.
Lautaro Martinez
Available for: £62m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Following in the footsteps of Mauro Icardi and Diego Milito, the Argentine attacker has donned the black and blue of Inter Milan for a breakout 2018/19 season. The vultures are circling in real life.
Pietro Pellegri
Available for: £62m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Monaco splashed out over £20m on Pellegri, who only turned 18 in March. All told, it could prove to be a bargain down the line, such is his terrific hold-up ability already.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Available for: £63m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s no surprise that Chelsea fans are clamouring for Callum Hudson-Odoi to start more. Before injury he was turning heads, and impressed Maurizio Sarri enough to forgo the traditional loan route – a path well and truly travelled by youngsters at Stamford Bridge.
Ademola Lookman
Available for: £63m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Lookman has every right to be disappointed with being sat on the bench at Goodison Park. His promise was on full display as he impressed in the Bundesliga on loan at RB Leipzig last season, but the 22-year-old has seen his progress curtailed by the signing of Richarlison.
Juan Hernandez
Available for: £65m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Thanks to the Pozzos, Watford now have their hands on one of the best emerging starlets in South American. He’s already impressed at senior level, having helped firing Huesca to La Liga during a loan spell in Spain last season. A second season with the minnows awaits, but he won’t stick around there (or at Watford) for long if his international record is any indication: he bagged two goals on his Colombia debut and can apparently count Barcelona among his many suitors.
Carles Alena
Available for: £67m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s not easy being a young Spanish starlet making your way through La Masia, where the Xavi and Iniesta comparisons follow central midfielders around like a shadow. Still, Alena shouldn’t be too fazed by the expectations.
Rhian Brewster
Available for: £68m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Back-to-back U17 World Cup hat-tricks (one against Brazil, no less) must have had Liverpool fans dreaming of another prodigious talent performing in front of the Kop. A serious ankle injury kept him out for most of 2018, so here’s hoping 2019 will be a little kinder to the fiery frontman.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Available for: £68m
In-game stats:
Need to know: What is it with Italian keepers named Gianluigi? While Donnarumma has enjoyed a less-than-friendly relationship with Milan fans, he’s shown all the promise that suggests a continued bright future between the Azzurri sticks after Buffon’s retirement.
Ben Woodburn
Available for: £70m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Despite struggling at Sheffield United, Woodburn is still highly rated by the likes of Jurgen Klopp as he looks to regain the form that saw him become Wales’ second-youngest scorer.
Mason Greenwood
Available for: £71m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Aged only 17, the Reds striker is exciting scouts and pundits alike with his sublime fleet-footed play and knack for finding the net from all sorts of angles. Most importantly, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likes him too.
Paulinho
Available for: £72m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Bayer Leverkusen shelling out north of £15m for a 17-year-old Brazilian raised eyebrows, but those who’ve followed Vasco da Gama will know that the German side may very well have picked up one of the world’s best U18 talents. His wing wizardry and confidence on the ball bely his tender years.
Douglas Luiz
Available for: £75m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Work permit issues have hampered his progress at Manchester City, meaning Douglas spent the last two seasons plying his trade at Girona. Perhaps a season under Pep would do him good.
Christian Pulisic
Available for: £75m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s not easy carrying the hopes of a nation on your shoulders at the age of just 19, but if anyone can, it’s Pulisic. Having developed as expected at Borussia Dortmund, the teenager – now of Chelsea – has also managed to excel at international level thanks to his keen eye for goal and composure in the final third.
Renato Sanches
Available for: £75m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Euro 2016 winner at 18; relegated with Swansea at 19. It’s less a case of ‘where did it all go wrong for Renato Sanches?’ and more about what he can do to bounce back from such disappointment.
Tahith Chong
Available for: £80m
In-game stats:
Need to know: There’s a reason why you’ll need to cough up a Cristiano-sized fee to prise this talented Dutchman away from the clutches of Old Trafford. The big-haired baller may have had his early United career curtailed by injury, but the early signs are promising, judging by Solskjaer's approach.
Mickael Cuisance
Available for: £85m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Frenchman Cuisance barely played in 2018/19 after a breakout season for Borussia Monchengladbach in 2017/18 out which included nine starts and 24 appearances overall. Still, the talent is there: his passing range and silky skills make him a danger anywhere on the pitch.
