Best young players in FIFA 21 Career Mode

Alex Garton
FIFA 21 young player

In FIFA 21 Career Mode, it can be difficult to know which young players are worth picking up for your club. In the long run, they can save you a lot of money and if they have enough potential, they may even develop into a world-class talent. 

Although Ultimate Team is incredibly addictive and fun, sometimes it’s nice to just hop into Career Mode and manage an existing squad. Of course, it’s important that you recruit young talent to develop if you’re looking to bring success and silverware to your club.

Unlike FUT, in Career Mode, players with a lot of potential are capable of improving over time. This means investing in the correct young players is absolutely key if you want to improve your squad.

However, with so many players on the market, it’s hard to know who’s worth your investment. Well, we’ve compiled a list of all the best young players in every position in the game, so you know exactly who to take a chance on.


Best wonderkids in FIFA 21

Remember, when you’re choosing players to build up a team, look for what your squad is missing and try to fill in the gaps. This will give you a well-rounded starting XI that will constantly perform and pick up results.

Best young goalkeepers and defenders

As with any team, a strong backline is absolutely key if you’re looking to win trophies. In the center-back position, you’ll ideally want to pick up players with high strength and plenty of height to contest crosses.

Whereas for your left and right back, you’ll want to prioritize players with pace and counter-attacking capabilities. Of course, no team is complete without an outstanding goalkeeper and we’ve got you covered on that front.

When making these lists, we’ve attempted to cater to every club’s budget. In each position, there’s at least one established young talent and one that will need time to develop but costs significantly less to sign.

Name Age Club Position OVR POT Price
Gianluigi Donnarumma 21 Milan GK 86 92 £84m
Maarten Vandevoordt 18 KRC Genk GK 68 86 £800k
Andriy Lunin 21 Real Madrid GK 75 87 £11m
Trent Alexander-Arnold 21 Liverpool RB 87 92 £103m
Neco Williams 19 Liverpool RB 68 85 £1.1m
Sergino Dest 19 Barcelona RB 75 86 £9m
Matthijs de Ligt 21 Juventus CB 85 92 £91.5m
Jarrad Branthwaite 18 Everton CB 63 85 £375k
Nehuen Perez 20 Granada CF CB 75 85 £10.5m
Luca Netz 17 Hertha BSC LB 63 85 £375k
Alphonso Davies 19 FC Bayern Munchen LB 81 89 £47.5m
Nuno Tavares 20 Benfica LB 72 85 £5m

Best young midfielders

FIFA 21 screenshot

It’s difficult to define what makes a great midfielder as it completely depends on what you’re looking for. Certain players can do a little bit of everything but sometimes it’s better to pick up someone who can do a specific job.

For example, a strong CDM capable of executing great passes or an agile CAM who can weave through the opposing team’s defense. Either way, no matter what midfielder you’re looking for, our list certainly has the answer.

There’s a range of great midfielders to choose from, a standout is Pedri from FC Barcelona who can be picked up for as little as £2.7m. Although he starts at 73 OVR, he has the potential to reach an incredible 89 if developed.

Name Age Club Position OVR POT Price
Sandro Tonali 20 Milan CDM 77 91 £21.5m
Maxence Caqueret 20 Lyon CDM 75 87 £11m
Matteo Guendouz 21 Hertha BSC CDM 77 86 £20m
Jadon Sancho 20 Borussia Dortmund RM 87 93 £111.5m
Takefusa Kubo 19 Villarreal CF RM 75 89 £12m
Eduardo Camavinga 17 Stade Rennais F CM 78 89 £26m
Billy Gilmour 19 Chelsea CM 71 86 £4m
Moussa Diaby 21 Bayer 04 Leverkusen LM 81 88 £47m
Pedri 17 FC Barcelona LM 73 89 £2.7m
Martin Odegaard 21 Real Madrid CAM 83 89 £52.5m
Giovanni Reyna 17 Borussia Dortmund CAM 68 87 £1.8m
Joseph Willock 21 Arsenal CAM 71 85 £4.1m

Best young strikers and wingers

Buying strong attacking players can be extremely expensive at the best of times, especially if they’re established goalscorers.

So when you do pick up a player, it’s key they have the correct skills for the job. In a winger, you’re looking for pace, the ability to beat a man, and great crossing. Whereas the perfect striker is agile, strong, and clinical in front of a goal.

There’s a range of players who are equipped with these skills. If you have the budget, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe are at the top of their game and will significantly improve a squad.

However, if you’re looking for a long-term project, Fabio Silva or Christos Tzolis are great players who have a lot of potential.

Name Age Club Position OVR POT Price
Ferran Torres 20 Manchester City RW 80 88 £51m
Joelson Fernandes 20 Sporting CP RW 69 87 £1.3m
Trincao 20 FC Barcelona RW 78 91 £30.5m
Gonzalo Plata 19 Sporting CP RW 74 86 £9m
Erling Haaland 20 Borussia Dortmund ST 85 92 £97m
Kylian Mbappe 21 Paris Saint-Germain ST 90 95 £167m
Jonathan David 20 Lille OSC ST 77 88 £21m
Fabio Silva 18 Wolverhampton Wanderers ST 69 85 £1.3m
Christian Pulisic 21 Chelsea LW 81 87 £37m
Christos Tzolis 18 PAOK FC LW 69 87 £1.3m
Antony 21 Ajax LW 78 88 £15m
Charles De Ketelaere 19 Club Brugge LW 73 85 £6.5m

That rounds off our list of the best young players in FIFA 21 for every position. Hopefully, this has given you a better idea of who your club should invest in on Career Mode.

Any of these players would make an amazing addition to your team, but make sure you identify what your squad is lacking and fill in the gaps with new talent.


Check out our other FIFA 21 guides for more, tips, and tricks:

For more FIFA guides and tips, check out our other guides and lists: Best cheap players | Fastest players | Best goalkeepers | Prime Gaming rewards | Pro clubs tactics and formations | FIFA 21 Custom tactics, formations, and player instructions | FIFA 21 best strikers