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The Football Manager 2019 wonderkids XI
These are the young players with the highest potential ratings in Sports Interactive’s latest game.
It’s long been documented how exhaustive Football Manager’s database is. With hundreds of thousands of players crammed into the game, separating the best from the worst can prove a relentless task.
Identifying a wonderkid is even tougher, as many young players’ attributes fail to stand out at first glance. Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work for you, perusing Football Manager 2019's database to find the best players aged 21 or under. Hone their skills, and before long, they’ll develop into the biggest stars of world football.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)
Donnarumma works best with a ‘sweeper keeper’ player role
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Milan's Donnarumma has already racked up over 100 appearances for the Serie A side, despite his young age. The 19-year-old Italy keeper sports a range of superb stats in Football Manager 2019, including 18 jumping reach, 17 reflexes and 17 teamwork. The game values him at just under £19m, and he’ll prove a genuine superstar for any side. He's also got bags of potential to improve further in seasons to come.
Alternative squad player: Alban Lafont (Fiorentina)
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Liverpool’s talented right-back has cemented his spot in the first-team over the past year, starting in last season’s Champions League final. He also made his senior England debut in 2018, scoring his first goal against the USA in November. Alexander-Arnold is valued at an expensive £35m in FM 19, and boasts superb potential beyond his already impressive and well-rounded stats, which includes a 16 in determination.
Alternative squad player: Diogo Dalot (Man Utd)
CB: Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
Ajax's De Ligt is a commanding presence in central defence
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Nineteen-year-old de Ligt has featured regularly for Ajax since making his Eredivisie debut in late 2016. The Netherlands international offers huge promise for the future, as indicated by his five-star potential in Football Manager this year. De Ligt’s core defensive stats are impressive in-game, bolstered by the likes of his 15 heading, 15 passing and 15 jumping attributes. He’s valued at a relatively low £7.75m, too, but don’t expect him to come cheap.
Alternative squad player: César Montes (Monterrey)
CB: Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
Although he's yet to feature for the French national side, 20-year-old Dayot Upamecano has made a big impression since joining RB Leipzig in 2017. The defender signed a four-and-a-half deal with the Bundesliga team, so he’s a tough buy, but you'll get plenty of talent for your money. Upamecano won’t easily be beaten for speed due to his lethal 18 pace, while his 16 strength and 15 tackling make him a dominant force in 50/50 battles.
Alternative squad player: Marco Varnier (Atalanta)
LB: Theo Hernández (Real Sociedad)
Hernández signed a six-year deal upon joining Real Madrid
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The spotlight was placed firmly on 21-year-old Theo Hernández following his high-profile switch to Real Madrid in 2017. He’s currently on a season-long loan at fellow La Liga side Real Sociedad, which makes him hard to acquire in-game, but his impressive attributes and outstanding potential make him worth the wait. Hernández is also valued at just under £3m in FM 19, so if you’re lucky, you might snag somewhat of a bargain.
Alternative squad player: Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)
CM: Arthur (Barcelona)
Brazilian talent Arthur Melo remains 21 years of age for the first few months in FM 19, making him eligible to appear on this list. The gifted midfielder joined La Liga giants, Barcelona, on a six-year deal in 2018, and made his international debut the same year. Arthur’s terrific present-day stats make him a natural fit for any side, and if you can mould his talents further, he’ll become one of the world’s very best central midfielders.
Alternative squad player: Phil Foden (Manchester City)
RW: Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Pacy French star Mbappé is highly prolific in front of goal
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At just 19 years of age, Kylian Mbappé already sits among the world’s top players. The French superstar and 2018 World Cup winner is valued at a whopping £71m in-game, and you’ll need first-rate defenders to cope with his 20 pace, 19 acceleration and 17 dribbling stats. Mbappé enjoyed an accolade-filled year in 2018, earning a mass of honours, including the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player and Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year awards.
Alternative squad player: Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona)
LW: Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina)
Fiorentina winger Chiesa is the son of former Italy international Enrico, and has featured heavily for the Serie A side since 2016. Federico, who also has numerous international caps to his name, can play on either wing in Football Manager 2019, and proves highly efficient due to his excellent pace and dribbling abilities. He’s another who boasts five-star potential in-game, so expect his stats to improve considerably in future seasons.
Alternative squad player: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
CAM: Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Havertz boasts massive potential in Football Manager 2019
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There are plenty of promising attacking midfielders in FM 19, but Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz is arguably the pick of the bunch. In 2018, the 19-year-old became the youngest player to reach 50 appearances in the Bundesliga, and made his senior national team debut with Germany later in the year. He’s an excellent talent for any side in FM 19 due to his 17 vision, 17 composure and 16 technique attributes, while his potential is sky-high.
Alternative squad player: Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo)
ST: Gabriel Jesus (Man City)
Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus has established himself as a key member of the Premier League side in recent years, featuring heavily in last season’s title-winning campaign. The Brazil star remains just 21 years of age, and boasts the potential to improve further in FM 19, even despite his established superstar quality. Jesus proves prolific in front of goal due to his 16 finishing, while his supreme technique and dribbling skills only add to his goal-scoring prowess.
Alternative squad player: Lautaro Martínez (Inter)
ST: Pietro Pellegri (Monaco)
Sign him while you can – Pellegri will flourish in future seasons
© Sports Interactive
The youngest entry on our list is 17-year-old Pietro Pellegri, who currently plies his trade at Ligue 1 strugglers AS Monaco. He made a €25 million switch to the French side back in January 2018, and later received his first senior international call-up in September. Pellegri’s limited first-team exposure means he isn’t the finished package in FM 19, but stick with him, and he’ll eventually develop into one of the world’s top strikers.
Alternative squad player: Amine Gouiri (Lyon)