Theo Hernandez
Available for: £88m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Fresh from scoring in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, Hernandez was shipped out on loan to Real Sociedad for the 2018/19 season. Far from it being surplus to requirements, parent club Real Madrid expect him to return stronger and try to make the left-back berth his own come 2019.
Vinicius Junior
Available for: £90m
In-game stats:
Need to know: £40m for a 16-year-old. A big gamble, and one that sacked Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui apparently didn’t want to make, gifting the now-18-year-old a measly 12 minutes during his ill-fated reign. Things got much better under Santiago Solari and Zinedine Zidane.
Ethan Ampadu
Available for: £92m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Chelsea have recently seen many a talented player fly the coop and find that the grass is greener away from Stamford Bridge. Ampadu, though, remains steadfast in his desire to play for the club.
Claudio Gomes
Available for: £92m
In-game stats:
Need to know: A near-impossibility to sign in your first FM season, Gomes is the latest in a line of Manchester City youth talent hovering around the first team. Dubbed ‘N’Golo Kante’ during his time at PSG, this tough-tackling midfielder may need some time to grow into himself, but when he does, he’ll add some much-needed steel to City’s (and perhaps your) midfield.
Diogo Dalot
Available for: £95m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Jose Mourinho may have splashed £20m on a full-back he didn't often trust to start many Premier League games, but the Portuguese was bought for his potential. And he's shown plenty of that.
Kai Havertz
Available for: £96m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Widely regarded as Germany’s next great wonderkid, Havertz stamped his authority on the Bundesliga in 2019/20. Now one of the most coveted young midfielders in world football.
Marcus Rashford
Available for: £96m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’re probably fairly familiar with Rashford. He first lit up several competitions under the tutelage of Louis van Gaal in his debut season, and is now trying to kick on as a key player at Old Trafford.
Phil Foden
Available for: £98m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s hard to displace the likes of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in Manchester City’s first XI, but Foden looks best placed to do it. Endlessly praised by Pep Guardiola – and the youngest Premier League winner in history – Foden’s ability on the ball belies his tender years. Now he’s got to push on.
Javairo Dilrosun
Available for: £101m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Spending many of his formative years at Ajax and, latterly, the mammoth complex that is the Manchester City academy, Dilrosun has a football education like few others. He’s capitalised on it, too, with an impressive start to his Bundesliga career at Hertha Berlin.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Available for: £106m
In-game stats:
Need to know: U20 World Cup winner Maitland-Niles was looking to push on under new Arsenal coach Unai Emery, but unfortunately suffered a broken leg in the opening-day defeat against Manchester City. Before that he was looking like a bright prospect indeed.
Arne Maier
Available for: £106m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Already hailed as the next Toni Kroos, Maier has been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal but appears to have his feet firmly on the ground with hometown club Hertha Berlin.
Jadon Sancho
Available for: £107m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Pep Guardiola probably doesn’t regret much in his career, but he might just rue letting the electric Sancho go for (relative) peanuts. He’s dazzled in the Bundesliga and Champions League so far, and can now count himself as a full England international.
Gedson Fernandes
Available for: £108m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Strong, quick, agile and elusive, Fernandes may be able to succeed where Renato Sanches – another member of this list – has stumbled in recent years.
Josip Brekalo
Available for: £111m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Former Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg could easily be plying their trade in the second tier of German football if it wasn’t for a series of outstanding performances from Brekalo, including a goal and assist on the final day of 2017/18. The Croatian winger is now featuring more regularly for the senior national side after proving himself at every youth level.
Houssem Aouar
Available for: £120m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Aouar’s style, swagger and underrated strength on the ball make him one of the deadliest midfielders in the game today. He’s worth shelling out on.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Available for: £150m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Alexander-Arnold could easily be Liverpool’s first-choice right-back for the next 15 years. The youngster has developed brilliantly in the past year, to the point where it was obvious that he’d be starting a Champions League final when the time came. And then he won the thing.
Leon Bailey
Available for: £150m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Rumours of an England call-up for the 2018 World Cup ultimately came to nothing, but it speaks volumes of Bailey’s talent that he’s still on the radars of almost every European club worth their salt – having turned many of them down already. He’s also mates with Usain Bolt, which can’t hurt.
