Football Manager 2022: All the FM22 wonderkids you'll need to sign

Football Manager
(Image credit: SI)

Fans have been speculating about which wonderkids will be best-rated in Football Manager 2022, ever since the 2021 version of the game was updated in March.

While FM don't release the list explicitly, however, there are young players that we can expect to have extraordinary potential on this year's game, from their exploits in the real world. 

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When you start the game, you're going to want to sign at least a couple of these kids...

Goalkeepers

In Football Manager, goalkeeper is the one position that you want a little experience in - but if you can pick up a wonderkid, you might as well.

Given that keepers tend to mature later, your best best is probably to sign a keeper aged between 23 and 26 if you're playing the long game. Still, with these options all under 21 set to mature into formidable custodians over the next couple of decades of your save, it's worth having a young stopper or two in the ranks.

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Goalkeepers
PlayerClubNationAge
Maarten VandevoordtGenkBelgium19
Manuel GaspariniLegnago SalusItaly19
Andre GomesBenficaPortugal16
Gavin BazunuPortsmouthRepublic of Ireland19
Luca PodlechSchalkeGermany16
Juan Diego CastilloFortalezaColombia18
Murray JohnsonHibernianScotland16
Josh GriffithsLincoln CityEngland19
Alejandro IturbeAtletico MadridSpain18
James TraffordManchester CityEngland18
Dogan AlemdarStade RennaisTurkey18
Mikki van SasManchester CityNetherlands17
Etienne GreenSaint-EtienneEngland20
Joaquin BlazquezTalleresArgentina20
Luiz JuniorFamalicaoBrazil20
Alex PadillaAthletic BilbaoSpain18
LucaoVasco Da GamaBrazil20
CristianAtletico MineiroBrazil19
Ivan MartinezCastellonSpain19
Charlie SetfordAjaxEngland17
Lucas ChevalierValenciennesFrance19
Tom MabonNantesFrance17
Alessandro RussoAlessandria CalcioItaly20
Davide MastrantonioRomaItaly17
Rome-Jayden Owusu-OduroAZ AlkmaarNetherlands17
Lucas CanizaresReal MadridSpain19
Diogo PintoSporting LisbonPortugal17
Theo SanderAalborgNorway16
Francisco MeixedoPortoPortugal20
Matheus DonelliCorinthiansBrazil19
Plamen AndreevLevski SofiaBulgaria16
Coniah Boyce-ClarkeReadingEngland18
Chris BradyChicago FireUnited States18

Right-backs

If you take over an English side in FM, chances are your academy will have five right-backs ready and waiting for you, right?

All jokes aside, right-back is an interesting position of potential. There are naturally more right-footers than left in the game, leaving a clutch of footballers who were shunted out to right-back for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they're natural defenders not good enough in the centre - or maybe they're rapid wingers, capable of man-marking.

One thing to look for in the modern game: a midfielder profile now playing at right-back. Always look through the stats to see what kind of full-back you're signing.

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Right-backs
PlayerClubNationAge
Devyne RenschAjaxNetherlands18
Lucas CalegariFluminenseBrazil19
Rodrigo PinheiroPortoPortugal19
VandersonGremioBrazil20
Valentino LivramentoSouthamptonEngland18
Felipe CruzBenficaPortugal19
Scott JackWolverhampton WanderersEngland18
Tomas EstevesPortoPortugal19
Sergino DestBarcelonaUnited States20
Josha VagnomanHamburgGermany20
Kyriani SabbeClub BruggeBelgium16
Yan CoutoBraga Brazil19
Sergio CarreiraCelta VigoBrazil20
Asier GrandeArenas ClubSpain19
Alejandro FrancesReal ZaragozaSpain18
Filipe CruzBenficaPortugal18
Wilfried SingoTorinoIvory Coast20
Malo GustoOlympique LyonnaisFrance18
Ismael CasasMalagaSpain20
Calvin RamsayAberdeenScotland17
Tobias ViniciusInternacionalBrazil17
KhellvenParanaenseBrazil20
Amar DedicRB SalzburgBosnia-Herzegovina18
Michal KarbownikBrighton & Hove AlbionPoland20
Yari StevensGentBelgium17
JosedaValenciaSpain19
Nathan PattersonRangersScotland19
Tariq LampteyBrighton & Hove AlbionEngland20

Centre-backs

Buy a dominant centre-back now and you can sort your team for the next 15 years. While many defenders on the game come with adjustment periods, however, it's more than possible that you can use a wonderkid as your third- or fourth-choice in defence.

And with a lot of centre-backs in Football Manager, versatility is your friend. Some of these lads might be able to fill in at full-back for you or even in defensive midfield, should you be trying to hold onto a lead. 

