The Football Manager 27 wonderkid Sports Interactive’s own staff are pointing to is Abdellah Ouazane, Ajax’s 17-year-old left winger: SI developer Antony Farley told FourFourTwo he “looks like he’s going to be a very strong player this year.” Beyond him, our picks at the top of the young talent pool are Lamine Yamal, Max Dowman, Rio Ngumoha and Pau Cubarsí, with cheaper gems such as Daulet Orynbasar, Tornike Kvaratskhelia and Luis Fragozo for smaller budgets.
Below we list the names worth scouting first, by position and budget, and explain how to find wonderkids yourself in Football Manager 27. A word on sourcing: FM hides potential ability, Sports Interactive has not published a wonderkid list for FM27, and SI says the preview database “may contain data that does not, at this time, accurately reflect real world data.” So the names here are our picks, based on how the Launch Preview database (which opened on October 29) rates each player rather than on an official SI list, and they can shift with the launch update.
The Wonderkid an SI Developer Named
Farley was careful not to spoil too much. “The fun of discovery is part of it, so I don’t want to ruin too many surprises,” he told FourFourTwo before the free preview opened. But he did single out Ouazane, and he added that “at the Ajax Academy, there are always good players coming through.”
The preview database backs him up: Ouazane is among the highest-rated young attacking midfielders in it, listed at Ajax as a left winger who can also play through the middle. He is the safest first call on your scouts if you manage a big club in Europe, and the obvious target if you take over Ajax and want to keep him.
The Elite Wonderkids (Big Budgets Only)
These are our picks from the very top of FM27’s young talent pool. Expect huge fees and wages, and expect their clubs to refuse to sell at the start of a save.
| Player | Club at the start | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Right winger |
| Max Dowman | Arsenal | Attacking midfielder |
| Rio Ngumoha | Liverpool | Winger |
| Estêvão | Chelsea | Right winger |
| Franco Mastantuono | Real Madrid | Attacking midfielder |
| Yan Diomande | Real Madrid | Winger |
| Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona | Centre-back |
| Luka Vušković | Brighton | Centre-back |
Dowman is the one to watch most closely: he starts the game at 16 and already near the top of the attacking-midfield pool. If you manage Arsenal, Liverpool or Barcelona, your best wonderkid is already in your squad, so check contracts before you go shopping (see our best teams to manage if you have not picked a club yet).
Cheap Wonderkids and Hidden Gems
This is where FM saves are won. These are our picks among the high-potential youngsters at clubs that will actually sell, often for a fraction of the elite names’ fees:
- Daulet Orynbasar (17, striker, Kairat): a high-potential striker at a club outside Europe’s big leagues.
- Tornike Kvaratskhelia (16, winger, Dinamo Tbilisi): the younger brother of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and one of the cheapest names on this list at the start of a save.
- Luis Fragozo (16, winger, Emelec): a high-potential winger who can play on either flank.
- Jacob Ambæk (18, striker, Brøndby): pricier than the others, but a high-potential young striker who is further along than most of this list.
- Adri Mehmeti (17, defensive midfielder, New York Red Bulls): a composed passer for teams that build from the back.
- Oliver Wilkinson (17, centre-back, Ipswich): a raw young English centre-back with a high potential range.
- Simón Escobar (16, left wing-back, Vélez Sarsfield): a high-potential youngster who can play left-back or left wing-back.
- Bruno Cabral (striker, River Plate): one of the most talked-about South American prospects, though River Plate will ask a lot.
- Rui Araki (goalkeeper, Gamba Osaka): one of the highest-potential young keepers in the preview database.
Two more for specific holes: the preview database rates Saba Kharebashvili (Başakşehir) among the best young left-backs and Jesús Fortea (Real Madrid) among the best young right-backs.
How Wonderkid Potential Works in FM27
Potential in Football Manager is hidden and, for most young players, not fixed. Many youngsters are given a potential range in the database rather than one number, and each new save settles on a value inside that range. That is why the same wonderkid can become a superstar in one save and a solid squad player in another, and why the names above are a scouting list, not a guarantee.
Development also depends on your setup. FM27 reworked Training around match preparation, but Sports Interactive confirms you can still develop individuals through personal training, “to help players learn new traits, positions and more.” Playing time, facilities and coaching all matter, so a wonderkid sitting in the reserves at a club with poor training facilities will stall.
How to Find FM27 Wonderkids Yourself
Sports Interactive’s own tips for your first hours in FM27 start with your own academy, and that is the right order:
- Check your Youth Setup Overview first. SI says it gives “an instant snapshot” of your academy, and you may find a wonderkid “secretly sitting in your Under-23s or Under-19s squad.”
- Read the NXGN 50. FM27 shows the annual NXGN 50 list of young talents directly in the message body, so you no longer have to click through to an article.
- Set your Scouting Range and budget. These decide how far your scouts reach. You can change them from the Player Database screen alongside your transfer and wage budgets.
- Filter the Player Database. Filter by age, then sort by your scouts’ rating. FM27’s scout reports also show Tactical Effectiveness, so you can see whether a youngster fits your system.
- Decide on attribute masking when you set up the save. In Advanced Setup, “Allow Player Attribute Masking” means you must scout players to see their attributes. Turn it off to see everything from day one. SI notes these advanced settings cannot be changed after the save is created.
One more thing: if you tick “Use Fake Players and Staff” at setup, none of the real wonderkids above exist. Your annual Youth Intake still arrives later in the season either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best wonderkid in FM27? Our top picks are Lamine Yamal, Max Dowman and Rio Ngumoha. Sports Interactive developer Antony Farley singled out Ajax’s Abdellah Ouazane as “a very strong player this year.”
Has Sports Interactive published an official FM27 wonderkids list? Not as of the Launch Preview. The names here are our picks, plus Farley’s interview comments.
Are wonderkids the same in every FM27 save? No. Many young players carry a potential range, and each new save settles on a value within it, so how good a wonderkid becomes varies between saves.
Will the wonderkids change at full release? They can. SI says the preview database may not fully reflect real-world data yet, and a launch update arrives with the full game on November 10.
Can I sign wonderkids in the free Launch Preview and keep them? Yes. Sports Interactive says Launch Preview careers carry into the full game, so a wonderkid signed early stays in your save. Our Launch Preview guide covers how the saves carry over.
Should I turn off attribute masking to find wonderkids? It is your call. With “Allow Player Attribute Masking” on, you must scout players to see their attributes; with it off, you see everything from the start. Choose in Advanced Setup, because SI says those settings cannot be changed once the save exists.