For some Football Manager players, blowing your entire budget on a ready made superstar is the way to go. However, one of the best parts of the game is snapping a youngster up for cheap and watching him develop into a world-beater.
Football Manager 2020 has plenty of young players who you should be looking out for, and FM Scout have put together a list of some of the brightest prospects for you to try and pick up for your own club.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at 100 of the best on offer this year.
*All values subject to change.
Goalkeepers
Iván Martínez
Atlético Pamplona (Osasuna) – £150,000
If you don’t have the budget to splash out on AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, then Martínez is your best bet. Tipped for big things, you definitely need to be the one to try develop him.
Manuel Gasparini
Udinese – £100,000
Gasparini was a gem of FM 2019, and he’s back again this year. Having impressed in youth football, the future is looking promising for the 17-year-old.
Alessandro Plizzari
AC Milan – £570,000
Milan already have Donnarumma, so surely they don’t need two wonderkid goalkeepers. You’d be doing them a favour to sign Plizarri. Maybe.
Gavin Bazunu
Manchester City – £270,000
City snapped up this future superstar in 2018. Will he be able to get past Ederson in the pecking order, or is he yours for the taking?
Alban Lafont
Fiorentina – £4.1m
If you’ve played FM before, you’ll know all about Lafont. Now 20, he’s good enough to play first-team minutes for most sides already, so he could be your starter for the next decade.
Diogo Costa
Porto – £1.5m
No strangers to developing superstars, Porto have done it again with Costa, who is on the cusp of breakthrough to the senior side.
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| Phelipe Megiolaro |
| Gremio – £40,000 |
| One of the stars of Brazilian football, Phelipe has already been part of the senior international side, and there is a real belief that he could be the next great goalkeeper for the Seleção. |
Andriy Lunin
Real Madrid – £630,000
No stranger to lists like these, Lunin has taken his talents to Real Valladolid on loan this year, in the hope of earning himself a spot back at Real Madrid.
Iñaki Peña
Barcelona – £630,000
Peña is everything you’d expect from a Barcelona goalkeeper. He’s great with the ball at his feet, and he’s actually a machine when it comes to penalties.
Pontus Dahlberg
Watford – £2.5m
Watford struck an under-the-radar deal for Dahlberg back in January 2018, but first-team minutes have been hard to come by. He needs a manager like you to save the day.
Right-Backs
Guga
Atlético Mineiro – £2.3m
Once you look past Trent Alexander-Arnold, Max Aarons and Diogo Dalot, Guga is your man. He’s cheap and ready for the test of a major league.
Jayden Bogle
Derby County – £7.2m
Bogle won’t come cheap, but he’s worth the expense. He has plenty of Championship experience under his belt, so there will be no shortage of sides who look to sign him.
Facundo Mura
Estudiantes – £1.6m
An exciting right-back, Mura can play anywhere on the right side of the pitch, meaning he knows how to grab his fair share of goals and assists.
Dodô
Shakhtar Donetsk – £4.4m
Shakhtar love selling their Brazilians on for profit, so you need to take advantage of that and pick up Dodô
Tomás Tavares
Benfica – £830,000
The latest talent off of the Benfica production line, Tavares has already turned out for the first team, in what should be the start of a long, successful career.
Ki-Jana Hoever
Liverpool – £340,000
Comfortable both centrally and on the right, Hoever made a big impression on Liverpool during pre-season, and he could do the same for your team.
Raoul Bellanova
Bordeaux – £200,000
Bellanova left Milan in search of first-team football during the summer, and he found that in Bordeaux. Versatile enough to play even in attack, the Italian is the kind of player every manager wants.
Thierry Correia
Valencia – £3.3m
Primarily a right-back, Correia is also comfortable to play on the left, so he could fill in in plenty of positions in any team.
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| Sergiño Dest |
| Ajax – £1.3m |
| There’s not a lot Dest can’t do. He can defend and attack with ease, and he can do so on both sides of the field. He’s every manager’s dream. |
Emerson
Barcelona – £4.2m
Emerson has only recently made the switch to Barcelona, but La Blaugrana see him as a potential star of the future, and understandably so.
