Brian Madjo is the standout wonderkid in Football Manager 27, with Pau Cubarsí serving as the premier defensive target among the best wonderkids to sign for your club.
The best signing for your club may be someone less famous. An expensive teenager needs a place in your squad, while a cheaper prospect can require several seasons of development before contributing. Use the positional shortlist below to identify your first scouting targets, then compare the premium players with lower-cost alternatives before spending your transfer budget.
Best wonderkids by position
These picks cover every position, from a future goalkeeper to a striker you can develop across a long save. They are scouting priorities, not a claim that every club can sign them.
Ages and clubs below reflect the launch-preview starting database. Check each player's situation in your save before planning a transfer.
| Position | First player to scout | Starting age | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Dennis Seimen | 20 | Stuttgart |
| Right-back | Daniel Banjaqui | 18 | Benfica |
| Left-back | Saba Kharebashvili | 17 | İstanbul Başakşehir |
| Centre-back | Pau Cubarsí | 19 | Barcelona |
| Defensive midfield | Ayyoub Bouaddi | 18 | Manchester City |
| Central midfield | Nathan De Cat | 17 | Hoffenheim |
| Attacking midfield | Luca Williams-Barnett | 17 | Tottenham |
| Right wing | Lamine Yamal | 19 | Barcelona |
| Left wing | Rio Ngumoha | 17 | Liverpool |
| Striker | Brian Madjo | 17 | Aston Villa |
Judge defensive readiness
Which top prospects fit your squad?
Goalkeepers: choose readiness or development
Dennis Seimen is the first goalkeeper to check if you want someone who can challenge for a starting place relatively quickly. Stuttgart's asking price is the obstacle. Florian Hellstern at Greuther Fürth is another leading young goalkeeper, but neither should be your only scouting target when money is tight.
Rui Araki, Gamba Osaka's 18-year-old goalkeeper, is the more affordable option among that trio. He is a stronger starting point when your plan is to develop a long-term number one without paying for Seimen's greater readiness.
Quenten Attigah at AZ offers another route, but the 17-year-old suits a patient recruitment plan. If your current goalkeeper needs replacing immediately, compare Attigah's present ability with the demands of the vacancy before making him your main target.
Compare young goalkeeper options
Defenders: pay for an immediate role
Cubarsí can already play at the highest level. Barcelona are extremely difficult to persuade to sell, so he belongs on a premium shortlist, not a realistic bargain list. Brighton's Luka Vušković is a more achievable centre-back target, although he still requires a substantial budget.
Chelsea's Jorrel Hato deserves attention when you need help both centrally and at left-back. His positional coverage gives you a concrete reason to pursue him beyond potential alone: one signing can fill either defensive vacancy.
Banjaqui is a leading teenage right-back, with Benfica's price likely to determine whether a move makes sense. Kharebashvili is the left-back to investigate before shopping exclusively at Europe's biggest clubs. His development needs are different from Cubarsí's, so assess him as a longer-term addition instead of assuming every top prospect is ready to start.
Midfielders and wingers: separate versatility from readiness
Bouaddi has standout midfield potential, but buying him from Manchester City is difficult. Nathan De Cat offers a central-midfield development project, while PSG's Warren Zaïre-Emery is already good enough for most teams. Choose between them based on whether the vacancy needs filling now or over several seasons.
Williams-Barnett can play across the attacking midfield positions and up front. He is particularly useful to shortlist when your formation changes between a central creator, wide attackers, and an additional striker. Ajax's Abdellah Ouazane is another versatile attacking prospect worth comparing with him.
Yamal combines exceptional potential with elite current ability, making him close to unattainable for most clubs. Chelsea's Estêvão can also contribute at a high level immediately, but he is an expensive alternative. Ngumoha is a high-ceiling left-wing development target, not a reason to ignore the quality of your current starter.
Best lower-cost wonderkids to scout
Start here when the premium prospects are outside your budget. Keep potential first-team additions separate from players you can afford to develop for several seasons.