Reiss Nelson
Available for: £160m
In-game stats:
Need to know: No, that’s not a typo. £160m! While the eye-watering fee is steep, Nelson has enjoyed a fine impact in the Bundesliga, during his real-life breakout season on loan at Hoffenheim. Arsenal will welcome him back with open arms.
Emile Smith-Rowe
Available for: £177m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The Croydon-born attacker repaid the trust shown in him by Unai Emery with a Europa League goal at Qarabag. He’s now firmly part of the Arsenal set-up and could add an extra dimension to the team’s attacking play as Emery looks to put his own stamp on the Gunners.
Kylian Mbappe
Available for: £232m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Yes, he’s still technically a wonderkid. Then again, an argument has been made that he’s already fulfilled his potential, having won Ligue 1 twice and a World Cup. Mbappe could go on to be one of the best players of his generation – and then some.
Under £35m
Marco Varnier
Available for: £20m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: First, the good news: Varnier is an exceptionally composed centre-back with a knack for getting the better of forwards in one-on-one duels. The bad news? In Football Manager, at least, you can’t get your hands on him until well into the second season. That’s due to Atalanta having a deal in place to buy him after his loan deal expires in June 2019.
Federico Valverde
Available for: £21.5m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Changes have been rung at the Bernabeu recently, but still Valverde hasn’t managed more than mere minutes for Real Madrid this season. It’s a shame: the Uruguayan is able to unlock defences with his trademark long diagonal balls, and has shown great promise at international level. But when you’re competing with Luka Modric for a place...
Fiete Arp
Available for: £22m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Hamburg made our list of 12 teams we can’t wait to play as on Football Manager 2019 with good reason. Arp is so promising that Bayern Munich signed him in February 2019.
Steven Bergwijn
Available for: £22m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s been a whirlwind year for the young Dutch winger, and Europe’s elite might beckon sooner rather than later in real life.
Dan-Axel Zagadou
Available for: £23.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: If you’re 19 and manage to shut out both Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa in a 4-0 tonking of Atletico Madrid, you’ve probably got something about you. Especially when you can inspire terrific terrace chants...
Matthijs de Ligt
Available for: £24m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Effortless on the ball and ruthless off it, De Ligt enjoyed a phenomenal season in 2018/19 with Ajax to the point where almost every big club wanted him.
Moise Kean
Available for: £24.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The Champions League’s first Year 2000-born player has thrilling potential and scored six Serie A goals in 2018/19. His quick feet and natural finishing ability are reflected in-game, and should help him forge a fine career in Serie A and beyond for years to come.
Pol Lirola
Available for: £27m
In-game stats:
Need to know: There’s a criminal lack of full-backs on this list, but Lirola helps make up for it. His in-game stats only tell half the story.
Lukas Mai
Available for: £27m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Mai became the first player born in the 21st century to turn out for Bayern Munich early in 2018 and, while he’s mostly stuck in reserve football, it’s clear that the higher-ups in Bavaria rate him massively. He even kept a clean sheet on his debut, too.
Marin Pongracic
Available for: £27m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Just look at that passing stat. It’s well warranted, too, as Pongracic is able to pick one out as competently from 50 yards as he can from five. If the Salzburg man can rein in his temper, he’ll be among the cream of European defenders.
Ezequiel Barco
Available for: £28m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Barco made history by becoming the record signing for an MLS club in January 2018 but, with all due respect, you can’t see him staying Stateside much longer. Europe awaits for this prodigious youngster, who has left defenders backpedalling all season with his frightening pace on the ball.
Alban Lafont
Available for: £28m
In-game stats:
Need to know: One of the best young goalkeepers in both real life and the virtual world of Football Manager 2019, Lafont has made over 100 senior appearances across two of Europe’s top leagues. He’s only recently turned 20.
Luka Jovic
Available for: £30m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Jovic's goals-per-minute ratio was, at one point, the greatest in Bundesliga history – even better than the legendary Gerd Muller. Real Madrid like that kind of thing.
Felix Uduokhai
Available for: £30m
In-game stats:
Need to know: What is with German football and its ability to produce ready-made talent? Uduokhai, who is also eligible for Nigeria, is another on the long list of youngsters plying their trade to good effect in the Bundesliga. He’s that rare thing, too: a left-footed centre-back who you can trust on the ball.
