In FIFA 21 Career Mode, it can be difficult to know which young players are worth picking up for your club. In the long run, they can save you a lot of money and if they have enough potential, they may even develop into a world-class talent.
Although Ultimate Team is incredibly addictive and fun, sometimes it’s nice to just hop into Career Mode and manage an existing squad. Of course, it’s important that you recruit young talent to develop if you’re looking to bring success and silverware to your club.
Unlike FUT, in Career Mode, players with a lot of potential are capable of improving over time. This means investing in the correct young players is absolutely key if you want to improve your squad.
However, with so many players on the market, it’s hard to know who’s worth your investment. Well, we’ve compiled a list of all the best young players in every position in the game, so you know exactly who to take a chance on.
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Best wonderkids in FIFA 21
Remember, when you’re choosing players to build up a team, look for what your squad is missing and try to fill in the gaps. This will give you a well-rounded starting XI that will constantly perform and pick up results.
Best young goalkeepers and defenders
As with any team, a strong backline is absolutely key if you’re looking to win trophies. In the center-back position, you’ll ideally want to pick up players with high strength and plenty of height to contest crosses.
Whereas for your left and right back, you’ll want to prioritize players with pace and counter-attacking capabilities. Of course, no team is complete without an outstanding goalkeeper and we’ve got you covered on that front.
When making these lists, we’ve attempted to cater to every club’s budget. In each position, there’s at least one established young talent and one that will need time to develop but costs significantly less to sign.
Name | Age | Club | Position | OVR | POT | Price |
Gianluigi Donnarumma | 21 | Milan | GK | 86 | 92 | £84m |
Maarten Vandevoordt | 18 | KRC Genk | GK | 68 | 86 | £800k |
Andriy Lunin | 21 | Real Madrid | GK | 75 | 87 | £11m |
Trent Alexander-Arnold | 21 | Liverpool | RB | 87 | 92 | £103m |
Neco Williams | 19 | Liverpool | RB | 68 | 85 | £1.1m |
Sergino Dest | 19 | Barcelona | RB | 75 | 86 | £9m |
Matthijs de Ligt | 21 | Juventus | CB | 85 | 92 | £91.5m |
Jarrad Branthwaite | 18 | Everton | CB | 63 | 85 | £375k |
Nehuen Perez | 20 | Granada CF | CB | 75 | 85 | £10.5m |
Luca Netz | 17 | Hertha BSC | LB | 63 | 85 | £375k |
Alphonso Davies | 19 | FC Bayern Munchen | LB | 81 | 89 | £47.5m |
Nuno Tavares | 20 | Benfica | LB | 72 | 85 | £5m |
Best young midfielders
It’s difficult to define what makes a great midfielder as it completely depends on what you’re looking for. Certain players can do a little bit of everything but sometimes it’s better to pick up someone who can do a specific job.
For example, a strong CDM capable of executing great passes or an agile CAM who can weave through the opposing team’s defense. Either way, no matter what midfielder you’re looking for, our list certainly has the answer.
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There’s a range of great midfielders to choose from, a standout is Pedri from FC Barcelona who can be picked up for as little as £2.7m. Although he starts at 73 OVR, he has the potential to reach an incredible 89 if developed.
Name | Age | Club | Position | OVR | POT | Price |
Sandro Tonali | 20 | Milan | CDM | 77 | 91 | £21.5m |
Maxence Caqueret | 20 | Lyon | CDM | 75 | 87 | £11m |
Matteo Guendouz | 21 | Hertha BSC | CDM | 77 | 86 | £20m |
Jadon Sancho | 20 | Borussia Dortmund | RM | 87 | 93 | £111.5m |
Takefusa Kubo | 19 | Villarreal CF | RM | 75 | 89 | £12m |
Eduardo Camavinga | 17 | Stade Rennais F | CM | 78 | 89 | £26m |
Billy Gilmour | 19 | Chelsea | CM | 71 | 86 | £4m |
Moussa Diaby | 21 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | LM | 81 | 88 | £47m |
Pedri | 17 | FC Barcelona | LM | 73 | 89 | £2.7m |
Martin Odegaard | 21 | Real Madrid | CAM | 83 | 89 | £52.5m |
Giovanni Reyna | 17 | Borussia Dortmund | CAM | 68 | 87 | £1.8m |
Joseph Willock | 21 | Arsenal | CAM | 71 | 85 | £4.1m |
Best young strikers and wingers
Buying strong attacking players can be extremely expensive at the best of times, especially if they’re established goalscorers.
So when you do pick up a player, it’s key they have the correct skills for the job. In a winger, you’re looking for pace, the ability to beat a man, and great crossing. Whereas the perfect striker is agile, strong, and clinical in front of a goal.
There’s a range of players who are equipped with these skills. If you have the budget, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe are at the top of their game and will significantly improve a squad.
However, if you’re looking for a long-term project, Fabio Silva or Christos Tzolis are great players who have a lot of potential.
Name | Age | Club | Position | OVR | POT | Price |
Ferran Torres | 20 | Manchester City | RW | 80 | 88 | £51m |
Joelson Fernandes | 20 | Sporting CP | RW | 69 | 87 | £1.3m |
Trincao | 20 | FC Barcelona | RW | 78 | 91 | £30.5m |
Gonzalo Plata | 19 | Sporting CP | RW | 74 | 86 | £9m |
Erling Haaland | 20 | Borussia Dortmund | ST | 85 | 92 | £97m |
Kylian Mbappe | 21 | Paris Saint-Germain | ST | 90 | 95 | £167m |
Jonathan David | 20 | Lille OSC | ST | 77 | 88 | £21m |
Fabio Silva | 18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ST | 69 | 85 | £1.3m |
Christian Pulisic | 21 | Chelsea | LW | 81 | 87 | £37m |
Christos Tzolis | 18 | PAOK FC | LW | 69 | 87 | £1.3m |
Antony | 21 | Ajax | LW | 78 | 88 | £15m |
Charles De Ketelaere | 19 | Club Brugge | LW | 73 | 85 | £6.5m |
That rounds off our list of the best young players in FIFA 21 for every position. Hopefully, this has given you a better idea of who your club should invest in on Career Mode.
Any of these players would make an amazing addition to your team, but make sure you identify what your squad is lacking and fill in the gaps with new talent.
Check out our other FIFA 21 guides for more, tips, and tricks:
For more FIFA guides and tips, check out our other guides and lists: Best cheap players | Fastest players | Best goalkeepers | Prime Gaming rewards | Pro clubs tactics and formations | FIFA 21 Custom tactics, formations, and player instructions | FIFA 21 best strikers
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