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Centre-backs
PlayerClubNationAge
Josko GvardiolRB LeipzigCroatia19
Tanguy NianzouBayern MunichFrance19
RenanPalmeirasBrazil19
Wisdom AmeyBolognaItaly15
Bright Arrey-MbiBayern MunichGermany18
Andrea CarboniCagliariItaly20
Wesley FofanaLeicester CityFrance20
Daouda GuindoRB SalzburgMali18
Ethan AmpaduVeneziaWales20
Alvaro CarrilloReal MadridSpain19
Ivan MunozValenciaSpain19
Charlie McArthurKilmarnockScotland16
Benoit BadiashileMonacoFrance20
William SalibaOlympique MarseilleFrance20
Goncalo InacioSportingPortugal19
Ruben PulidoFuenlabradaSpain20
Leon KingRangersScotland17
Nnamdi CollinsBorussia DortmundGermany17
Leonidas StergiouSt. GallenSwitzerland19
KaikySantosBrazil17
Max Normann WilliamsonKristiansundNorway18
El Chadaille BitshiabuParis Saint-GermainFrance16
Olivier AertssenAjaxNetherlands17
Andrea PapettiBresciaItaly19
Emmanuel van de BlaakPSVNetherlands16
Eric GarciaBarcelonaSpain20
Timothee PembeleParis Saint-GermainFrance18
Kerr SmithDundee UnitedScotland16
Luke MbeteManchester CityEngland17
Jarrad BranthwaiteEvertonEverton19
Daan DierckxParmaBelgium18
Mateja MilvanovicAjaxNetherlands17
Antonio SilvaBenficaPortugal17

Left-backs

Left-back might well be the most difficult spot in the team to find a world-class player, just because of how few specialist left-footed full-backs are out there.

In Football Manager 2022, there are plenty of good options under the age of 21 who can flourish into top left-backs, left-wing-backs or even centre-backs. 

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Left-backs
PlayerClubNationAge
Nuno MendesParis Saint-GermainPortugal19
Luke ThomasLeicester CityEngland20
Milos KerkezAC MilanHungary17
Julian AudeLanusArgentina18
Noah KatterbachKolnGermany20
Miguel GutierrezReal MadridSpain19
Ben ChriseneAston VillaEngland17
Guilherme MontoiaBenficaPortugal17
David De La ViboraReal MadridSpain18
Luca NetzBorussia MonchengladbachGermany18
Matthew SorinolaUnion SGEngland20
Grigoris SavvakisOlympiacosGreece16
Liberato CacaceSt-TruidenNew Zealand20
Tomas GalvezManchester CityFinald16
Alejandro BaldeBarcelonaSpain18
Dennis CirkinTottenham HotspurEngland19
Ridvan YilmazBesiktasTurkey20
Aaron HickeyBolognaScotland19
Alphonso DaviesBayern MunichCanada20
Omar CamposSantos LagunaMexico18
Riccardo CalafioriRomaItaly18
Alvaro FernandesManchester UnitedSpain18
Rayan Ait-NouriWolverhampton WanderersFrance20
Tayo AdaramolaCrystal PalaceRepublic of Ireland17
Eneko ClementeAthletic BilbaoSpain16
Luke DaleyHuddersfield TownEngland19
Alvaro FernandezManchester UnitedSpain18

Defensive midfielders

Defensive midfield is somewhere in FM that you need someone with strength, stamina and good reading of the game - so you might not want to entrust such an important role to such a young star. 

In the modern game though, there are plenty of youngsters who can thrive at the base of a midfield. These picks are all specialist DMs - but they can just so easily slot into a more central position, too. 

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Defensive Midfielders
PlayerClubNationAge
Abdoulaye KamaraBorussia DortmundGuinea16
Oliver SkippTottenham HotspurEngland20
Maxim MukhinCSKA MoscowRussia19
Nicolo RovellaJuventusItaly19
Rafael LuisBenficaPortugal16
Romeo LaviaManchester CityBelgium17
Marco KanaAnderlechtBelgium18
Ruslan LitvinovSpartak MoscowRussia19
Joris ChotardMontpellierFrance19
Eyup AydinBayern MunichTurkey16
Pedro BravoAmerica de CaliColombia16
Samson TijaniRB SalzburgNigeria19
Unai VencedorAthletic BilbaoSpain20
Leighton ClarksonLiverpoolEngland19
Nohan KennehLeeds UnitedEngland18
Manuel UgarteFamalicaoUruguay20
Han-Noah MassengoBristol CityFrance20
Bruno GomesVasco Da GamaBrazil20
Fabian AngelJuniorColombia20
Angelo StillerBayern MunichGermany20

Central midfielders

Central midfielders might be the players with the most scope for development of any players on the pitch in Football Manager. A good CM could well be remoulded into just about anything - an attacking midfielder, a controller, a wide-man... perhaps even a full-back. 

