Football Manager 2024: The FM24 wonderkids we expect for the new game

Football Manager 2024: The FM24 wonderkids we expect for the new game
(Image credit: Sports Interactive)

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids are already writing their stories, with FM24 not expected to be released until the autumn. If you're anything like us though, you're already pondering which prospects will be available when the game comes out.

Well, we've been scouring not just the FM database but the real world for clues as to who will become the wonderkids of tomorrow. These are our picks for superstardom – and yes, before you ask, yes: we have a score of 20 for judging players' potential ability. 

So let's dive in. These are the kids that you'll need for your Football Manager save next time around. Bookmark this page – there may well be movement, yet…

Goalkeepers

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 goalkeepers I need to sign?

Gabriel Slonina #1 of Chicago Fire reacts against New York City FC during the second half at SeatGeek Stadium on August 21, 2022 in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Gabriel Slonina of Chicago Fire in action against New York City (Image credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Goalkeepers in Football Manager tend to mature after the age of 25 – but that probably won't stop you from picking up a precocious custodian for the next decade.

With these players all under 21, it's well worth adding one or two to your loan army now rather than having to shell out megabucks down the line. It's all about the long game, right?

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Goalkeepers
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Gavin Bazunu21Republic of IrelandSouthampton
Maarten Vandevoordt21BelgiumGenk
Gabriel Slonina19United StatesChelsea
Bart Verbruggen20NetherlandsAnderlecht
Kacper Tobiasz20PolandLegia Warsaw
Dogan Alemdar20TurkeyStade Rennais
Daniil Khudyakov19RussiaLokomotiv Moscow
Matheus Donelli21BrazilCorinthians
James Trafford20EnglandBurnley
James Beadle18EnglandBrighton & Hove Albion
Andre Gomes18PortugalBenfica
Lukas Hornicek20Czech RepublicBraga
Noah Atubolu21GermanyFreiburg
Samuel Soares20PortugalBenfica
Ruslan Neshcheret21UkraineDynamo Kyiv
Plamen Andreev18BulgariaLevski Sofia
Chris Brady19United StatesChicago Fire
Filip Jorgensen21DenmarkVillarreal
Konstantinos Tzolakis20GreeceOlympiacos
Karl Hein21EstoniaArsenal
Daniil Odoevskiy20RussiaZenit Saint Petersburg
Mycael19BrazilAthletico Paranaense
Svetoslav Vutsov20BulgariaSlavia Sofia
Kacper Bieszczad20PolandZaglebie Lubin
Filip Stankovic21SerbiaFC Volendam
Goncalo Ribeiro17PortugalPorto B
Noah Raveyre17FranceSaint-Etienne
Daniel Gjerde Saetren17NorwaySogndal
Timo Schlieck17GermanyRB Leipzig
Andreas Dithmer17DenmarkCopenhagen

Right-backs

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 right-backs I need to sign?

Rico Lewis of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 1st goal during the UEFA Champions League group G match between Manchester City and Sevilla FC at Etihad Stadium on November 2, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Rico Lewis of Manchester City in action against Sevilla (Image credit: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Right-back is a fascinating position in FM. There are naturally more right-footers than left in football and these days, it's not just the centre-backs and wingers who weren't good enough in those positions who play out at full-back.

These youngsters are all specialised in this position: whether you favour a back three or four, holding possession or countering, the full-backs you operate with are becoming ever-important in the modern game.

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Right-backs
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Malo Gusto20FranceChelsea
Tino Livramento20EnglandSouthampton
Arnau Martinez20SpainGirona
Rico Lewis18EnglandMannchester City
Kiliann Sildillia21FranceFreiburg
Joe Scally20United StatesBorussia Monchengladbach
Ivan Fresneda18SpainSporting
Brandon Soppy21FranceAtalanta
Amar Dedic20BosniaRed Bull Salzburg
Sael Kumbedi18FranceOlympique Lyonnais
Devyne Rensch20NetherlandsAjax
Arthur20BrazilAmerica-MG
Calegari21BrazilLos Angeles Galaxy
Calvin Ramsay19ScotlandLiverpool
Timothee Pembele20FranceSunderland
Agustin Giay19ArgentinaSan Lorenzo
Jose Angel Carmona21SpainElche
Thierno Balde20FranceTroyes
Yan Couto21BrazilGirona
Emilio Lara21MexicoClub America
Daniil Denisov20RussiaSpartak Moscow
Martim Fernandes17PortugalPorto B
Aleksa Koloni17SerbiaCukaricki
Sam Curtis17Republic of IrelandSt. Pats
Aaron Essel17GhanaBechem United
Mikkel Hope16NorwayHaugesund
Brooke Norton-Cuffy19EnglandArsenal
Mehmet Aydin21TurkeySchalke
Goncalo Esteves19PortugalSporting
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty18CanadaToronto

