Whether you're planning to build a dynasty on a foundation of the best young players in the world or you're looking for top untapped talent to profit from by selling on, we've got you covered.
Football Manager 26 is out now and, if you're anything like us, you'll have the game fired up, ready to embark on a new challenge.
One of the most rewarding and exciting aspects of Football Manager (like Championship Manager before it, for those of us of a certain vintage!), is unearthing hidden gems and nurturing wonderkids appropriately so that they reach their full potential and become masters of the ever-expanding football universe.
Keeping your eye out for young talent is a key consideration, whether you're managing the biggest club in the world or scraping at the lower end of the football pyramid, where one or two bright sparks can ignite a blaze of glory through the divisions.
Here, GOAL brings you the best young players under the age of 20* to sign on FM26, based on their potential ability.
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Football Manager 26 wonderkid strikers & forwards
| Player |
Club |
Age |
Pos. |
Nationality |
| Endrick |
Real Madrid |
18 |
AMR, ST |
Brazil |
| Eli Junior Kroupi |
Bournemouth |
19 |
ST |
France |
| Dastan Satpayev |
FC Kairat |
16 |
AMRL, ST |
Kazakhstan |
| Daulet Orynbasar |
FC Kairat |
16 |
ST |
Kazakhstan |
| Sami Bouhoudane |
PSV |
17 |
ST |
Netherlands |
| Emre Unuvar |
Ajaz |
17 |
ST |
Netherlands |
| Francesco Camarda |
AC Milan |
17 |
ST |
Italy |
| Harry Gray |
Leeds United |
16 |
AMRC, ST |
England |
| Jayden Danns |
Liverpool |
19 |
AMLC, ST |
England |
| Jaime Barroso |
Real Madrid |
17 |
ST |
Spain |
| Djylian N'Guessan |
Saint-Etienne |
16 |
ST |
France |
| Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez |
Lyon |
17 |
AML, ST |
England |
| Semih Kilicsoy |
Besiktas |
19 |
AMRL, ST |
Turkey |
| Marc Guiu |
Chelsea |
19 |
ST |
Spain |
| Stefanos Tzimas |
Brighton |
19 |
ST |
Greece |
Scoring goals, they say, is the most difficult thing to do in football, but there is no shortage of talent lining up to become the next great goalscorer.
While things may not have taken off as he would have liked in the real world, Real Madrid forward Endrick is the top of the list in FM26 when it comes to the high-potential strikers in the game. Of course, given his worldwide reputation and the fact that he is a Madrid player, he will cost a pretty penny if you want to sign him, especially early in the game.
Kazakh duo Daulet Orynbasar and Dastan Satpayev are much cheaper alternatives, if you are working to a budget, or you might have some joy seeking a loan move for Endrick's Real team-mate Jaime Barroso.
Harry Gray looks like he could be the next big thing for England, with high hopes for the striker at Leeds United, alongside the likes of Lyon's Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez and Liverpool teen Jayden Danns.
READ MORE: NXGN profile on Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez
READ MORE: NXGN profile on Eli Junior Kroupi
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Football Manager 26 wonderkid midfielders
| Player |
Club |
Age |
Pos. |
Nationality |
| Lamine Yamal |
Barcelona |
18 |
M/AMR |
Spain |
| Estevao |
Chelsea |
18 |
AMRC |
Brazil |
| Ethan Nwaneri |
Arsenal |
18 |
MC, AMRLC |
England |
| Franco Mastantuono |
Real Madrid |
17 |
AMRC |
Argentina |
| Luca Williams-Barnett |
Tottenham |
16 |
AMRLC, ST |
England |
| Rodrigo Mora |
Porto |
18 |
AMLC |
Portugal |
| Ayyoub Bouaddi |
Lille |
17 |
DM, MC |
France |
| Gilberto Mora |
Tijuana |
16 |
AMLC |
Mexico |
| Abdellah Ouzane |
Ajax |
16 |
M/AMC |
Morocco |
| Can Uzun |
Frankfurt |
19 |
MC, AMLC |
Turkey |
| Guille Fernandez |
Barcelona |
17 |
M/AMC |
Spain |
| Lucas Bergvall |
Tottenham |
19 |
DM, M/AMC |
Sweden |
| Kerim Alajbegovic |
Salzburg |
17 |
ML, AMRLC |
Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| Gabriel Mec |
Gremio |
17 |
AMRL |
Brazil |
| Rio Ngumoha |
Liverpool |
16 |
AMRL |
England |
| Nathan De Cat |
Anderlecht |
16 |
DM, MC |
Belgium |
| Marc Bernal |
Barcelona |
18 |
DM, MC |
Spain |
| Kennet Eichhorn |
Hertha BSC |
15 |
DM, MC |
Germany |
When it comes to midfield, whether you're looking for a rock-solid defensive midfielder or a dazzling attacking midfield playmaker, there are loads of young players to get excited about in FM26.
