FIFA 21 Career Mode potentials: 10 wonderkids you need to sign

With Career Mode getting a revamp in FIFA 21, one of the most important things for managers to look out for is wonderkids with high potential, those hidden gems set to be world-beaters. Luckily for you, we’ve got it covered.

Wonderkids should be one of the first things you look out for when kicking off your FIFA 21 management career. You want to find cheap players with high potential that can go on to win your team the Champions League, or make hundreds of millions off of down the line.

Of course, you already know about the young players guaranteed to cause a stir: Mbappe, Haaland, Sancho and more are barely out of their teens and already look set to dominate, but what about those more obscure players you might not have heard of yet?

Here’s a list of some you should be looking at.

Takefusa Kubo (RM, Villareal CF)

• OVR: 75
• POT: 89

Kubo is a 17-year-old Japanese currently on loan from Real Madrid at Villareal. As always, Barcelona and Real Madrid have some great youngsters in their squads, and it’s worth checking both for young players that, although they might cost you a premium considering their age, are guaranteed returns.

Kubo will likely set you back around £14.5m in Career Mode, according to SoFifa, but he could end up raking in 10 times that if developed properly.

Jeremie Frimpong (RB, Celtic)

• OVR: 70
• POT: 86

Frimpong is only 19, but has already staked his claim in Celtic’s first team — but you’ll have to jump quickly if you want to buy him, as he’ll likely be atop the list of many top European teams throughout the next few seasons.

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Bidding for Frimpong should start at at least $3.5m, but he does have a $8.5m release clause in his contract, too. Not bad for a future world-beating right back.

Rayan Cherki (CAM, Olympique Lyonnais)

• OVR: 67
• POT: 88

Rayan Cherki is likely to be one not many have heard too much about, at 16 years old, but if EA SPORTS are right, he could become a phenomenal player over the next few years.

Occupying the number 10 role, Cherki could see a huge boost to his rating over the years, and actually clocks in incredibly cheap, at around £1.7m, with a £4.9m release clause. Considering he could reach 88 overall, this is an absurdly low cost, and should be taken advantage of as soon as possible.

Thiago Almada (CAM, Vélez Sarsfield)

• OVR: 73
• POT: 89

Thiago Almada is one of the most exciting young prospects of FIFA 21, especially with his ability to play comfortably in almost any attacking position. The 19-year-old Argentian sees a huge boost in his overall rating with the right development, and as he’s only 73 at the start of Career Mode, could be a perfect investment for mid-table sides in Europe’s top leagues.

He is expected to cost around £8.5m, though you should probably anticipate spending a little more.

Nuno Mendes (LWB, Sporting CP)

• OVR: 72
• POT: 87

Portuguese youngster Nuno Mendes plays at Sporting CP currently, but could become one of the best left backs in FIFA, especially with how important fast, attacking full backs are in the modern game.

At the age of 18, Mendes is predicted to cost managers around £6m.

Sebastiano Esposito (ST, SPAL)

• OVR: 66
• POT: 86

17-year-old Italian striker Esposito is, according to FIFA at least, looking like Italy’s next big strike force. Following in the footsteps of prominent Italian forwards like Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero, there have been some iconic strikers from the Azzurri, and it’s well worth getting Esposito in for similar results.

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His expected cost is at least £1.3m, but he has a £3.6m release clause to fall back on if you’re willing to part with the money.

Jeremy Doku (RW, RSC Anderlecht)

• OVR: 71
• POT: 88

Jeremy Doku looks to be the next big star for an ever-more-promising Belgian national side, as far as FIFA ratings are concerned. He plays on the right wing predominantly, but could also be utilised on the left if it’s a position that needs filling, and at 18 there’s more than enough time to mold him to perfection on either side, with game time.

Doku should cost you around £4.9m.

Bright Akwo Arrey-Mbi (CB, Bayern Munchen II)

• OVR: 60
• POT: 86

Regardless of which club you decide to take over, Arrey-Mbi should be headed straight into your transfer list. At just 60 overall, he’s not going to cause an immediate impact, but a solid CB is imperative and he’s going to be that and more down the line.

He will only cost around £425k, which is enticing, but considering his contract with Bayern’s B-team has only just started, don’t expect the team to sell up too easily: instead, you’ll have to hit his £1m release clause, or a Loan with Buy option might be the perfect way to get the young German into your team.

Florian Wirtz (CAM, Bayer 04 Leverkusen)

• OVR: 68
• POT: 88

Florian Wirtz is a German 17-year-old that joins a long list of promising CAMs in FIFA 21, and could be ideal for a lower-table club looking to latch on to the next big thing, thanks to his 68 overall rating at the start of the FIFA 21 season.

Wirtz can also be utilized on the right side of the midfield if need be, and at just £1.8m, is one of the biggest steals you’ll find in Career Mode and could push lower teams to the heights of championship glory. That said, his release clause is £4.9m, so be prepared to fork out a little more.

Maarten Vandevoordt (GK, KRC Genk)

• OVR: 68
• POT: 87

Without a doubt, if you’re looking to get a goalkeeper that will become arguably the best in the world in FIFA 21, Vandevoordt is the only player you should be considering if you’re on any kind of budget.

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WIth a 68 rating, he’s not likely to immediately make it into the team unless you manage to secure him for a lower-league club, but at around £1.5m ($3.2m release clause), most clubs will want to look to the German 18-year-old as their future shotstopper.

Obviously, there are a number of players that could easily fit into this list. It’s well worth looking up players such as Camavinga, Joelson Fernandes, Reinier and more, but this list above looks at some of the best hidden young talents across all different positions, so you can find someone that fits your needs better.

If you find any other wonderkids that are must-have in FIFA 21, be sure to tweet us at @UltimateTeamUK and @FutWatch to let us know!