Centre-backs

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 centre-backs I need to sign?

Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City seen prior to The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City  (Image credit: Getty Images)

Get a young centre-back in now and you can grow a backline that lasts a decade. It's exactly what the elite clubs do when looking to evolve. 

With central defenders improving every year in terms of their athleticism and ball-playing ability, signing a younger player in this position can actually enable you to play a more expansive style of play, in some cases, too.

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Centre-backs
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Josko Gvardiol21CroatiaManchester City
Giorgio Scalvini19ItalyAtalanta
Piero Hincapie21EcuadorBayer Leverkusen
Antonio Silva19PortugalBenfica
Castello Lukeba20FranceRB Leipzig
Taylor Harwood-Bellis21EnglandManchester City
Illya Zabarnyi20UkraineBournemouth
Levi Colwill20EnglandChelsea
Callum Doyle19EnglandManchester City
Zeno Debast19BelgiumAnderlecht
Mattia Viti21ItalyNice
Abakar Sylla20Ivory CoastClub Brugge
Tanguy Nianzou21FranceSevilla
Leny Yoro17FranceLille
Robert Renan19BrazilZenit Saint Petersburg
El Chadaille Bitshiabu18FranceParis Saint-Germain
Jarrad Branthwaite20EnglandPSV Eindhoven
Luka Vuskovic16CroatiaHajduk Split
Andrew Omobamidele20Republic of IrelandNorwich City
Jorrel Hato17NetherlandsAjax
Maxime Esteve21FranceMontpellier
Yasin Ozcan17TurkeyKasimpasa
Mamadou Sarr17FranceOlympique Lyonnais
Ibrahima Bamba21ItalyVitoria
Ahmetcan Kaplan20TurkeyAjax
Kaiky19BrazilAlmeria
Ashley Phillips17EnglandTottenham Hotspur
Ameen Al-Dakhil21BelgiumBurnley
Wisdom Amey17TogoBologna
Ethan Butera17BelgiumAnderlecht

Left-backs

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 left-backs I need to sign?

Alejandro Balde of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between CA Osasuna and FC Barcelona at Estadio El Sadar on September 03, 2023 in Pamplona, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Alejandro Balde of Barcelona in action against Osasuna (Image credit: Getty Images)

Here's a piece of advice to you: if you manage to find a world-class left-back, hold onto him. It's a rarity in football, given that there are so few.

That's partly because it's such a specialised role and partly because left-footed players are scarcer. These players are all genuine threats from left-back though – and not just playing there out of having to.

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Left-backs
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Nuno Mendes20PortugalParis Saint-Germain
Alejandro Balde19SpainBarcelona
Destiny Udogie20ItalyTottenham Hotspur
Aaron Hickey20ScotlandBrentford
Victor Kristiansen20DenmarkLeicester City
Ian Maatsen21NetherlandsChelsea
Milos Kerkez19NetherlandsBournemouth
Bjorn Meijer20NetherlandsClub Brugge
Lewis Hall18EnglandNewcastle United
Alvaro Fernandez20SpainManchester United
Juan Larios19SpainSouthampton
Quentin Merlin21FranceNantes
Luca Netz20GermanyBorussia Monchengladbach
Omar Campos20MexicoSantos Laguna
Jesus Vazquez20SpainValencia
Riccardo Calafiori21ItalyBasel
Caleb Wiley18United StatesAtlanta United
Tom Rothe18GermanyBorussia Dortmund
Julian Aude20ArgentinaLos Angeles
Ayoub Amraoui19MoroccoNice
Vanderlan21BrazilPalmeiras
John Tolkin20United StatesNew York Red Bulls
Kazimcan Karatas20TurkeyGalatasaray
Valentin Barco18ArgentinaBoca Juniors
Baba Salifu Apiiga16GhanaAccra Lions
Thierry Small18EnglandSouthampton
Lino Sousa18EnglandArsenal
Tomas Galvez18FinlandManchester City
Felipe Yanez18ChileColo Colo
Joaquin Seys18BelgiumClub NXT

Defensive midfielders

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 defensive midfielders I need to sign?

