FM17 is finally here, and it looks better than ever!
One of the most rewarding parts of playing this great game is seeing one of your youth players come through the ranks and develop in to one of the best players in the world. We’ve all done it at some stage, and there really isn’t a prouder moment as a Football Manager.
Every year we go mad for the game’s so-called ‘wonderkids’ who we hope to develop in to world beaters at their current clubs, or tempt to our own at a young age – though normally at a hefty price.
So this year we’ve taken a look at all of the game’s wonderkids and ranked the top 50 for you to sift through. There are some absolute gems in here, and quite a few of them can be picked up pretty cheaply if you play your cards right. We’ve also included a few surprise packages to raise some eyebrows.
The criteria for these wonderkids is simple - they are all 20-years-old or younger and, despite not yet being the greatest of players, all have potential to be world class via the right coaching and nurturing.
There are a few surprise inclusions this year, with the likes of No.14, No.3 and No.1 all intriguing prospects.
Oh, and look out for those release clauses. There’s a few bargains to be had this year, especially with No.17 and No.3 – an absolute steal!
Enjoy!
50. Jorge - Flamengo
Position: D/WB/ML
Age: 20
Nationality: Brazil
Wage: £6k-a-week
Value: £1.6m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £28.5m
49. Luca Pellegrini - Roma
Position: D/WBL
Age: 17
Nationality: Italy
Wage: £950-a-week
Value: £90k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
48. Kevin Diks - Fiorentina
Position: DRC
Age: 19
Nationality: Netherlands
Wage: £12.25k-a-week
Value: £625k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
47. Pol Lirola - Juventus*
Position: D/WB/MR
Age: 18
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £4.6k-a-week
Value: £575k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £2.6m
*On loan at Sassuolo
46. Jose Maria Amo - Sevilla
Position: DC
Age: 18
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £55-a-week
Value: £125k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
45. Diogo Queiros - Porto
Position: DC
Age: 17
Nationality: Portugal
Wage: £55-a-week
Value: £1.5k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
44. Jonathan Tah - Bayer Leverkusen
Position: DRC
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £20k-a-week
Value: £15.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
43. Blas Riveros - FC Basel
Position: D/WBL
Age: 18
Nationality: Paraguay
Wage: £4k-a-week
Value: £47.5k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
42. Nicolas Tripichio - Velez
Position: W/WB/MR
Age: 20
Nationality: Argentina
Wage: £1.4k-a-week
Value: £575k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
41. Mauricio Lemos - Las Palmas
Position: DC
Age: 20
Nationality: Uruguay
Wage: £14.25k-a-week
Value: £4.2m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £26m
40. Luke Shaw - Manchester United
Position: D/WBL
Age: 20
Nationality: England
Wage: £110k-a-week
Value: £13m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
39. Sergi Palencia - Barcelona
Position: W/WBRL
Age: 20
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £1.6k-a-week
Value: £225k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £10.25m
38. Kylian Mbappe - Monaco
Position: AMRL
Age: 17
Nationality: France
Wage: £9k-a-week
Value: £1.2m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
37. Gabriel Jesus - Palmeiras*
Position: AMRL/ST
Age: 19
Nationality: Brazil
Wage: £8.5k-a-week
Value: £8.75m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
*Joining Manchester City 1st January 2017
36. Leroy Sane - Manchester City
Position: AMRLC
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £95k-a-week
Value: £25m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
35. Bartlomiej Dragowski - Fiorentina
Position: GK
Age: 18
Nationality: Poland
Wage: £6.25k-a-week
Value: £975k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
34. Alex Grimaldo - Benfica
Position: D/WB/ML
Age: 20
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £13.25k-a-week
Value: £4.7m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £52m
33. Borja San Emeterio - Sevilla
Position: D/WBR
Age: 19
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £65-a-week
Value: £350k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £975k
32. Ruben Neves - Porto
Position: DM
Age: 19
Nationality: Portugal
Wage: £10.5k-a-week
Value: £6m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £34.5m
31. Julian Weigl - Borussia Dortmund
Position: DM
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £8.25k-a-week
Value: £23m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
30. Hirving Lozano - Pachuca
Position: AMRL
Age: 20
Nationality: Mexico
Wage: £15.75k-a-week
Value: £5.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