Centre-Backs
Jean-Clair Todibo
Barcelona – £5.4m
Matthijs de Ligt is the obvious dream purchase, but Todibo shouldn’t be far behind. With the composure to step into midfield when needed, he’s a real star in the making.
Dayot Upamecano
RB Leipzig – £6.8m
Upamecano is already a fully fledged star in the Bundesliga, and it’s only going to get better. His price tag is only going to skyrocket, so get yourself in early before you regret it.
Nehuén Pérez
Atlético Madrid – £750,000
A powerful defender, Pérez has been impressing on loan away from Atléti, and he certainly appears destined for a big future.
Malang Sarr
OGC Nice – £4.7m
Having already made well over 100 appearances for Nice, Sarr is ready to step into any team on the game. He can play centrally and on the left, so he’s incredibly useful in any squad.
Ethan Ampadu
Chelsea – £10.6m
You’ll have to pay a hefty price if you want to pry Ampadu away from Chelsea, but for good reason. The Welshman is a versatile option who can impress all over the field.
William Saliba
Arsenal – £5.7m
Arsenal have high hopes for Saliba, and it’s not hard to see why. He has plenty of Ligue 1 experience under his belt, so he might be tough to lure away from the Gunners.
Dan-Axel Zagadou
Borussia Dortmund – £6.8m
Standing at 6’5, you’ll notice Zagadou on the pitch. He has been trained by both PSG and Borussia Dortmund, so you know he has learned from the best.
Alessandro Bastoni
Inter – £4.6m
Inter have a rich history of producing some top defenders, and Bastoni looks set to become the next San Siro great.
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| Nicolò Armini |
| Lazio – £260,000
|
| Armini has the potential to become one of the greatest centre-backs around, and he can be snapped up for pocket change if you move fast enough. The definition of ‘hidden gem’. |
Ibrahima Konaté
RB Leipzig – £6.3m
It’s just selfish how many good, young centre-backs Leipzig have. Konaté is one of many, so you could sign him and Leipzig wouldn’t even realise he was gone.
Left-Backs
Gian-Luca Itter
Freiburg – £2.1m
Left-back wonderkids don’t come better than 20-year-old Itter. Already seen as one of the world’s finest at his age, he would be able to play a starring role for years to come.
Rayan Aït-Nouri
Angers – £1m
18-year-old Aït-Nouri has already established himself as a first-team regular at Angers. France know how to produce elite defenders, so you need to move for him soon before his price tag flies up.
Luca Pellegrini
Zebra Turin (Juventus) – £5.7m
Pellegrini won’t come cheap, as Juventus only brought him to the club before the start of the season. However, as a versatile, creative defender, he is certainly worth the investment.
Juan Miranda
Barcelona – £2.8m
Barcelona see Miranda as a real star of the future, and so they should. Comfortable anywhere on the left side of the field, he’s a dream for any boss.
Marc Cucurella
Barcelona – £6.6m
La Blaugrana have plenty of exciting left-backs. Cucurella is slightly older and more experienced than Miranda, which means his price tag will be a little higher. Nevertheless, he’d still be a top signing.
Toni Herrero
Levante – £140,000
A regular for Spain’s youth sides, Herrero has regularly played above his age group, so it wouldn’t take him too long to adjust to the rigours of senior football.
Zlatan Šehović
Partizan – £170,000
Šehović has plenty of top-flight experience to his name already. An attacking full-back, he is sure to play a part in plenty of highlights for any side.
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| Melvin Bard |
| Lyon – £440,000 |
| A versatile left-back, Bard can play centrally and even in midfield. He has been trained by Lyon’s fantastic academy coaches and looks like the kind of player who could make a real difference in the future. |
Gonçalo Costa
Sporting CP – £80,000
Sporting know how to turn youngsters into superstars, and Costa could be the next wonderkid off the production line.