If a position needs an immediate starter, compare these teenagers with the Football Manager 27 best players to sign by budget before reserving all your money for youth recruitment.
| Player | Starting age | Club | Position | Recruitment appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ângelo | 17 | São Paulo | Right-back / wing-back | Lower initial valuation than the premium defensive targets |
| João Pedro | 18 | Santos | Goalkeeper | Budget alternative to the leading young goalkeepers |
| Christopher Cupps | 18 | Greenock Morton | Centre-back | Lower-value defensive prospect to investigate |
| Gomolemo Kekana | 20 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Defensive midfield | A scouting lead for a smaller midfield budget |
| Marko Soldić | 16 | Nürnberg | Central / attacking midfield | Coverage in two midfield areas with time to develop |
| Gabriel Wesseh | 18 | Fredrikstad | Right wing | A wide option outside the biggest European leagues |
| Joshua Abe | 15 | Liverpool | Right wing | High potential for a very long-term project |
Abe's age changes the decision. He is the youngest player here, so pursue him for a long save, not to solve a first-team shortage this season. A lower valuation does not turn a 15-year-old into a ready-made senior winger.
Soldić is a useful comparison when you want a creative midfield prospect without approaching Germany's biggest clubs. Check which of his two midfield positions you actually need before adding another teenager to an already crowded development squad.
Best young strikers: Madjo, Endrick, or a cheaper project?
The striker choice depends on how soon you need a contribution. Brian Madjo has the stronger potential assessment than Endrick, while Endrick starts with higher current ability. Buying the longer-term ceiling and buying the more developed forward are different decisions.
| Player | Club | Best reason to scout | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Madjo | Aston Villa | Build around a leading long-term striker prospect | Needs more development than Endrick |
| Endrick | Real Madrid | Add a more developed young forward with substantial upside | Difficult and expensive to sign |
| Eli Junior Kroupi | Bournemouth | Investigate a young striker beyond the biggest European clubs | Still requires a serious transfer budget |
| Lacine Megnan | Montpellier | Develop a high-potential forward from age 16 | A patient project, not an automatic starter |
Kroupi is worth checking when you want a Premier League target but cannot make a deal with Real Madrid. Bournemouth may be easier to approach, although that does not make him a cheap signing.
Megnan suits a different timeline. Compare him with Francesco Camarda at AC Milan and Antonio Arena at Roma if you want alternatives for a multi-season development plan. The useful question is which player you can give an appropriate route into senior football, not which name sits highest on a shortlist.
How to scout and develop your signing
Compare potential with current ability
Football Manager separates Current Ability (CA), how good a player is now, from Potential Ability (PA), the ceiling they can develop toward. A large gap can make a teenager an exciting prospect, but it also means you are buying development work.
Use your scouts' current and potential assessments together. A high potential-star assessment answers a different question from whether a player can replace your starting centre-back next weekend. The Football Manager 27 transfers and scouting guide can help you turn those reports into an offer plan.
Some prospects have variable potential, so their ceiling can differ between saves. Treat a famous name as a reason to scout, not a promise that your version will develop identically.
Build a shortlist around an actual vacancy
Work through these steps before making an offer:
- Choose the position first. Identify whether you need a starter, cover, or a future replacement.
- Set scouting assignments for players aged 21 and under in regions your club can afford to cover.
- Compare potential assessments, then check present ability against the role you need filled.
- Keep an alternative target so one rejected offer does not end your recruitment plan.
- Set an offer limit that leaves room for the rest of your squad needs.
Build a focused youth shortlist
Give the player a route to regular football
Regular matches and good coaching support development. If your new signing is not ready for your first team, consider a loan that offers playing opportunities instead of leaving him unused on the bench.
Build your Football Manager 27 training plan around the position you want the player to develop in, and support him with suitable coaching and mentoring. Potential is a ceiling, not a guarantee that the player will reach it.
Before completing the transfer, name the position he will train for and where he will get his matches. If neither answer is clear, fill the immediate vacancy first and leave the prospect on your shortlist.
