FM23 Wonderkids aren’t your average young player, they’re the best of the best. While still younger than 21, they often have the current ability to compete with the average top-division player and have a potential so high that it would make any Champions League team blush. However, because of this, they can often cost you tens of millions, although if you’re smart you might be able to pick yourself up a bargain. If you’re looking to build a team for the future and don’t mind developing these players, then you might bag yourself a future club legend.

Whether you’re looking for a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, winger, or striker, we’ve got you covered. Each position is by potential ability (PA) from highest to lowest. Some players have a fixed PA, while others have a dynamic PA, meaning their potential differs between every save, so their potential in your save could be higher or lower than we have here. We’ve marked every player with a dynamic potential with an asterisk to make it clearer. Here is a list of the best wonderkids in Football Manager 23, an absolute must if you plan on creating a dynasty in one of the best PC games this year.

Goalkeepers Arnau Tenas offers a guaranteed PA of 160 for a reasonable fee, but in reality, any of these keepers have the chance to be real world-class talents. Our pick of the lot, though, has to go to Nathaniel Nwosu. For less than £100k, you can pick yourself up a goalkeeper who will be as good as any other if you’re willing to put the time into his development.

Position Name Value/Wage CA/PA

GK André Gomes* £9M-14.5M / £120k p/w 130/161

GK Anatolii Trubin* £33M-52M / £6k p/w 135/160

GK Arnau Tenas £8.4M-£13.5M / £3.4k p/w 120/160

GK Nathaniel Nwosu* £9k-£95k / £0 p/w 96/160

GK Gavin Bazunu* £29M-45M / £40k p/w 126/159

GK Stefano Turati £5.2M-8.4M / £4.6k p/w 121/159

GK Lucas Chevalier* £7.8M-9.4M / £10.25k p/w 117/157

GK Alejandro Iturbe* £3.3M-£6.8M / £750 p/w 100/156

GK Lucas Canyizares* £3.3M-6.8M / £1.7k p/w 105-151

GK Dennis Seimen* £3.2M-5M / £55 p/w 100/143

GK Gabriel Słonina* £12M-18.5M / £20k p/w 108/141

Defenders While it’s perhaps unsurprising that Wesley Fofana tops the defensive charts with his 180 PA, there are plenty of other options available. António Silva offers a PA that can almost reach the same heights as Fofana for a quarter of the price, while the likes of Eric Garcia, Caleb Okoli, Malick Thiaw, and Christian Mosquera could be savvy purchases for a team with less money to spend.