If you're playing a three-man midfield, you can afford to give a youngster a spot in the side every week. This is the heart of your side, so it makes sense to buy a wonderkid or two who will become the longterm spine of your team. 

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Central midfielders
PlayerClubNationAge
GaviBarcelonaSpain17
Zidan SertdermirBayer LeverkusenDenmark16
Burak InceAltinorduTurkey17
Eduardo CamavingaReal MadridFrance18
Isak Johannesson BergmannCopenhagenIceland18
Mustafa KapiLilleTurkey18
Sidney RaebigerRB LeipzigGermany16
Ilaix MoribaRB LeipzigSpain18
Antonio BlancoReal MadridSpain20
Gabriel MisehouyAjaxNetherlands15
Williot SwedbergHammarbySweden17
Ryan GravenberchAjaxNetherlands19
Julius BeckSpeziaNorway16
Xavi SimonsParis Saint-GermainNetherlands18
Jude BellinghamBorussia DortmundEngland19
Pierre DeomohGenkBelgium17
SandrySantosBrazil19
Vasco SousaPortoPortugal18
Mohammed DiomandeNordsjaellandIvory Coast19
Gabriel MeninoPalmeirasBrazil20
DaniloPalmeirasBrazil20
PipiReal MadridJapan17
Gabriel MeninoPalmeirasBrazil20
Dominik SzoboszlaiRB LeipzigHungary20
Charles De KetelaereClub BruggeBelgium20
NicoBarcelonaSpain19
Yunus MusahValenciaUnited States18
Mustafa KapiLilleTurkey18
Charlie PatinoArsenalEngland17
Mohamed Amine EssahelKAS EupenMorocco18
Alfie DevineTottenham HotspurEngland16
Torben RheinBayern MunichGermany18
Unai GomezAthletic BilbaoSpain18
Mateusz BoguszLeeds UnitedPoland19
Jean N'GuessanRC AbidjanIvory Coast18
Lesley UgochukwuStade RennaisFrance17
Diogo PriosteBenficaPortugal17

Attacking midfielders

Attacking midfield is perhaps where you'll find the majority of wonderkids in Football Manager on any given year. Given that it's a luxury position in which many youth coaches play their best talents in the hope that they'll develop their technical abilities - and thus make them more valuable - you can move for quality teenage no.10s.

But if you're looking to build a side that might not accommodate a young, pass-heavy starlet, a lot of these players can be re-trained either to wingers or midfielders - some of these, too, are more like second-strikers who can become conventional centre-forwards in time.

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Attacking midfielders
PlayerClubNationAge
PedriBarcelonaSpain18
GaviBarcelonaSpain16
Hugo FelixBenficaPortugal17
Florian WirtzBayer LeverkusenGermany18
Giovanni ReynaBorussia DortmundUnited States17
Luka RomeroLazioArgentina16
ChukiReal ValladolidSpain17
Antoni MilamboFeyenoordNetherlands16
Yusuf DemirBarcelonaAustria18
James GalagiziLiverpoolEngland17
Julen Jon GuerreroReal MadridSpain17
BrunoReal MadridSpain18
Facundo FariasColonArgentina18
Omer BeyezStuttgartTurkey17
Luka RomeroLazioArgentina16
Matias PalaciosSan LorenzoArgentina19
Isak Hansen-AaroenManchester UnitedNorway16
Angel GomesLilleEngland20
Lazar SamardzicRB LeipzigGermany18
Diogo NascimentoBenficaPortugal18
Enzo MillotStuttgartFrance18
Florent Da SilvaOlympique LyonnaisFrance18
Andre AndersonLazioBrazil20
Yari VerschaerenAnderlechtBelgium20
Pablo TorreReal SociedadSpain18
Jamal MusialaBayern MunichGermany18
Enes SaliFarul ConstantaRomania15
Arder GulerFenerbahceTurkey16
ReinierBorussia DortmundBrazil19
Thiago AlmadaVelez SarsfieldArgentina20

Right-wingers

In the modern game, the vast majority of the right-wingers that you'll find will be left-footed - and often, left-footers tend to be more creative. Many of these players are capable of playing as midfielders but generally, these are the players who could well become the creative spark in your team for the next decade.

Be sure to analyse your stats in full to see what kind of player you have on your hands, though - there are plenty of goal-grabbing players in this lot, while there are some touchline wingers, too. 

