The role of the defensive midfielder has evolved significantly in recent years.
What was once primarily about breaking up play and making crunching tackles is now a position that demands more: not only winning the ball but also progressing it forward and dictating the tempo from deep.
The same is true in EA FC 26, where your defensive midfielders aren’t just enforcers—they’re playmakers too.
In Career Mode, the key is to sign a CDM who can perform now and grow into an even bigger asset for the future. With that in mind, we’ve ranked the 10 best young defensive midfielders you can sign, focusing on players 23 years old or younger and valued at under £40 million.
10. Romeo Lavia (Chelsea)
Value: £21.5 million
Age: 21
Rating: 78
Potential: 85
In real life, Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia is often sidelined with injuries, but in EA FC 26, he ranks among the best young defensive midfielders you can sign.
Given the sheer number of players in Chelsea's squad, he’s reasonably easy to prize away from the Blues for a fair price, and boasts solid physical and passing attributes—though his pace might be slightly below top-tier levels.
9. Zeno Debast (Sporting CP)
Value: £24.1 million
Age: 21
Rating: 78
Potential: 86
Sign Sporting Lisbon’s Zeno Debast, and you’re getting a midfielder who excels both in building play and regaining possession. His versatility is impressive—he can even slot in as a centre-back when needed.
Truly an exceptional all-rounder.
8. Ardon Jashari (AC Milan)
Value: £18.2 million
Age: 22
Rating: 77
Potential: 86
AC Milan (who are listed as Milano FC in EA FC 26 due to licensing) new boy Ardon Jashari can develop into one of the quickest defensive midfielders in the game. Add into that his already elite agility and superb stamina, and you've got yourself a relentless presence in the middle of the park.
He's also a real bargain if you can lure him away from San Siro.
7. Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Value: £27.2 million
Age: 21
Rating: 79
Potential: 86
For young defensive midfielders, few can match Adam Wharton’s exceptional passing range and vision. He’s the perfect player to build attacks from deep, dictating tempo and playing out from the back with composure beyond his years.
Where he needs improvement is in his pace and, somewhat surprisingly given his real-life style, his physicality—but both can be developed significantly with the right development plan.
6. Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur)
Value: £9.3 million
Age: 19
Rating: 75
Potential: 86
Tottenham's Archie Gray offers a similar profile to Wharton, with excellent passing and composure but room to grow in terms of pace and physicality. However, in Career Mode, he edges the Crystal Palace man in two key areas.
First, his versatility—being able to play at right back, centre back, right midfield, and central defensive midfield—and second, his bargain price, which makes him one of the smartest pickups you can make early in your save.
5. Marc Casado (Barcelona)
Value: £27.2 million
Age: 21
Rating: 79
Potential: 86
Marc Casado is an intriguing option—and one that’s relatively easy to secure, either on loan or for a modest fee, given Barcelona’s already stacked midfield.
Technically gifted, with sharp dribbling and precise passing, the 5’7” midfielder excels at evading challenges and keeping possession ticking over. However, like Wharton and Gray, his pace and physical attributes could use some attention—though with his smaller frame, there’s only so much room for improvement in that department.
4. Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid)
Value: £30.5 million
Age: 23
Rating: 81
Potential: 87
Already good enough to slot into most starting lineups—and with the potential to become one of the very best defensive midfielders in the game—Atlético Madrid’s Johnny Cardoso is a midfield powerhouse.
Physically dominant, a solid tackler, and a even better passer, his only real weakness is his shooting—though, let’s be honest, that’s hardly a dealbreaker for a player of his role.
3. Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Value: £30.9 million
Age: 21
Rating: 81
Potential: 87
If you’re after the most well-rounded young defensive midfielder in EA FC 26, look no further than Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.
He can quite literally do it all—tackle, pass, carry the ball, and even unleash a rocket from distance. With top-tier stats across the board, there’s a reason he comes with a hefty price tag… but he’s absolutely worth every penny.
2. Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
Value: £30.1 million
Age: 21
Rating: 79
Potential: 87
Another player who lacks a bit of pace (though that can be fixed with the right development plan), Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlović shines in the technical side of the game—boasting excellent passing, vision, dribbling, and ball control.
At 6’2” with strong defensive awareness and tackling, he’s also more than capable of shielding the backline—making him the perfect deep-lying maestro for those who like to build from the back.
1. Jorthy Mokio (Ajax)
Best Young Defensive Midfielders in EA FC 26 Career Mode
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best Young Defensive Midfielders to Sign in EA FC 26 Career Mode.