Position Name Value/Wage CA/PA

DC Wesley Fofana £79M-£126M / £230k p/w 151/180

DCL Joško Gvardiol* £81M-99M / £59k p/w 139/176

DRC/DM/WBR Jurriën Timber £65M-£93M / £65k p/w 149/175

DC William Saliba £60M-£95M / £40k p/w 145/175

DC/DM Giorgio Scalvini* £32M-42M / £25.5k p/w 131/174

DC António Silva* £18.5M-24M / £7.25k p/w 132/174

D/WBL/M/AML Alphonso Davies £53M-£84M / £165k p/w 160/172

D/WB/ML Destiny Udogie* £45M-£59M / £50k p/w 142/172

D/WBL Nuno Mendes* £48M-£76M / £34.5k p/w 149/168

D/WBR Tino Livramento* £69M-£85M / £10k p/w 134/168

DC Marc Guéhi £54M-£64M / £45k p/w 143/168

D/WBR/WBL/MR Tariq Lamptey £68M-80M / £45k p/w 142/167

DC Eric Garcia £22M-28M / £49.5k p/w 144/165

DC Caleb Okoli £20M-24M / £17.25k p/w 133/164

D/WBR/WBL/MR Jeremie Frimpong £45M-£71M / £25k p/w 142/162

D/WBR Nathan Patterson £46M-56M / £40k p/w 129/162

D/WBL Luke Thomas £38M-£47M / £25k p/w 134/160

DC Mattia Viti* £16M-19.5M / £10.25k p/w 125/160

D/WB/MR Wilfried Singo £13M-£16.5M / £4.3k p/w 135/159

D/WB/ML Fabiano Parisi £19M-£30M / £3.2k p/w 133/159

DC/DM Malick Thiaw £9.4M-£15M / £17k p/w 125/159

DCR Christian Mosquera* £170k-9.2M / £2.5k p/w 100/155

D/WB/M/AML Alejandro Balde* £12M-£19M / £3.4k p/w 127/154

Midfielders Camavinga, Bellingham, Gavi, Pedri, and Musiala are already world-class players, which is why you’ll have to spend a fortune to get them – but you’ll be guaranteed quality. But you certainly won’t be required to spend big to get some incredible midfield talent. Danilo, Mohammed Kudus, and Nicolas Seiwald start off with decent current ability, and potential for growth, while managers building for the future should be building their teams around players like Alfie Devine, Arda Güler, and Julen Jon Guerrero; all excellent value considering their potential.

Position Name Value/Wage CA/PA

DM/MC Eduardo Camavinga £54M-68M / £130k p/w 147/180

DM/MC Jude Bellingham* £93M-111M / £49k p/w 149/178

DM/M/AMC Alfie Devine* £31M-38M / £5k p/w 106/178

MC/AMRCL Pedri £82M-£98M / £190k p/w 159/176

AMC Arda Güler* £8.6M-10.5M / £2.4k p/w 105/176

DM/M/AMC Gavi* £82M-98M / £125k p/w 148/175

M/AMC Julen Jon Guerrero* £9.4M-14M / £1.2k p/w 101/175

DM/MC Unai Vencedor £152M-168M / £27.5k p/w 145/172

DM/MC Roméo Lavia* £37M-55M / £40k p/w 125/170

MCR/AMC/AML Giovanni Reyna* £69M-83M / £41.5k p/w 140/170

DM/M/AMC Ilaix Moriba* £48M-58M / £24k p/w 133/170

M/AMC João Veloso* £120k-5.2M / £2.4k p/w 85/170

M/AMC/ST Charles De Ketelaere £49M-73M / £47k p/w 145/169

DM/MC Warren Zaïre-Emery* £11.5M-17M / £1.2k p/w 100/166

DM/MC Danilo £10M-15M / £19.25k p/w 134/166

DM/MC Nicolas Seiwald £11.5M-17M / £13k p/w 133/165

DM/M/AMC Enzo Fernándes £39M-46M / £23.5k p/w 150/164

M/AMC Lazar Samardžic £16M-19M / £8k p/w 128/164

MC Archie Gray* £13M-16.5M / £180 p/w 97/164

DM/MC Moisés Caicedo* £37M-57M / £71k p/w 143/162

DM/MC Manu Koné £29M-43M / £38.5k p/w 134/162

DM/MC Samuele Ricci £38M-57M / £30.5k p/w 133/162

M/AMC Mohammed Kudus £22M-32M / £15.5k p/w 142/160

M/AMC Takehiro Nakai* £6M-8.8M / £1.6k p/w 104/160

DM/M/AMC Ryan Gravenberch* £16.5M-20M / £150k p/w 137/159

Wingers Fati and Reyna are great options down the left wing for anyone who can afford them, but we think you should be raiding the Norwegian and Danish leagues for Schjelderup and Gulliksen, two bargain players who have some huge potential.

On the right wing, Saka is potentially out of even the richest clubs’ grasp with his eye-watering value, but Pino, Elliott, and Kayky can all fit the bill and will be competing at the same level as Saka in a few seasons’ time, while for those without the megabucks to spend, Prestianni at Argentinian side Vélez could be a steal at only £3m.