29. Christian Pulisic - Borussia Dortmund
Position: AMLC
Age: 17
Nationality: USA
Wage: £3.9k-a-week
Value: £16m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
28. Rodrigo Bentancur - Boca Juniors
Position: MRC
Age: 19
Nationality: Uruguay
Wage: £2.5k-a-week
Value: £950k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £11.5m
27. Martin Odegaard - Real Madrid
Position: AMRC
Age: 17
Nationality: Norway
Wage: £81k-a-week
Value: £2.3m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £19.75m
26. Alban Lafont - Toulouse
Position: GK
Age: 17
Nationality: France
Wage: £8.25k-a-week
Value: £2.3m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
25. Niklas Sule - Hoffenheim
Position: DC
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £16.5k-a-week
Value: £9.75m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
24. Kai Havertz - Bayer Leverkusen
Position: AMC
Age: 17
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £3.9k-a-week
Value: £1.2m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
23. Julian Brandt - Bayer Leverkusen
Position: AMRLC
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £16.5k-a-week
Value: £16m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
22. Adam Ounas - Bordeaux
Position: AMRL
Age: 19
Nationality: Algeria
Wage: £11k-a-week
Value: £7.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
21. Matheus Pereira - Empoli
Position: AMRLC
Age: 18
Nationality: Brazil
Wage: £6.25k-a-week
Value: £1.1m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
20. Borja Mayoral - Real Madrid*
Position: ST
Age: 19
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £16.5k-a-week
Value: £1.6m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £21m
*On loan at Wolfsburg
19. Predrag Rajkovic - Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Position: GK
Age: 20
Nationality: Serbia
Wage: £10k-a-week
Value: £1m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
18. Rui Pires - Porto
Position: DM
Age: 18
Nationality: Portugal
Wage: £2.6k-a-week
Value: £66k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
17. Carlos Soler - Valencia
Position: DM
Age: 19
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £55-a-week
Value: £43k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £7m
16. Dele Alli - Tottenham Hotspur
Position: AMC
Age: 20
Nationality: England
Wage: £50k-a-week
Value: £30m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
15. Andre Horta - Benfica
Position: AMLC
Age: 19
Nationality: Portugal
Wage: £5.25k-a-week
Value: £6.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
14. Lewis Cook - Bournemouth
Position: DM/MC
Age: 19
Nationality: England
Wage: £30k-a-week
Value: £10m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
13. Gabriel Barbosa - Inter Milan
Position: AMR/ST
Age: 19
Nationality: Brazil
Wage: £83k-a-week
Value: £14m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
12. Giovani Lo Celso - Paris Saint-Germain*
Position: AMLC
Age: 20
Nationality: Argentina
Wage: £16.25k-a-week
Value: £1.7m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
*On loan at Rosario Central
11. Maximilian Meyer - Schalke 04
Position: AMRLC
Age: 20
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £51k-a-week
Value: £16m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
10. Marco Asensio - Real Madrid
Position: AMRLC
Age: 20
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £14.75k-a-week
Value: £13.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £66m
9. Moise Kean - Juventus
Position: AML/ST
Age: 16
Nationality: Italy
Wage: £220-a-week
Value: £170k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
8. Andrea Pinamonti - Inter Milan
Position: ST
Age: 17
Nationality: Italy
Wage: £220-a-week
Value: £170k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
7. Renato Sanches - Bayern Munich
Position: DM/AMC
Age: 18
Nationality: Portugal
Wage: £25k-a-week
Value: £27m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
6. Alex Meret - Udinese*
Position: GK
Age: 19
Nationality: Italy
Wage: £4.4k-a-week
Value: £775k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
*On loan at Spal
5. Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan
Position: GK
Age: 17
Nationality: Italy
Wage: £4.9k-a-week
Value: £7m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
4. Riechedly Bazoer - Ajax
Position: DC/DM
Age: 19
Nationality: Netherlands
Wage: £7.5k-a-week
Value: £6.5m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
3. Kuki - Malaga
Position: AM/FC
Age: 18
Nationality: Spain
Wage: £55-a-week
Value: £350k
Minimum Fee Release Clause: £5.25m
2. Anthony Martial - Manchester United
Position: AMRL/ST
Age: 20
Nationality: France
Wage: £100k-a-week
Value: £31m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None
1. Johannes Eggestein - Werder Bremen
Position: ST
Age: 18
Nationality: Germany
Wage: £8.25k-a-week
Value: £1.3m
Minimum Fee Release Clause: None