Nuno Tavares
Benfica – £1.7m
Like Sporting, rivals Benfica know what they’re doing with young players. Tavares can play on either side of defence and can even hold his own as a left winger, which should tell you what you need to know about his play style.
Defensive Midfield
Florentino Luís
Benfica – £15m
Florentino will certainly not come cheap, but he’s the kind of youngster you should not hesitate to spend big on. He will almost certainly blossom into a superstar on FM, so make sure he does so for your club.
Sandro Tonali
Brescia – £3.8m
Almost every club in the world wants to sign Tonali in real life, and that’s exactly how it goes on FM. His blend of defending and tempo-setting passing make him a wanted man.
Marcos Antônio
Shakhtar – £4.2m
Another Brazilian youngster to take his talents to Shakhtar, Antônio is showcasing his talents on the European stage, and there are plenty of sides keen on snapping him up already.
Adrian Fein
Bayern Munich – £3.8m
A powerful midfielder, Fein has grown up as part of Bayern’s academy. He has been an ever-present for Germany’s youth sides, and you should be the one to give him his first taste of top-flight football.
Jonathan González
Monterrey – £360,000
Seen as one of the brightest prospects in Mexican football, González is already a full international for his country, and big things are expected from the diminutive midfielder.
Daniel Bragança
Sporting CP – £430,000
Sporting have done it again with Bragança. They don’t need all these exciting youngsters, so you need to try and snap the midfielder up early on.
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| Noah Kenneh |
| Leeds United – £190,000
|
| An England youth international, Kenneh is versatile enough to play in midfield and anywhere across the back line as well. He can be snapped up for pennies early on, so make sure you secure his signature soon. |
Gustavo Assuncão
Familicão – £1.2m
Gustavo has been a revelation for Famalicão, proving why he is rated so highly with a number of impressive top-flight showings.
Ronaldo Vieira
Sampdoria – £4.7m
Vieira swapped Leeds for Sampdoria in 2018 in order to play football at the highest level, so he is already ready to fill in for any team.
Victor Bobsin
Gremio – £200,000
A powerful midfielder, Bobsin has the potential to develop into a key player for any side. He can tackle and he can pass, so Bobsin could become the complete midfielder with the right training.
Central Midfield
Sergio Gómez
Borussia Dortmund – £2.1m
As one of the most highly rated prospects on the game, Gómez is one of those players who you need to sign at all costs. Creative enough to operate out on the wing as well, there’s not a lot he can’t do.
Alessio Riccardi
Roma – £500,000
Having already broken through into Roma’s first team, it seems like just a matter of time before Juventus try to sign Riccardi. Make sure they can’t.
Hamed Junior Traorè
Empoli – £8.9m
Sassuolo already have the option to sign Traorè permanently at the end of his loan stay with the club. However, make sure you keep an eye out, because they might opt against doing so.
Arne Maier
Hertha Berlin – £8.4m
Maier is one of many exciting German youngsters on the cusp of a real breakthrough. Already an established talent in the Bundesliga, he is not far away from being able to step into any first team on the planet.
Exequiel Palacios
River – £2.9m
Long viewed as part of the future of Argentinian football, Palacios can be picked up for cheap early in the game before he reaches his full potential.
Riqui Puig
Barcelona – £5.7m
Breaking through at Camp Nou is not an easy task, so if you offer Puig the chance to further his development somewhere else, there’s a chance he might say yes.
Mickaël Cuisance
Bayern Munich – £4.3m
After a slow start to 2019, Cuisance is looking to get his career back on track with Bayern. He’s destined for greatness on FM, so you need to do all you can to snap him up.
Augustín Almendra
Boca – £1.9m
A core part of Boca’s exciting midfield, Almendra is another of those who is available for a bargain price early on.
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| Ilaix Moriba |
| Barcelona – £500,000 |
| Moriba has been tipped to reach the kind of level which most players can only dream of. FM clearly believe the hype, giving the 16-year-old sky-high potential. |
Romário Baró
Porto – £3.4m
A FM legend, Baró has been overwhelmingly dominant in youth football, firing goals and assists with terrifying ease. He has still got some way to go to make it in senior football, but you better make sure you’re the manager to get him there.
