50 best young defenders in EA FC 24 Career Mode with high potential

Looking for the best young defenders in EA FC 24 Career Mode? Our shortlists of best young CB, LB, RB, RWB, and LWBs with high potential will help you find wonderkids when the transfer window opens.

While your Global Scouting Network uncovers numerous defensive prospects in-game, several lesser-known players are in EA SPORTS FC’s database and we have done the hard yards to unearth them for you.

These players, carefully scouted for their future growth, could not only bolster your defense but also wear the captain’s armband someday.

Courtesy of the EA FC database, we have shortlisted the best defenders in the game, noting down their age (under 24), overall rating, potential, value, and when their contract runs out in Career Mode.

Best young Center-Backs (CB)

NAME	POSITION	AGE	OVERALL RATING	POTENTIAL	TEAM	CONTRACT	VALUE	WAGE
William Saliba	CB	22	83	89	Arsenal	(2019 ~ 2024)	€53M	€105K
Josko Gvardiol	CB	21	82	88	Manchester City	(2023 ~ 2028)	€46M	€93K
António Silva	CB	19	78	88	Benfica	(2022 ~ 2027)	€28.5M	€8K
Piero Hincapié	CB	21	79	86	Bayer 04 Leverkusen	(2021 ~ 2027)	€33M	€36K
Ousmane Diomande	CB	19	75	85	Sporting CP	(2023 ~ 2027)	€11.5M	€6K
Gonçalo Inácio	CB	21	80	87	Sporting CP	(2019 ~ 2027)	€40M	€11.5K
Micky van de Ven	CB	22	79	86	Tottenham Hotspur	(2023 ~ 2029)	€26.5M	€59K
Jorrel Hato	CB	17	73	88	Ajax	(2022 ~ 2025)	€6.5M	€550
Giorgio Scalvini	CB	20	76	86	Atalanta	(2021 ~ 2027)	€11.5M	€19K
Dayot Upamecano	CB	24	82	86	FC Bayern München	(2021 ~ 2026)	€39.5M	€59K
Mohamed Simakan	CB	23	79	86	RB Leipzig	(2021 ~ 2027)	€32.5M	€43K
Jurrien Timber	CB	22	79	86	Arsenal	(2023 ~ 2028)	€33M	€80K
Jorne Spileers	CB	18	69	85	Club Brugge	(2022 ~ 2026)	€3.3M	€3K
Wesley Fofana	CB	23	79	86	Chelsea	(2022 ~ 2028)	€33M	€80K
Alessandro Buongiorno	CB	24	77	86	Torino	(2018 ~ 2028)	€22M	€33K
Alessandro Bastoni	CB	24	85	90	Inter	(2017 ~ 2028)	€73.5M	€95K
Matthijs de Ligt	CB	24	85	89	Bayern Munchen	(2022 ~ 2027)	€83M	€84K
Sven Botman	CB	24	83	87	Newcastle United	(2022 ~ 2027)	€47M	€105K
Ibrahima Konate	CB	24	82	87	Liverpool	(2021 ~ 2026)	€37M	€90K
Nico Schlotterbeck	CB	23	83	88	Borussia Dortmund	(2022 ~ 2027)	€49.5M	€51K

Players we recommend

• Josko Gvardiol
• Jorrel Hato
• Gonçalo Inácio

The Manchester City player, Gvardiol, might be a little expensive, but his already high OVR at such a young age, makes him a very interesting option. Mostly because it has the potential to reach a solid 88. Besides being really fast, he has outstanding defending and physical stats, which are a must to keep your side of the pitch clear.

Jorrel Hato is a classy center-back with an incredible pace that will help him block all the players that dare cross to your side of the field. For such a young player, he already has the stats of a very experienced star, but he can develop further, reaching an outstanding 88 OVR.

The Portuguese Defender, Gonçalo Inácio, has amazing pace, physical, defensive, and passing stats at only 21 years old, which is key. Plus, the fact that he is a left footer and the possibility to train Inácio all the way up to 87 makes him even more appealing.

Best young Full-Backs (RB/LB)

NAME	POSITION	AGE	OVERALL RATING	POTENTIAL	TEAM	CONTRACT	VALUE	WAGE
Arnau Martínez	RB	20	80	86	Girona	(2020 ~ 2025)	€30.5M	€21.5K
Lutsharel Geertruida	RB	22	79	84	Feyenoord	(2017 ~ 2025)	€25M	€16.5K
Malo Gusto	RB	20	76	85	Chelsea	(2023 ~ 2030)	€15.5M	€53K
Rico Lewis	RB	18	73	86	Manchester City	(2022 ~ 2028)	€7M	€20K
Alejandro Balde	LB	19	81	89	FC Barcelona	(2021 ~ 2024)	€53M	€70K
Alphonso Davies	LB	22	82	87	FC Bayern München	(2019 ~ 2025)	€43.5M	€58K
Nuno Mendes	LB	21	82	87	Paris Saint Germain	(2021 ~ 2026)	€43.5M	€63K
Destiny Udogie	LB	20	77	86	Tottenham Hotspur	(2022 ~ 2027)	€22M	€46K
Fabiano Parisi	LB	22	77	87	Fiorentina	(2023 ~ 2028)	€22.5M	€39K
Sacha Boey	RB	22	80	85	Bayern Munchen	(2024 ~ 2028)	€30M	€50K
Reece James	RB	24	83	85	Chelsea	(2017 ~ 2028)	€50.5M	€120K
Milos Kerkez	LB	19	75	85	AFC Bournemouth	(2023 ~ 2027)	€11.5M	€20K
Bjorn Meijer	LB	20	73	84	Club Brugge	(2022 ~ 2026)	€7M	€12K
Patrick Dorgu	LB	18	64	85	Lecce	(2022 ~ 2027)	€1.8M	€1K
Achraf Hakimi	RB	24	84	86	Paris Saint Germain	(2021 ~ 2026)	€50.5M	€90K