Position Name Value/Wage CA/PA

AMRL Vinícius Júnior £203M-244M / £185k p/w 174/184

MC/AMRLC Jamal Musiala £61M-77M / £91k p/w 155/180

AMRL/ST Ansu Fati £43M-65M / £200k p/w 149/178

AMRL Bukayo Saka £200M-236M / £30k p/w 160/177

AMRL/ST Rodrygo £48M-56M / £135k p/w 152/175

AMRLC/ST Yeremy Pino £53M-79M / £23.5k p/w 142/175

MRL/AMRLC Noni Madueke* £74M-106M / £12.5k p/w 139/175

AMRL/ST Gabriel Martinelli £245M-267M / £125k p/w 148/174

AMRLC Khvicha Kvaratskhelia £48M-72M / £25.5k p/w 153/174

AMR Kayky £23M-28M / £25k p/w 112/174

WB/M/AMRLC Callum Hudson-Odoi £46M-69M / £120k p/w 148/170

MC, AMRLC Harvey Elliott £44M-55M / £45k p/w 140/170

AMRLC/ST João Pedro* £30M / £25k p/w 133/170

AMRLC Emile Smith Rowe £152M-167M / £48k p/w 147/168

AMRLC/ST Rayan Cherki* £23M-28M / £30k p/w 118/167

AMR, ST Liel Abada £21M-24M / £15k p/w 140/165

ML/AMRLC Mykhaylo Mudryk £51M-63M / £5k p/w 140/163

AMRL/ST Mathys Tel* £33M-49M / £66k p/w 120/163

AMRC/ST Brennan Johnson £34M-51M / £40k p/w 132/162

MC/AMLC Curtis Jones £30M-45M / £45k p/w 143/162

AMRLC Arsen Zakharyan £17.5M-21M / £29.5k p/w 125/162

AMR/ST Georginio Rutter £14.5M-23M / £14.5k p/w 131/160

AML/ST Andreas Schjelderup £6.4M-7.8M / £4.2k p/w 134/160

MR/AMRC/ST Takefusa Kubo £29M-43M / £36k p/w 143/159

AMRLC/ST David Kalokoh* £6.2M-9.4M / £3.4k p/w 107/158

Strikers To nobody’s surprise, Erling Haaland storms to the top of the charts when it comes to strikers, but with perennial prospects Endrick and Youssoufa Moukoko not far behind, they would both be excellent signings for any team. Similarly, Vitor Roque, Mohamed-Ali Cho, and Rodrigo Ribeiro offer great value for money and some decent potential for the future. Players like Jhon Durán, Matías Arezo, or even Iker Villar and Karim Konaté mean that there truly is a wonderkid striker for any budget. Any of these would make an ideal focal point to build your attack for the future.

Position Name Value/Wage CA/PA

ST/AMRL Erling Haaland £219M-249M / £350k p/w 185/195

ST/AMR Endrick* £17.5M-21M / £35 p/w 102/176

ST Youssoufa Mouskoko* £25M-30M / £5.25k p/w 121/173

ST Dane Scarlett* £31M-48M / £10k p/w 110/172

ST Vitor Roque* £14.5M-18.5M / £6.25k p/w 122/173

ST Mohamed-Ali Cho* £18.5M-29M / £3.6k p/w 120/172

ST Armando Broja* £50M-61M / £75k p/w 135/169

ST Rodrigo Ribeiro* £5.2M-8.4M / £3k p/w 94/168

ST Benjamin Šeško* £15.5M-24M / £10.25k p/w 133/167

ST Fábio Silva* £44M-70M / £40k p/w 125/165

ST Jude Soonsup-Bell* £17M-21M / £5k p/w 97/165

ST Jhon Durán* £4.6M-£7.2M / £2.8k p/w 108/165

ST Skye Vink* £10.5M-13.5M / £85 p/w 90/163

ST Emre Tezgel £7M-9M / £180 p/w 85/162

ST/AMR Karim Adeyemi £52M-82M / £99k p/w 138/160

ST/AML Marcos Leonardo* £13M-20M / £10k p/w 129/159

ST Matías Arezo* £7.6M-9.8M / £6.75k p/w 121/159

ST Iker Villar* £300k-£3.1M / £300 p/w 80/158

ST/AML Elye Wahi* £17.5M-27M / £8k p/w 122/157

ST Jon Karrikaburu* £7.8M-10M / £3.4k p/w 119/156

ST Karim Konaté* £1.9M-4M / £1.7k p/w 108/156

ST Julian Rijkhoff* £5.2M-8.4M / £2.2k p/w 102/156

ST/AMC Joe Gelhardt* £11.5M-18M / £5k p/w 121/155

ST Jason van Duiven* £5.4M-8.4M / £800 p/w 101/155

ST Jamie Donley* £18.5M-29M / £180 p/w 95/154

Any one of these players would be an excellent buy if you have the money to spend. While the likes of Saka, Pedri, and Fati are probably unaffordable for all but the PSGs and Manchester Citys of the world, they’re worth the money as they’re already Champions League quality and are only going to get better over time.