Sergio Diaz
Available for: £30.5m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Diaz’s progress was curtailed last season by a serious knee injury. He’s now on loan at Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño.
Odsonne Edouard
Available for: £31m
In-game stats:
Need to know: If endearing himself to the Celtic Park faithful after a late-season brace against Rangers wasn’t enough, Edouard also hit the ground running in 2018/19 and eventually hit his stride.
Gian-Luca Itter
Available for: £31m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Left-back Itter made his Bundesliga debut towards the end of last season, pocketing Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben no less. The future is promising for a player who could soon find himself playing for Die Mannschaft.
Panagiotis Retsos
Available for: £31m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Having replaced Crystal Palace-bound Luka Milivojevic as Olympiakos captain at the tender age of 18, Retsos was fast-tracked to the top. He joined Bayer Leverkusen and has been impressing for both club and country.
Kasper Dolberg
Available for: £33m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Dolberg didn’t get much of a chance to show what he can do at the World Cup, but where lesser players would have carried it with them into the next season, Dolberg used it as motivation. The Danish striker – the latest in a long, long line of young Ajax talent – has continued scoring at a healthy rate for his club.
Kristoffer Ajer
Available for: £34m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Plucked from the Norwegian league for just over £500k, Ajer has been an integral part of Celtic’s domestic success, often instigating attacks by playing out from the back. He’s just as adept in midfield, too, should you need someone with both steel and style plugging a gap in the middle of the park.
Jacob Bruun Larsen
Available for: £34m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Bruun Larsen is still trying to pick up regular minutes at Borussia Dortmund thanks to other bright talents who also feature on this list, but they will come. He can already count a debut Champions League goal against Monaco among his exploits.
Under £20m
Pedrinho
Available for: £7.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s little wonder that Barcelona have reportedly been in talks with the diminutive winger, who couples samba flair with bags of natural ability. This is one South American well worth keeping an eye on – if you can keep up.
Lincoln
Available for: £9m
In-game stats:
Need to know: No goals as of yet for Flamengo striker Lincoln, but he’s already making strides in trying to fill the void left behind by Vinicius Junior. Time and patience is of the essence.
Josha Vagnoman
Available for: £10m
In-game stats:
Need to know: A bit of a hidden gem in-game, Vagnoman is on the radars of a few big Premier League clubs despite only making a handful of appearances in his career. Then again, he is only 18 and plays with composure far beyond his age group.
Gavin Bazunu
Available for: £11m (second season)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Imagine being a goalkeeper in Ireland, winning player of the month and being snapped up by Manchester City months later. That’s what’s happened to Bazunu, but here’s the catch: he only turned 17 in February. The ex-Shamrock Rovers shot-stopper clearly impressed someone high up at the Etihad, and the decision was made to sanction his £400,000 move.
Jamal Lewis
Available for: £13.25m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Virtually an ever-present at Carrow Road since his Norwich debut in December 2017, Lewis’s star continues to rise with a series of confident, assured performances.
Matheus Fernandes
Available for: £14.25m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Touted as the next Gilberto Silva in-game, Matheus can do so much more than destroy. Deploying a style honed on the streets of Itaborai, just outside of Rio de Janeiro, the midfielder can turn games in an instant thanks to his exceptional close control.
Chris Mepham
Available for: £14.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s been a rapid rise for the tough-tackling centre-half who languished in Sunday League during his teenage years. Now, he’s aiming to hold down a regular place at Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Patrick Cutrone
Available for: £15m
In-game stats:
Need to know: He's still not quite got his card marked as a Milan regular, but give it time – 2019/20 could be his year.
Dael Fry
Available for: £15m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Local lad Fry has thrived on Teesside, and it’s hard not to see him emulating Jonathan Woodgate’s career path thanks to his tenacity in defence and ability to bring the ball forward when needed.
Salih Ozcan
Available for: £15m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Another wonderkid cruelly robbed of a chance to shine in the top tier after his club’s relegation, but Ozcan helped pull Cologne back up to the Bundesliga as champions. The Germany youth international will get his opportunity this time.
