FM23 Wonderkids: Best Young Players In Football Manager 2023

The FM23 wonderkids are justifiably some of the most desirable and valuable players in the whole game, as they will almost certainly grow into some of the best players in the world. While a player fulfilling their potential is not a guarantee in Football Manager, it is often worth the risk as you could very likely have the next Messi on your hands. So, to find out who the best young players are in Football Manager 23, make sure to check out our list of FM23 wonderkids below.

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FM23 Wonderkids List

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While the classification of wonderkid can be generally assigned to any high-potential young player, we've decided to set a maximum age of 21, and then just gone for the highest potential ability ratings for each positional grouping.

If you've not encountered current and potential ability ratings before, they run on a scale of 1-200, with the latter being the best. Each player has a current ability rating which constantly moves in line with their current skill level, and then a static potential ability which is the maximum current ability that they can achieve.

However, each player's potential ability is not guaranteed, and frankly, most players won't reach the cap, especially on the higher end. Their progress and development is affected by a number of factors, like training, game time, injuries, and the Determination stat, so just because a player has a high PA, doesn't mean that they will meet it.

Furthermore, most young players in the game are not given a traditional consistent PA, and are instead given a rating from minus one to minus ten. Each one of these ratings translates to a group of numbers within the 200-point scale, so a player with -10 will have a randomly assigned PA between 180 and 200. 

The general understanding of the 200-point scale is the following:

• 130: Midtable Premier League Player
• 140: Good Premier League Player
• 150: Top Premier League Player
• 170: World Class Player

So, anyone with a PA above 150 is definitely going to be of interest, and when you get to 170 and above you're really going to want to pay attention and get the chequebook out.

We have decided to include some more obvious players, which often are out of most players' price range, but it still gives you an idea of the best young players for comparison at least. So, make sure to read on below to check out our list of the best FM23 wonderkids.

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FM23 Wonderkids: Goalkeepers

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Here are all of the FM23 wonderkids in the goalkeeper position:

Goalkeeper is definitely the most starved position for wonderkids, as there really isn't a huge amount of existing players in the game that will reach the highest heights. Going by the classification found above, there is not a single goalkeeper under the age of 21 in the game right now that will reach world-class status, so you'll have to rely on regens for that.

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FM23 Wonderkids: Defenders

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Check out this list below for all of the defenders with the highest potential in Football Manager 23:

Some really fantastic choices across the board here, with all seven players falling into the potentially world-class category. Destiny Udogie and Jurrien Timber are of particular interest, due to their flexibility and potentially smaller price tag, but you should still expect to pay a fairly decent amount if you want to pick them up.

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FM23 Wonderkids: DM & CM

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If you're looking for a defensive or possession-minded player to control your midfield in the future, then check out the best FM23 wonderkids in the DM and CM positions.

With the number of English players on this list, you might want to think about replacing Gareth Southgate in a couple of years to bring it home. Regardless though, there are a plethora of fantastic options for a defensive or possession-minded, midfielder, and you might even be able to pry away a couple from their clubs if you're lucky.

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FM23 Wonderkids: Attacking Midfielders

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If you're needing a player to fill your number ten shirt for the next 15 years, then why not try one of the players below:

Arda Guler and Takuhiro Nakai are probably going to be your best choices here, as prying any of the other players away from their clubs will be a more than challenging task. However, it does show that there are quite a few clubs that you can choose if you want to skip the process of buying altogether - although it is not like Barcelona is some hidden gem of a save.

FM23 Wonderkids: Wingers

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Here's the best option for wide players if you're wanting to pick up some FM23 wonderkids in that position.

Obvious names aside, there could be really bright futures for players like Cherki, Duranville, and Pino, who - while still commanding a high price - will be much more obtainable than the other names on this list. Wingers are some of the highest-profile names on your team sheet though, so they could very well be worth the price.

FM23 Wonderkids: Strikers

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If you're looking for goals over a long period of time, then you really can't get much better than these FM23 wonderkids in the striker position:

Surprisingly, the striker position is actually the place where you have the best chance of being able to afford one of the players. Outside of the obvious Erling Haaland, who has by far the highest PA in this list, there are quite a few choices for you to go for.

If it is cheap wonderkids that you're after though, why not have a look at our additional list below which highlights some underpriced gems.

Best Cheap FM23 Wonderkids

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It's all good and well knowing which players have the highest potential ability in the game, but if you can't actually purchase the players then its a futile exercise. However, we've put together a list for you if you're wanting to know who are the best cheap FM23 wonderkids you can buy at the start of the game.

The value in question in the list below is the price that you can actually purchase them at, instead of the assigned value that skyrockets when you enquire about the player. This means that you'll know exactly how much to set aside in your budget if you want to go ahead and buy the player.

As you can see, there are some real bargains to be had here, with most of the players on the list above hovering either just above or just below the world-class expectation, and all for mostly just a few million pounds. 

While you might struggle to actually convince some of these players to join your club if you aren't the most well-known, you should be able to at least pick up a few and develop them into superstars.

So, that wraps up this guide on the FM23 wonderkids, giving you an abundance of different options to choose from if you're wanting to gear your team towards the future. If it's just cheap players in general that you're after, why not check out our FM23 bargains guide for some hidden gems there.