For mid-table teams, especially those in the English Premier League with a bit more cash, there are affordable players in every position that will easily slot into your starting 11 and will develop into world-class players during your rise to the top. Players like Trubin, Thiaw, Miretti, and João Pedro are all already solid players available for less than £50m, and if you manage to poach a couple, they could be the perfect kinds of players to start building a team around.

And while there might not be such thing as a ‘cheap’ wonderkid per-se, there are certainly some bargains to be had if you know where to look. Smaller European leagues can provide some hidden gems such as Ribeiro in Portugal, Schjelderup in Norway, or Villar in Spain, while you can never go wrong scouting out Brazil and Argentina were the second coming of Ronaldo, Endrick, is just waiting for you to pick him up.

Finally, while already established wonderkids like Gavi, Pedri, and Fati at Barcelona will always be present in the game no matter what leagues you load in, players at smaller teams such as Schjelderup in Norway may require you to have their leagues playable for them to feature in the database (you can always remove them afterward if you want).

Want to improve the aesthetics of your Football Manager 2023 game? Download the best skins and logo packs, and if you want to sort out those unofficial club and league names, our guide to the FM23 real name fix is what you’re after.

FM23 Wonderkids aren’t your average young player, they’re the best of the best. While still younger than 21, they often have the current ability to compete with the average top-division player and have a potential so high that it would make any Champions League team blush. However, because of this, they can often cost you tens of millions, although if you’re smart you might be able to pick yourself up a bargain. If you’re looking to build a team for the future and don’t mind developing these players, then you might bag yourself a future club legend.

Whether you’re looking for a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, winger, or striker, we’ve got you covered. Each position is by potential ability (PA) from highest to lowest. Some players have a fixed PA, while others have a dynamic PA, meaning their potential differs between every save, so their potential in your save could be higher or lower than we have here. We’ve marked every player with a dynamic potential with an asterisk to make it clearer. Here is a list of the best wonderkids in Football Manager 23, an absolute must if you plan on creating a dynasty in one of the best PC games this year.

Arnau Tenas offers a guaranteed PA of 160 for a reasonable fee, but in reality, any of these keepers have the chance to be real world-class talents. Our pick of the lot, though, has to go to Nathaniel Nwosu. For less than £100k, you can pick yourself up a goalkeeper who will be as good as any other if you’re willing to put the time into his development.

While it’s perhaps unsurprising that Wesley Fofana tops the defensive charts with his 180 PA, there are plenty of other options available. António Silva offers a PA that can almost reach the same heights as Fofana for a quarter of the price, while the likes of Eric Garcia, Caleb Okoli, Malick Thiaw, and Christian Mosquera could be savvy purchases for a team with less money to spend.

Camavinga, Bellingham, Gavi, Pedri, and Musiala are already world-class players, which is why you’ll have to spend a fortune to get them – but you’ll be guaranteed quality. But you certainly won’t be required to spend big to get some incredible midfield talent. Danilo, Mohammed Kudus, and Nicolas Seiwald start off with decent current ability, and potential for growth, while managers building for the future should be building their teams around players like Alfie Devine, Arda Güler, and Julen Jon Guerrero; all excellent value considering their potential.

Fati and Reyna are great options down the left wing for anyone who can afford them, but we think you should be raiding the Norwegian and Danish leagues for Schjelderup and Gulliksen, two bargain players who have some huge potential.

To nobody’s surprise, Erling Haaland storms to the top of the charts when it comes to strikers, but with perennial prospects Endrick and Youssoufa Moukoko not far behind, they would both be excellent signings for any team. Similarly, Vitor Roque, Mohamed-Ali Cho, and Rodrigo Ribeiro offer great value for money and some decent potential for the future. Players like Jhon Durán, Matías Arezo, or even Iker Villar and Karim Konaté mean that there truly is a wonderkid striker for any budget. Any of these would make an ideal focal point to build your attack for the future.

Any one of these players would be an excellent buy if you have the money to spend. While the likes of Saka, Pedri, and Fati are probably unaffordable for all but the PSGs and Manchester Citys of the world, they’re worth the money as they’re already Champions League quality and are only going to get better over time.