Chelsea unveil new signing Romeo Lavia at Chelsea training Ground on August 18, 2023 in Cobham, England.

Chelsea unveil new signing Romeo Lavia (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

A lot of these players are capable of playing in central midfield, while a select few could handle a centre-back role. It used to be that this was a role for a more mature player: football evolves, however, and these kids are alright, so to speak.

With a range of talents needed for the No.6 position, it's best to assess exactly what you need deeper in your team and go from there. Do you need a destroyer? Or something a little subtler?

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Defensive midfielders
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Romeo Lavia19BelgiumChelsea
Stefan Bajcetic18SpainLiverpool
Lucas Gourna-Douath19FranceRed Bull Salzburg
Kristjan Asllani21AlbaniaInter Milan
Maximo Perrone20ArgentinaManchester City
Johann Lepenant20FranceOlympique Lyonnais
Arthur Vermeeren18BelgiumAntwerp
Lesley Ugochukwu19FranceChelsea
Ardon Jashari20SwiterlandLuzern
Lucien Agoume21FranceTroyes
Eric Martel21GermanyKoln
Pablo Maia21BrazilSao Paulo
Fabricio Diaz20UruguayLiverpool Montevideo
Ezequiel Fernandez20ArgentinaBoca Juniors
Habib Diarra19FranceStrasbourg
Sandry20BrazilVasco Da Gama
Mandela Keita21BelgiumAntwerp
Juan Sforza21ArgentinaNewell's Old Boys
Tim Breithaupt21GermanyKarlsruher
Ignacio Miramon19ArgentinaClub de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Noah Mbamba18BelgiumBayer Leverkusen
Arseniy Khorin16RussiaRodina-M Moscow
Oliver Scarles17EnglandWest Ham United
Mikhail Shchetinin17RussiaLokomotiv Moscow
Martin Sitev16BulgariaBotev
Federico Redondo20ArgentinaArgentinos Juniors
Andre Stavas Skistad16NorwayStromsgodset
David Ayala20ArgentinaPortland Timbers
Marco Kana20BelgiumAnderlecht
Dario Essugo18PortugalSporting

Central midfielders

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 central midfielders I need to sign?

Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid against Almeria in LaLiga in August 2023.

Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid against Almeria (Image credit: Getty Images)

Central midfielders can be remoulded into just about anything in the game – but if you find one worth his salt, you can give him regular minutes in a three-man midfield from his teenage years and beyond. 

This is how you build a spine of the team – and this lot are a precocious bunch. 

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Central midfielders
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Jude Bellingham19EnglandReal Madrid
Pedri20SpainBarcelona
Gavi18SpainBarcelona
Eduardo Camavinga20FranceReal Madrid
Gabri Veiga21SpainCelta Vigo
Ryan Gravenberch21NetherlandsLiverpool
Yunus Musah20United StatesAC Milan
Alex Scott19EnglandBournemouth
Warren Zaire-Emery17FranceParis Saint-Germain
Andrey Santos19BrazilChelsea
Carney Chukwuemeka19EnglandChelsea
Maurits Kjaergaard19DenmarkRed Bull Salzburg
Fabio Miretti19ItalyJuventus
Pape Matar Sarr20SenegalTottenham Hotspur
Kenneth Taylor21NetherlandsAjax
Carlos Alcaraz20ArgentinaSouthampton
Cesare Casadei20ItalyChelsea
James McAtee20EnglandManchester City
Charlie Patino19EnglandArsenal
Ismael Kone20CanadaWatford
Naouirou Ahamada21FranceCrystal Palace
Nico Gonzalez21SpainValencia
Aster Vranckx20BelgiumAC Milan
Kacper Kozlowski19PolandBrighton & Hove Albion
Andy Diouf20FranceBasel
Tyler Morton20EnglandLiverpool
Eliot Matazo21BelgiumMonaco
Praxedes21BrazilRed Bull Bragantino
Joan Gonzalez21SpainLecce
Iliax Moriba20GuineaValencia

Attacking midfielders

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 attacking midfielders I need to sign?

Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen looks on (Image credit: Getty)

The lads that lift you off your seat. Attacking midfielders were said to be dwindling in football in the last decade – but no one told these players.

A lot of these stars are capable of remoulding into CMs, wingers, even strikers if you're lucky. It's understandable that the most expressive, imaginative players in the team are wonderkids, so be sure to add one or two of these to your squad. 

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Attacking midfielders
ClubAgeNationalityClub
Jamal Musiala20GermanyBayern Munich
Florian Wirtz20GermanyBayer Leverkusen
Harvey Elliott20EnglandLiverpool
Xavi Simons20NetherlandsRB Leipzig
Giovanni Reyna20United StatesBorussia Dortmund
Rayan Cherki19FranceOlympique Lyonnais
Fabio Carvalho20PortugalLiverpool
Luka Sucic20CroatiaRed Bull Salzburg
Eliesse Ben Seghir18FranceMonaco
Desire Doue18FranceStade Rennais
Arda Guler18TurkeyReal Madrid
Martin Baturina20CroatiaDinamo Zagreb
Cole Palmer21EnglandChelsea
Arsen Zakharyan20RussiaDynamo Moscow
Fabian Rieder21SwitzerlandStade Rennais
Bilal El Khannouss19MoroccoGenk
Tommaso Baldanzi20ItalyEmpoli
Facundo Buonanotte18ArgentinaBrighton & Hove Albion
Georgiy Sudakov20UkraineShakhtar Donetsk
Hannibal20TunisiaManchester United
Lazar Samardzic21BelgiumAnderlecht
Oscar Gloukh19IsraelRed Bull Salzburg
Facundo Farias20ArgentinaAtletico Colon
Giannis Konstantelias20GreecePAOK
Efrain alvarez20MexicoLos Angeles Galay
Ismael Gharbi19SpainParis Saint-Germain
Jobe Bellingham17EnglandSunderland
Matheus Franca19BrazilCrystal Palace
Aaron Ramsey20EnglandAston Villa
Jeremy Sarmiento20EcuadorBrighton & Hove Albion

Right-wingers

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 right-wingers I need to sign?

Yeremy Pino

Yeremy Pino in action for Villarreal (Image credit: Getty)

There's a science to football. Left-footers tend to be more creative – don't ask why, they just are – and often, right-wingers are left-footed, so that they can cut inside.

A fair few of these stars will be creative sparks able to function as inverted wingers, while others will be inside forwards. As ever, analyse the stats and delve deeper into whatever it is you want to add to your squad. 

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Right-wingers
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Yeremy Pino20SpainVillarreal
Noni Madueke21EnglandChelsea
Nico Williams20SpainAthletic Bilbao
Dango Ouattara21Burkina FasoBournemouth
Amad Diallo20Ivory CoastManchester United
Angelo18BrazilChelsea
Marquinhos20BrazilArsenal
Gabriel Veron20BrazilPorto
Giovani19BrazilPalmeiras
Ansgar Knauff21GermanyEintracht Frankfurt
Kayky19BrazilBahia
Johan Bakayoko20BelgiumPSV Eindhoven
Francisco Conceicao20PortugalAjax
Jan Thielmann21GermanyKoln
Luca Langoni21ArgentinaBoca Juniors
Savio19BrazilPSV Eindhoven
Santiago Simon20ArgentinaRiver Plate
Kosi Thompson20CanadaToronto
Ishaq Abdulrazak21NigeriaAnderlecht
Filippo Terracciano20ItalyHellas Verona
Jens Castrop19GermanyNurnberg
Gianluca Prestianni17ArgentinaVelez Sarsfield
Julien Duranville17BelgiumBorussia Dortmund
Wilson Odobert18FranceTroyes
Matteo Cancellieri21ItalyLazio
Yusuf Demir20AustriaGalatasaray
Julian Fernandez19ArgentinaVelez Sarsfield
Hugo Novoa20SpainBasel
Matias Soule20ArgentinaJuventus
Shola Shoretire19EnglandManchester United

Left-wingers

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 left-wingers I need to sign?

Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United celebrates 0-1 during the UEFA Europa League match between Real Sociedad v Manchester United at the Estadio Reale Arena on November 3, 2022 in San Sebastian Spain

Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United in action against Real Sociedad (Image credit: David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Playing up front from a young age is difficult – and as we've mentioned, an abundance of right-footers makes the left-wing position the perfect spot to add a striker who hasn't quite got the physicality just yet.

This lot are all specialists in this position but with perhaps the best potential to be retrained into another position than anyone else on this list. 

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Left-wingers
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Karim Adeyemi21GermanyBorussia Dortmund
Ansu Fati20SpainBarcelona
Alejandro Garnacho18ArgentinaManchester United
Anthony Elanga21SwedenNottingham Forest
Kamaldeen Sulemana21GhanaSouthampton
Wilfried Gnonto19ItalyLeeds United
Talles Magno20BrazilNew York City
Nicola Zalewski21PolandRoma
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens18EnglandBorussia Dortmund
Fares Chaibi20AlgeriaToulouse
Jakub Kaminski21PolandWolfsburg
Andreas Schjelderup19NorwayBenfica
Alan Velasco20ArgentinaFC Dallas
Samuel Edozie20EnglandSouthampton
Matheus Martins19BrazilWatford
Sergey Pinyaev18RussiaLokomotiv Moscow
Exequiel Zeballos21ArgentinaBoca Juniors
Stipe Biuk20CroatiaLos Angeles FC
Simon Adingra21Ivory CoastUnion Saint-Gilloise
Mohamed Daramy21DenmarkCopenhagen
Cade Cowell19United StatesSan Jose Earthquakes
Lazaro21BrazilAlmeria
Christos Tzolis21GreeceNorwich City
Antonio Nusa18NorwayClub Brugge
Octavian Popescu20BelgiumFCSB
Alan Virginius20FranceLille
Jayden Nelson20CanadaRosenborg
Nathanael Mbuku21FranceAugsberg
Samuel Iling Junior19EnglandJuventus
Roger17PortugalBraga

Strikers

Football Manager 2024 wonderkids: Who are the FM24 strikers I need to sign?

Evan Ferguson of Brighton celebrates after scoring the team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Luton Town at American Express Community Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Brighton, England.

Evan Ferguson of Brighton celebrates after scoring against Luton Town (Image credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Whatever the age, you can't teach an eye for goal, can you? 

These players are all thought to be the next big Golden Boot winners – and getting one or two as backups to your big strikers can pay dividends, especially if you like to use younger players in the cups. 

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Strikers
PlayerAgeNationalityClub
Rasmus Hojlund20DenmarkManchester United
Youssoufa Moukoko18GermanyBorussia Dortmund
Hugo Ekitike20FranceParis Saint-Germain
Elye Wahi20FranceMontpellier
Arnaud Kalimuendo21FranceStade Rennais
Georginio Rutter21FranceLeeds United
Endrick16BrazilPalmeiras
Mathys Tel18FranceBayern Munich
Benjamin Sesko20SloveniaRB Leipzig
Vitor Roque18BrazilAthletico Paranaense
Mohamed-Ali Cho19FranceReal Sociedad
Marcos Leonardo20BrazilSantos
Adam Hlozek20Czech RepublicBayer Leverkusen
Fabio Silva20PortugalWolverhampton Wanderers
Brian Brobbey21NetherlandsAjax
Jhon Duran19ColombiaAston Villa
Sekou Mara20FranceSouthampton
Julio Enciso19ParaguayBrighton & Hove Albion
David Datro Fofana20Ivory CoastChelsea
Evan Ferguson18Republic of IrelandBrighton & Hove Albion
Gift Orban20NigeriaGent
Ricardo Pepi20United StatesGroningen
Joe Gelhardt21EnglandLeeds United
Matheus Nascimento19BrazilBotafogo
Bradley Barcola20FranceParis Saint-Germain
Tiago Tomas20PortugalStuttgart
Matias Arezo20UruguayPenarol
Konstantin Tyukavin20RussiaDynamo Moscow
Dion Beljo21CroatiaAugsburg
Alvaro Rodriguez18UruguayReal Madrid

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