Gaming
Games
Looking for midfield magic? These are the young talents to sign in FC 27
Looking to dominate the midfield in EA Sports FC 27? Discover the best young midfielders to sign in Career Mode, from rising stars to future world-class talents.
Part of this story
In EA Sports FC 27, whether you're playing Career Mode or Ultimate Team, knowing which players to sign is essential if you want to build a dynasty. This time, we're looking at the best young midfielders to add to your squad.
Fancy taking the league by storm with a few academy-age talents? Here are 10 players under the age of 21 (plus a few bonus picks) to develop into world-class midfielders,
01
Alyssa Thompson – LM (21, USA, Chelsea)
Alyssa Thompson has pace to burn
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 85
- Potential: 90
Alyssa Thompson tops our list. While her potential growth of +5 might not look particularly impressive, her starting stats of 92 for acceleration and 93 for sprint speed make her an excellent option for those big matches. Her main drawback? She's contracted to Chelsea until 2030, so you'll probably have to pay a hefty fee to bring her on board.
02
Olivia Moultrie – CAM (21, USA, Portland FC)
Olivia Moultrie can unlock defences
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 83
- Potential: 88
We're sticking with the USA for our next pick, Olivia Moultrie. This time, we're looking at a more traditional number 10. Forget sprint speed ratings of 90 or above – Moultrie's strengths lie in her vision, short passing and long-range shooting. If you're looking for the next Iniesta, it might be worth getting in touch with the Portland Thorns.
03
Victor Froholdt – CM (20 years old, Denmark, FC Porto)
Victor Froholdt is a midfield all-rounder
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 82
- Potential: 88
A rising star at Porto or Benfica? It's a classic FC story. In this case, young Dane Victor Froholdt offers an excellent all-round package: dribbling (81), pace (79), stamina (93), defensive ability (83 for interceptions) and long-range shooting (76). With potential to reach an overall rating of 88, he's well worth considering if you're looking to build a formidable midfield.
04
Dudinha – LM (21, Brazil, San Diego Wave FC)
Dudinha could be a bit of a bargain
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 81
- Potential: 88
Now's the time to grab yourself a potential bargain. Dudinha has just one year remaining on her contract, and with contract negotiations having been improved, she could be an interesting signing. The Brazilian isn't particularly quick (72 for pace), but she makes up for it with her technique, passing and finishing (80). Another major advantage is her versatility: she can play on the left, on the right or through the middle.
05
Claire Hutton – CDM (20 years old, USA, Bay FC)
Claire Hutton could become a world-class CDM
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 81
- Potential: 91
Looking to add some defensive solidity to your midfield? Claire Hutton has everything you need to fill the defensive midfield role in your starting XI, whatever formation you prefer. Going from an overall rating of 81 to a potential 91 is already an impressive leap. Add her well-rounded attributes (81 for dribbling, 78 for defending, 74 for passing, 71 for pace and 71 for physicality), and you've got the makings of an outstanding midfielder.
06
Jaedyn Shaw – LM (21, USA, Gotham FC)
Jaedyn Shaw is an excellent option for the left flank
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 80
- Potential: 90
Let's return to attacking midfield options with Gotham FC's Jaedyn Shaw. Give her regular game time and she could develop into a player with an overall rating of 90. With 82 for sprint speed and acceleration, alongside a respectable dribbling rating of 78, she's got all the ingredients to become a world-class presence on the left flank. And if that helps the USA win another World Cup, all the better!
07
Estêvão – RM (19, Brazil, Chelsea)
Estêvão won't come cheap
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 80
- Potential: 90
Over on the right wing, Estêvão already boasts some impressive attributes, despite being just 19. Can he live up to his potential rating of 90? With 79 for shooting power and 89 for sprint speed, he's certainly got plenty going for him. We'll leave you to discover just how good he can become, but we wouldn't bet against him.
08
Ayyoub Bouaddi – CDM (18 years old, Morocco, Manchester City)
Ayyoub Bouaddi just moved for €95m IRL
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 80
- Potential: 88
Ayyoub Bouaddi is a player many are tipping to become the next Sergio Busquets or Rodri. As we saw at the last World Cup with Morocco, he's already able to dominate midfield at the very top level. He's got all the attributes needed to become an exceptional defensive midfielder.: he already boasts 81 for long passing, 82 for short passing, 80 for vision, 83 for ball control, 80 for standing tackles and 81 for stamina – all at just 18 years old. That's a pretty impressive number six.
09
Kennet Eichhorn – CDM (17, Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
Kennet Eichhorn has the biggest potential for growth on the list
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 68
- Potential: 88
The youngest player on our list, Kennet Eichhorn is also the one with the biggest potential growth: an impressive +20. He might need a little time to develop, particularly given his current dribbling rating of 71, but stick with him and you'll have a technically gifted defensive midfielder on your hands once he reaches his full potential.
10
Nathan De Cat – MDC (18, Belgium, TSG Hoffenheim)
Nathan De Cat also has lots of room to grow
© EA Sports
- Overall rating: 71
- Potential: 88
For our final pick, we're heading to Hoffenheim to take a closer look at Nathan De Cat. Will he earn the same nickname as Karim Benzema in a few years (El Gato, meaning 'the cat' in Spanish)? Who knows. What we do know is that he's got plenty of potential to make his mark in FC 27. With 76 for long passing, 75 for short passing and 70 for standing tackles, he's another promising addition to what looks set to be a particularly strong generation of number sixes.
11
Bonus gems: João Neves, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Arda Güler, Kobbie Mainoo
João Neves
© EA Sports
Warren Zaïre-Emery
© EA Sports
Arda Güler
© EA Sports
Kobbie Mainoo
© EA Sports
You might be wondering where João Neves, Warren Zaïre-Emery (WZE), Arda Güler and Kobbie Mainoo have been hiding. Well, given that all four already play for big clubs and regularly feature in their respective teams, they don't quite fit the traditional wonderkid category. That said, if you've got the budget, we'd certainly recommend considering them for your squad!
With all these options at your disposal, you should never have to worry about losing the battle in midfield again.
Part of this story