Players we recommend

• Alejandro Balde
• Alphonso Davies
• Arnau Martinez

With an already high 81 OVR, Alejandro Balde is considered one of the best full-back players available. Despite being only 19, he has an enviable pace, and great dribbling and defending, though his shooting needs work. Balde is a very versatile player who can be placed on both left and right sides, and his full potential escalates to 89.

The Canadian Alphonso Davis has great pace and dribbling stats, so it’s sure to say the ball is safe at his feet. More so, he has four stars on his Skill Moves and two PlayStyles focused on speed. Even though he’s costly, at 22 he boasts an incredible 82 OVR with the possibility to increase it up to 87.

Arnau Martínez, the player from Girona, might be young but his attributes ensure he’s a solid addition to any team. As the cheapest option out of our three suggestions, Martinez’s stats are a bit lower, but with a little bit of time and training, he can go from an 80 to a really strong 86.

Best young Wing-Backs (RWB/LWB)

NAME	POSITION	AGE	OVERALL RATING	POTENTIAL	TEAM	CONTRACT	VALUE	WAGE
Jeremie Frimpong	RWB	22	84	88	Bayern 04 Leverkusen	(2021 ~ 2028)	€57M	€63K
Fresneda	RWB	18	72	82	Sporting CP	(2023 ~ 2028)	€4.7M	€2.5K
Vanderson	RWB	22	77	84	AS Monaco	(2023 ~ 2028)	€20.5M	€36.5K
Agustin Giay	RWB	19	71	83	San Lorenzo de Almagro	(2020 ~ 2026)	€4.3M	€4.5K
Joe Scally	RWB	20	74	80	Borussia M’gladbach	(2021 ~ 2027)	€6M	€15.5K
Emil Holm	RWB	23	73	80	Atalanta	(2021 ~ 2026)	€6M	€26.5K
Miguel Maga	RWB	20	72	82	Vitoria de Guimaraes	(2020 ~ 2027)	€4.9M	€5.3K
Costinha	RWB	23	74	81	Rio Ave	(2020 ~ 2026)	€8M	€7.3K
Andrea Cambiaso	LWB	23	77	84	Juventus	(2022 ~ 2027)	€20M	€66K
Hugo Bueno	LWB	20	73	81	Wolverhampton Wanderers	(2021 ~ 2028)	€6.5M	€29.5K
Nicola Zalewski	LWB	21	75	82	Roma	(2020 ~ 2025)	€11M	€32K
Luca Netz	LWB	20	75	80	Borussia M’gladbach	(2021 ~ 2026)	€8M	€16.5K
Rayan Ait-Nouri	LWB	22	75	82	Wolverhampton Wanderers	(2021 ~ 2026)	€11M	€41.5K
Lukas Ullrich	LWB	19	62	79	Borussia M’gladbach	(2023 ~ 2027)	€1K	€2.3K
Tom Rothe	LWB	18	70	83	Holstein Kiel	(2022 ~ 2026)	€3.5M	€3.5K

Players we recommend

• Jeremie Frimpong
• Vanderson
• Tom Rothe

Jeremie Frimpong might be a little older, but he comes with an 84 rating that can grow into an 88. More so, he’s good at attacking and has both PlayStyles and Skill Moves developed. His 93 pace and 84 dribbling make him stand out and even though he’s a little bit more expensive than Balde, he comes with way more experience.

Talk about growth! The RWB Vanderson can take his regular 77 OVR all the way up to a strong 84, and he costs less than half the price of Jeremie Frimpong. He might have only one PlayStyle and his stats are all under 80, but with some work, Vanderson can become one of the best Defenders in the game.

Tom Rothe is very young, but he is one of the players with the most potential. Rothe starts with a 70 OVR but can grow 13 points to end up with a solid 83. If you’re struggling with your budget but want a good LWB to protect your goal, at 3.5 million, this young player is just what you need.

There are options for all budgets and age brackets above, so have a look around and see if something catches your eye.

In a few seasons, the younger players on this list will all feature for the biggest teams around the world – so getting in early could give you a huge advantage.

Now that you have secured your next top star for this role, check out all of the best young players in every position here.