Fabio Silva
Available for: £18.25m
In-game stats:
Need to know: One of the youngest players in the game, the teenager is turning heads – Sporting’s scouting director Manuel Fernandes has already compared him to a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. No pressure.
Ferran Torres
Available for: £19.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Torres may have been at Valencia since the age of six, but it’d be hard to see him sticking around at the Mestalla if he continues his ascent. Combining Spanish passing flair with an ability to bamboozle defenders with his skill on the ball, Torres – though awkward in style – is comfortably embracing the spotlight.
Josh Tymon
Available for: £19.5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: After his Stoke signing was announced via the worst Twitter reveal video of all time (seriously, Google it), Tymon has yet to really kick on in his senior career but has all the makings of a future Premier League left-back should he get a chance in a competition other than the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Well, according to FM anyway.
Unlimited • Under £35m • Under £20m • Under £7m • Under £3.5m
Unlimited • Under £35m • Under £20m • Under £7m • Under £3.5m
Under £7m
Javi Ontiveros
Available for: £4.9m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know: His parent club was relegated while away on loan, but that hasn’t stopped Ontiveros from impressing in the Segunda Division with a wide array of flicks, shimmies and feints. La Liga has even posted a video of him to its YouTube channel under the banner ‘Young Talents’. High praise, indeed.
Matheus Henrique
Available for: £5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: After Arthur’s move to Barcelona, Gremio were desperately scrambling for a replacement. Step forward, Matheus Henrique. Having signed a contract extension until 2022, the youngster will be hoping his tough tackling will take him as far as the man he’s trying to emulate.
Lee Kangin
Available for: £5m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Kangin may have made his name in South Korea via a reality television show looking for the next big football talent, but he’s not letting the bright lights faze him. The outrageously gifted attacking midfielder has a wand of a left foot and is oh-so-close to breaking through at Valencia. A real snip if you can pick him up for just £5m.
Leo Santos
Available for: £6.75m
In-game stats:
Need to know: Real Madrid have kept tabs on this South American starlet in real life. Showcasing defensive knowhow far beyond his years, Santos can also make use of either foot and turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye with his trademark raking passes.
Sandro Tonali
Available for: £6.8m
In-game stats:
Need to know: The Andrea Pirlo comparisons for this long-haired Italian playmaker are obvious, but they’re warranted: his composure and poise on the ball are just as effortless. Chelsea and Juventus have been among the teams tracking the mercurial talent.
Under £3.5m
Ryan Gravenberch
Available for: £1.1m (Compensation)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Born in 2002 (!), Gravenberch has managed to break a decades-old record by becoming the youngest Ajax player to play in the Eredivisie at just 16 years and 130 days. The man he beat? Clarence Seedorf. Some big boots to fill, then – but Ajax clearly have full faith in Gravenberch to do so from his central midfield role.
Pelayo Morilla
Available for: £1.6m (release clause)
In-game stats:
Need to know:Football Manager have Morilla down as an out-and-out attacking midfielder, but we think he’s a winger with an eye for goal. He proved it, too, by netting for Sporting Gijon in the Copa del Rey and almost scoring within minutes of coming on for his senior debut back in August with a mazy dribble and vicious snapshot.
Antonio Marin
Available for: £3.1m
In-game stats:
Need to know: It’s always a worrying sign when a 17-year-old already has a dubstep-filled YouTube montage to his name, but Marin might just be worth the hype. Equally proficient on either foot, the winger has been impressing against some of Europe’s best youth sides and it wouldn’t be surprising if he moved on from Dinamo Zagreb when the big boys come calling.
Joshua Zirkzee
Available for: £3.3m (compensation)
In-game stats:
Need to know: Pre-season tours can be nothing more than money-making exercises. Not so for Bayern Munich’s Josh Zirkzee, who showcased his natural finishing instinct with a well-timed run and finish to put PSG to the sword in a 3-1 win last summer. Next stop, Bundesliga?
See also...
The 14 best Football Manager 2019 free transfers
The 12 teams we can’t wait to be in Football Manager 2019
11 brilliant Football Manager 2019 bargains for under £1 million
12 amazing Football Manager 2019 release clauses you can’t afford to miss
8 signs that you're addicted to Football Manager
BACK TO START The 100 best Football Manager 2019 wonderkids – for every budget