Left Wing
Rodrygo
Real Madrid – £6m
The likes of Jadon Sancho and Vinícius Junior are high on every boss’ wish list, but Rodrygo should be right up there alongside them.
Rayan Cherki
Lyon – £180,000
Some see Cherki as one of the finest prospects to ever emerge from Lyon’s famous academy. The 15-year-old can play anywhere across the attacking line and can be bought for a ludicrously cheap fee early on.
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| Naci Ünüvar
|
| Ajax – £118,000 |
| The ‘wonderkid’ label was made for Ünüvar. The exciting winger has everything you could want from a winger, including a stunningly low price tag. He’s the dream signing. |
Ansu Fati
Barcelona – £840,000
Barcelona will make you pay a hefty price to sign Fati, but that’s because he has the potential to develop into one of the finest players on FM.
Francisco Trincão
Braga – £1.3m
Those with a smaller budget will still be able to pick up Trincão, who could play on either side of your attack for the next decade.
Diego Lainez
Real Hispalis (Real Betis) – £2.9m
Experienced FM players will already be familiar with Lainez, who already has plenty of La Liga and Europa League experience under his belt.
Arnór Sigurðsson
CSKA Moscow – £1.7m
CSKA moved quickly to snap up the Icelandic midfielder’s signature back in 2018. His potential is clear to see, and it could be up to you to unlock it.
Luca Connell
Celtic – £270,000
Comfortable both centrally and on the left, Irishman Connell has already been called up to the senior national side. He looks to have everything you need to make it as a FM wonderkid.
Daniel Maldini
AC Milan – £100,000
When your dad is Paolo Maldini, you’re expected to blossom into a superstar. The younger Maldini has the potential to do just that, so make sure you win the race for his signature.
Gabriel Veron
Palmeiras – £20,000
The Golden Ball winner at the latest Under-17 World Cup, the sky is the limit for dynamic forward Veron. Most elite sides in Europe will take notice of him very quickly in your FM game.
Right Wing
Emanuel Vignato
Chievo – £600,000
When you realise that you haven’t got enough money to sign Kylian Mbappé, you should settle for Vignato. The Italian is nowhere near Mbappé’s level just yet, but he can certainly get close in the future.
Rober
Real Hispalis (Real Betis) – £50,000
A core part of Spanish youth football, Rober has the potential to develop into one of the finest wingers around. Comfortable on both sides, he is the kind of player you should want in your team.
Harvey Elliott
Liverpool – £600,000
Given he is seen as one of England’s brightest talents, Liverpool will make you pay a high price to sign Elliott, but he could justify those demands as he gets older.
Antony
São Paulo – £6.4m
There are plenty of exciting youngsters making waves in Brazil, and Antony is amongst the finest available. Primarily a winger, he can even play as a central striker.
Andreas Skov Olsen
Bologna – £4.9m
After years of starring for Nordsjælland, Olsen has taken has talents to the Serie A, but it might not be too long before he finds himself the subject of interest from some top sides.
Manor Solomon
Shakhtar – £5.2m
Another of those who should already be on the radar of any experienced FM player, Solomon has long looked like a star in the making.
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| Calvin Stengs |
| AZ – £5.5m |
| Stengs has a little bit of everything (apart from reliable knees). A powerful yet agile winger, he can cause problems for any defender in all sorts of ways. |
Jacob Bruun Larsen
Borussia Dortmund – £10.8m
Dortmund knew what they were doing when they snapped up Bruun Larsen at a young age. He won’t be the easiest to sign, but he’s worth the effort.
Dejan Kulusevski
Atalanta – £2.9m
Kulusevski has attracted plenty of suitors in the real world, and his impressive performances on the virtual pitch will ensure the same happens in FM.