The likes of Lamine Yamal, Estevao and Franco Mastantuono have long been heralded as the next world-class stars in football. Their abilities mean they have been on the radar for an age already, with Yamal and Estevao in particular already lighting things up at Barcelona and Chelsea, respectively. You'll need a huge transfer budget if you want to have a chance of luring these talents to your team.
However, there are always cheaper alternatives that are not far behind the top-tier talents. Ethan Nwaneri at Arsenal and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha are on the fringes at their clubs at the moment, so they might be open to loan moves, for example, while you might have joy convincing players from Belgium, such as Nathan De Cat, to move to a bigger league.
READ MORE: NXGN profile on Luca Williams-Barnett
READ MORE: NXGN profile on Gilberto Mora
READ MORE: NXGN profile on Marc Bernal
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Football Manager 26 wonderkid defenders
| Player |
Club |
Age |
Pos. |
Nationality |
| Saba Kharebashvili |
Dinamo Tbilisi |
16 |
DLC, WBL |
Georgia |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly |
Arsenal |
18 |
DL, DM, MC |
England |
| Pau Cubarsi |
Barcelona |
18 |
DC |
Spain |
| Leny Yoro |
Manchester United |
19 |
DC |
France |
| Joffre Torrents |
Barcelona |
18 |
D/WBL |
Spain |
| Finn Jeltsch |
Stuttgart |
18 |
DM, DRC |
Germany |
| Davinchi |
Getafe |
17 |
D/WBL |
Spain |
| Luka Vuskovic |
Tottenham |
18 |
DC |
Croatia |
| Jorrel Hato |
Chelsea |
19 |
D/WBL, DC |
Netherlands |
| Matteo Palma |
Udinese |
17 |
DRC |
Germany |
| Jesus Fortea |
Real Madrid |
18 |
D/WBR |
Spain |
| Daniel Banjaqui |
Benfica |
17 |
D/WBR |
Portugal |
| Benjamin |
Real Madrid |
17 |
D/WBR |
Italy |
| Karim Coulibaly |
Werder Bremen |
18 |
DC, DM |
Germany |
| Axel Tape |
Bayer Leverkusen |
17 |
DC, D/WBR, DM |
France |
Georgian defender Saba Kharebashvili is one of the best young defenders in the game, and at just 16 years old, playing for Dinamo Tbilisi, he is very much an attainable commodity for bigger clubs. Capable of playing in the centre or at full-back, Kharebashvili represents a dynamic prospect.
If you are able to open the chequebook and splurge, it is worth scouting Myles Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal and Pau Cubarsi at Barcelona, or else Luka Vuskovic at Tottenham, all of whom are capable of fitting in at the highest level already.
In the event you are tight on money, but building a long-term vision, have a look at Benfica's Daniel Banjaqui, Axel Tape at Bayer Leverkusen and Matteo Palma at Udinese. These three have less of a reputation than the aforementioned, but are quite capable of becoming elite-level defenders.
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Football Manager 26 wonderkid goalkeepers
| Player |
Club |
Age |
Pos. |
Nationality |
| Kerem Matisli |
Bursaspor |
18 |
GK |
Turkey |
| Quenten Attigah |
AZ |
16 |
GK |
Netherlands |
| Alessandro Nunziante |
Udinese |
18 |
GK |
Italy |
| Tommaso Martinelli |
Fiorentina |
19 |
GK |
Italy |
| Dennis Seimen |
Stuttgart |
19 |
GK |
Germany |
| Julian Eyestone |
Brentford |
19 |
GK |
United States |
| Sherkhan Kalmurza |
FC Kairat |
18 |
GK |
Kazakhstan |
| Theodore Pizarro |
Freiburg |
17 |
GK |
Switzerland |
| Ben Vickery |
Manchester City |
16 |
GK |
England |
| Mike Penders |
Chelsea |
19 |
GK |
Belgium |
| Lucca Brughmans |
Genk |
17 |
GK |
Belgium |
Goalkeeper is a difficult position for young talents to break through into, with many of the world's best shot-stoppers only truly maturing later in their careers. Nevertheless, now and then, a pretender comes along and proves their worth early on, especially if they get given a chance at a smaller club.
Not many managers are likely to thrust a 16-year-old into the limelight as a first-choice goalkeeper, but, if you're one of them, Ben Vickery at Manchester City is worth scouting, while Genk's 17-year-old Lucca Brughmans is also worth a look.
The likes of Kerem Matisli (18), Julian Eyestone (19) and Dennis Seimen (19) might be safer bets if you are looking for a young player, but one who is on the cusp of graduating to prolonged first-team action.
