Nothing makes or breaks a Football Manager 26 save like your recruitment. A killer tactic is great, but only if you have the players to execute it effectively, so identifying and bringing in winning talent is a must if you’re looking to take your team to the very top of the sport.
One of the best ways to build for the future and the present is to get the stars of tomorrow as they are just beginning their professional careers. With this list of top midfielders, you’ll get to know some of the best young midfielders in the sport. Not only are each one of them rated to have a Potential Ability that will see them challenging for Ballon d’Ors in many a save, they’re all also already talented enough to be featuring for some of the biggest clubs in the world despite not having even begun the transition into their athletic primes.
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, CA 165, PA 170-200)
Any player making a list of the best possible signings at a position is, by default, an exciting player to add to any side, but Yamal might be the most exciting prospect in all of world football. Still just 18 years old, Yamal entered this season having already been a consistent starter for Barcelona for two seasons now, with 72 La Liga matches and 23 Champions League appearances across the last two seasons for the blaugranes
As one of just two midfielders in the game with maximum levels for Potential Ability, how developmental floor is elite, and his ceiling is being the best player in the world. What sets him apart as the top option is how close he already is to achieving that floor, leaving him 23 points further along in his progression than the next player on this list despite being a year younger.
Endrick (Real Madrid, CA 142, PA 170-200)
Anything you can do I can do better is the presiding theme of El Classico, with the two Spanish giants always seeming to have an answer to whatever wonderful thing their hated rival is enjoying. For Real Madrid in this case it means having their own starboy for the future and today in the form of Endrick, their 19 year old Brazilian wonderkid.
While Yamal’s current development pips Endrick to the top, that doesn’t change this is one of the best FM players you can acquire, not least because he can also star up top. The potential to have the greatest player on the planet at your disposal and playing in the position to score goals is mouth-watering. Just ask Manchester City, who are currently riding Erling Haaland’s pace of more than one goal per game to just about stay in the title race despite struggles elsewhere.
Kenin Yildiz (Juventus, CA 152, PA 160-190)
It’s not often that you see a teenager inheriting an iconic number at an iconic club, but it’s also not often you see a player like Kenin Yildiz. The German-born Turkish national team star holds down the #10 shirt for Juventus, an honor granted to him when he was just 19, acknowledging he is already a critical part of the club, both for today and the future. His technical talent and raw tools are already enough to be at the helm for a club that expects deep European runs, while his age means there’s still so much room to grow.
Yildiz is already capable of playing across the entire pitch behind your strikers, with serviceable play deeper and good play up top in a pinch. This means you can plug him in wherever you need help up front and, with some developmental time, turn him into an elite performer at that position. He has the Technique, Passing, and Dribbling to play in the midfield, while just a touch of finishing development will see him bagging goals by the handful in a more attacking role.
Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain, CA 156, PA 160-190)
For years, Paris Saint-Germain beat its head fruitlessly against the gates to the Champions League Winners Club, as megastar-studded lineup after megastar-studded lineup crashed and burned in the knockout stages. Last season, the expensive Qatari project finally came good with a successful Champions League campaign, and Doue was a breakout star. While it would be an understatement to say a €50 million teenager picking between PSG and Bayern is no shock hero, his debut campaign was still a resounding success.
Doue captured Young Player of the Year awards for both Ligue 1 and the Champions League while also making the Ligue 1 Team of the Season at just 19. With so much room and time to grow, Doue is already an elite destroyer off the wing, with lovely technique and the skills to beat players with the ball or distribute it into dangerous areas.
Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal, CA 140, PA 160-190)
Last season, Arsenal fans got their wish of seeing a young Hale End prospect firmly establish himself as a teenage starter for one of the best teams in the world, but to their shock, it wasn’t Nwaneri but instead left back Myles Lewis-Skelly. While MLS may have stolen some of the headlines, Nwaneri remains one of the brightest prospects in the sport, just one also currently in the most competitive area of the pitch for the Gunners. While his appearances fell off a bit late, it’s clear Nwaneri is already great and capable of greater.
It’s still to be seen if his ultimate place in Arteta’s plans is on the wing or as the next Odegaard, but that’s good news for you, as you can use him on either side or through the middle. His Dribbling and Long Shots have already proven to make him capable of scoring Bukayo Saka’s trademark cut-in off the wing, while his Vision and Passing mean he can power your offensive engine now and for many years to come, too.
These are five of the brightest current and future stars in the whole sport, and each can fit into any squad for the long term. Who is your favorite Midfield prospect, and did they make the list?