Tetê
Shakhtar – £4.4m
How many wonderkids do Shakhtar need? It’s not fair on the rest of us.
Attacking Midfield
Pedri
Barcelona – £570,000
Many at Barcelona are incredibly excited by Pedri, and so they should be. With the potential to reach a similar level as João Félix, signing him should be a no-brainer.
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| Thiago Almada |
| Velez – £2m |
| Comparisons to Lionel Messi are more than a bit premature for Almada, but he can grow into one of the most dominant forwards around. He can be picked up for a bargain price early in the game. |
Hannibal Mejbri
Manchester United – £360,000
United won’t let Mejbri go for cheap, but he’s the kind of player you need to constantly keep an eye on. As soon as he becomes available, make sure you pounce.
Mohammed Ihattaren
PSV Eindhoven – £4.2m
Ihattaren is seen as one of the brightest talents in Dutch football, and it surely won’t be much longer before he follows the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong and seals a blockbuster move overseas.
Yari Verschaeren
Anderlecht – £2.3m
Belgium have produced plenty of exciting forwards in the past, and Vershaeren looks to be next. Already part of the senior international side, his price tag will blow through the roof in the near future.
Angel Gomes
Manchester United – £8.7m
It’s hard to remember a time when Gomes was not seen as the future of English football. He may still be young, but he plays like somebody who has years of experience under his belt.
Nuno Santos
Benfica – £980,000
Comfortable anywhere across the forward line, Santos has everything he needs to become a superstar in European football.
Gianluca Gaetano
Napoli – £520,000
Napoli signed Gaetano to a professional contract when he was only 16, and they have high hopes that he could soon become a first-team star.
Matías Palacios
San Lorenzo – £630,000
A star of Argentinian youth football, Palacios made his senior debut for San Lorenzo when he was just 16 years old, and the club feel he could become the next big thing.
Florent Da Silva
Lyon – £90,000
Another gem in Lyon’s academy, Da Silva is a creative machine who can both score and create goals from midfield. He could certainly make any team better in a few years.
Strikers
Fiete Arp
Bayern Munich – £2.9m
Mason Greenwood is the most expensive young striker, but you could pick up Arp for far cheaper. He has long been seen as the future of German football and is surely not far off from living up to that potential.
Fábio Silva
Porto – £1.4m
The gem of Porto’s academy, Silva is one of the most exciting youngsters around, and he is only 16 years old at the start of the game. Buy him early before his value soars.
Amini Gouiri
Lyon – £1.6m
Thanks to their crop of youngsters, Lyon have what it takes to become a real FM powerhouse on FM. Gouiri can lead the line in the future, so sign him before he gets the chance to.
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| Myron Boadu |
| AZ – £4.5m |
| It’s no exaggeration to claim that Boadu is the complete striker. He’s fast and creative enough to play out wide, but also boasts the strength and finish to star centrally. |
Sebastiano Esposito
Inter – £1.6m
If you act quick enough, Esposito is relatively affordable for any club. Pick him up while you can, before Inter start demanding a ridiculous fee.
Troy Parrott
Tottenham Hotspur – £510,000
Is Parrott the second coming of Harry Kane? Spurs fans seem to think so, and that’s the kind of level he can reach on FM with the right management.
Erling Haaland
Red Bull Salzburg – £5.1m
Haaland is making a lot of noise in the real world this year, and he’s good enough to step into most virtual sides on FM already. His value will only go up, so you better move quick.
Pietro Pellegri
Monaco – £1.3m
A FM legend by the age of 18, players should know all about Pellegri already. The powerful forward sealed an expensive move to Monaco in 2018, but his price tag is only going to rise.
Giacomo Raspadori
Sassuolo – £1.1m
You can play Raspadori as both a striker and a winger, so it should be easy to find a place for the talented Italian in your side.
Rhian Brewster
Liverpool – £5.8m
Brewster is already a part of Liverpool’s senior setup, and he can go on to become a real star in FM. The Reds won’t want to let him go for cheap, but when has that ever stopped an ambitious FM boss?
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