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Right-wingers
PlayerClubNationAge
RodrygoReal MadridBrazil20
Bukayo SakaArsenalEngland19
Yeremi PinoVillarrealSpain18
Matteo CancellieriRomaItaly19
Matheus GoncalvesFlamengoBrazil15
Rodrigo GomesBragaPortugal17
Mohamed IhattaranJuventusNetherlands19
RoberReal BetisSpain20
Brian OddeiSassuoloGhana18
RenyerSantosBrazil18
Angelo GabrielSantosBrazil16
Fran PerezValenciaSpain19
Nico WiliansAthletic BilbaoSpain19
Julio EncisoClub Libertad AsuncionParaguay17
Shola ShoretireManchester UnitedEngland18
Thhys TelStade RennaisFrance16
Kaide GordonLiverpoolEngland18
Ilias AkhomachBarcelonaSpain17
Raul MoroLazioSpain18
Jakub KaminskiLech PoznanPoland19
Jahkeele Marshall-RuttyToronto FCCanada17
Isaac LihadjiLilleFrance19
ZitoCagliariAngola19
Juho TalvitieLommelFinland16
Fabio BlancoEintracht FrankfurtSpain17
Ajani BurchallAston VillaBermuda16
Cole PalmerManchester CityEngland19
Fabio CarvalhoFulhamEngland18

Left-wingers

Traditionally, left-wingers are interesting players in Football Manager. As mentioned, left-footers tend to be rarer and more creative than right-footers - making the majority of left-wingers nowadays attackers who can cut in on their right foot and score. 

There are a fair amount of creative players too in this particular list, while players who are equally good with both feet tend to just be described as right-footed. As ever, make sure you analyse exactly what kind of player you're getting.

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Left-wingers
PlayerClubNationAge
Rayan CherkiOlympique LyonnaisFrance 17
Ansu FatiBarcelonaSpain18
David KalakohAjaxNetherlands16
Francisco ConceicaoPortoPortugal18
Alan VelascoIndependienteArgentina18
Nico SerranoAthletico BilbaoSpain18
Naci UnuvarAjaxNetherlands18
Luis CarbonellReal ZaragozaSpain18
Magno TallesNew York City FCBrazil19
Andreas SchjelderupNordsjaellandNorway17
Christos TzolisNorwich CityGreece19
Gabriel MartinelliArsenalBrazil20
Roger FernandesBragaPortugal15
Chaka TraoreAC MilanIvory Coast16
Sergey PinyaevKrylya Sovetov SamaraRussia16
Francisco ConceicaoPortoPortugal18
Oscar ArandaReal MadridSpain19
Gabriel VeronPalmeirasBrazil18
Antonio NusaClub BruggeNorway16
Jeremy DokuStade RennaisBelgium19
Ro-Zangelo DaalAZ AlkmaarNetherlands17
Jamie Bynoe-GittensBorussia DortmundEngland16
Alan VelascoIndependienteArgentina19
Octavian PopescuFCSBRomania18
Jeremy AntonissePSVNetherlands19
Melkamu FrauendorfLiverpoolGermany17
Sylvester JasperFulhamEngland19
Amadou DialloWest Ham UnitedEngland18

Strikers

Find a goalscorer in Football Manager and you've hit the jackpot.

Quite literally, in some cases, as you can sell them on. A good striker in FM will often mature in their mid-20s but if you can find one a little earlier, it's possible to keep the goals rolling for years to come. 

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Strikers
PlayerClubNationAge
Youssoufa MoukokoBorussia DortmundGermany16
Mason GreenwoodManchester UnitedEngland19
Lucca LorenzoPisaItaly20
Benjamin SeskoRB SalzburgSerbia18
LazaroFlamengoBrazil19
Jude Soonsup-BellChelseaEngland17
Yeboah-Ransford KonigsdorfferDynamo DresdenGermany19
Joao PedroWatfordBrazil19
Martin SatrianoInter MilanUruguay20
Jamie DonleyTottenhamNorthern Ireland16
Sebastiano EspositoInter MilanItaly19
Gabriel VidovicBayern MunichCroatia17
Matheus NascimentoBotafogoBrazil17
Dane ScarlettTottenham HotspurEngland17
Youssef ChermitiSportingPortugal17
Wahid FaghirStuttgartNoray17
Suphanat MueantaBuriram UnitedThaialand18
Hollman McCormickIndependiente Santa FeColombia15
Joao ResendeBenficaPortugal18
Enrique Herrero GarciaEintracht FrankfurtSpain16
Matias ArezoRiver Plate de MontevideoUruguay18
Ali AkmanEintracht FrankfurtTurkey19
Stewart LaytonLiverpoolEngland18
Joe GelhardtLeeds United England 19
Wilfried GnontoZurichSwitzerland17
Myron BoaduMonacoNetherlands20
Liam DelapManchester CityEngland18
SalaReal MadridSpain18
Karim AdeyemiRB SalzburgGermany19
Darren YapiColorado RapidsUnited States16
Lucas GomesPortoSweden17
Andres GarciaValenciaSpain18
Folarin BalogunArsenalEngland20
Brian BrobbeyRB LeipzigNetherlands19
Fernando OvelarCerro PortenoParaguay16

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