Are you managing outside the top 5 leagues, or got a minimal transfer budget which means you can’t afford one of the best Football Manager 2022 wonderkids transfer costs or wage demands? Here are our recommendations for FM22 cheap wonderkids and bargains under the age of 21.
Our list of cheap wonderkids in Football Manager 2022 is the perfect place to look for any managers who prefer to buy low and sell high.
Since FM22 is packed with new wonderkids at market values few clubs can afford, it’s worth taking a look at the cheapest wonderkids and bargains in Football Manager 2022.
Football Manager 2022 Cheap Wonderkids To Buy Under €5Mill
With Football Manager 2022 in our hands, the fun of scouting for the next world-class stars can finally begin. The excitement of leading a young squad filled with talents carefully developed along the road to glory can’t compete with the great feeling of signing cheap wonderkids at almost no cost.
Yes, it’s a time-consuming process where you’re required to browse through hundreds of scout reports and travel to scout regions around the world in order to identify cheap wonderkids available for a low cost.
Today we have done most of the work for you, by handing you a few recommendations of cheap wonderkids in FM22 we feel you should be aware of, as well as handing you Passion4FM’s downloadable shortlist of FM22 cheap wonderkids! Link to download is available in the bottom of the article.
Rauf Salifu / 19 / Accra Lions
From time to time, Football Manager delivers some incredible African wonderkid bargains. Last year it was Jean N’Guessan who got signed by OGC Nice this summer.
In Football Manager 2022 there is a new cheap African wonderkid you need to know! The Ghanian advanced forward Rauf Salifu is currently at Accra Lions at the start of the 2021-2022 season but is attracting interest immediately.
Fairly quick and got great movements to be a suitable option for teams looking at attacking space behind the opposition lines. Whether you play on counter-attack or gegenpress, Rauf Salifu can be a great signing. He got the work rate, aggression and strength to fit the role of a Pressing Forward, or the composure, finishing and technique to be a box player. His abilities in possession of the ball are great. He got the skills to dribble past the opponent, hold up the ball and create space for himself by tricking his marker with quick movements in different directions.
Great signing for clubs in a relegation battle in French Ligue 1 or clubs in Belgium, Czech Rep., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Croatia. He’s got the potential to reach Premier League standard but requires attention and great training facilities to unearth and fulfill his immense potential.
Main Strength(s): Leadership and Free-Kick Taking
Iwo Kaczmarksi / 17 / Rakow Czestochowa
Poland has always been a great place to find cheap wonderkids and bargains. If you’re lucky you might find great bargains under the cost of €2Million.
Iwo Kaczmarski is one of these cheap Polish wonderkids that I believe got a great career ahead of himself. The current Polish Under-19 midfielder has been brought up by his local club Korona Kielce but took the step up to Ekstraklasa level in January 2021 when Rakow signed him for a relatively small fee.
The fairly versatile midfielder can play both as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder. He got the aggression, work rate and determination to be a great ball-winning midfielder, but also the vision, technique, passing and flair to be an advanced playmaker. While he lacks a bit in dribbling and stamina, his all-round capabilities and potential might make him a decent signing regardless of the team you’re managing. Despite he might be playing for your B-team or Under-19s for the first season or so, Iwo Kaczmarski got the potential to become a great Championship level player. Simply give him match experience on a higher level than Polish Ekstraklasa and see him blossom!
Main strength(s): Determination & Aggression
Goncalo Esteves / 17 / Sporting CP
The Sporting CP Youth Academy who have developed world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo could be a great place to find future wonderkids newgens but let us not forget the existing real talents. The current Sporting CP youth team got a lot of incredible talents in their ranks. Most of them available for under €5Mill, or on loan!
One of these gifted players I’d like to put attention on is Goncalo Esteves. Since it’s difficult to find cheap attacking wingbacks in Football Manager 2022, it might be worth signing a teenager you can develop and sell for 10x the money you spend on the signing.
Goncalo Esteves possesses everything you need in an attacking wingback. He got great acceleration and pace (considering his young age) to attack space down the flanks and cover the entire wide channel. His abilities with the ball at his feet are great as well with good dribbling, vision and passing.
He reads the play fairly well and is able to anticipate where he needs to move and be positioned to help his teammates in all phases of play. while he lacks a bit in crossing, he got the vision, passing and technique to create chances from wider areas. His off-the-ball movement and decisions are great too and coupled with his tendency to get forward whenever possible, he creates overlaps and overloads down the right flank.
His ‘Plays One-Twos’ trait and flair might make him an ideal player for any team’s playing tiki-taka or other more possession-oriented systems utilizing a quicker tempo.
Goncalo Esteves is available on loan at the start of the first season but could be available for under €5Mill if he’s interested in joining your club. Unfortunately, he wasn’t immediately interested in signing for Ajax in my save.
Main Strength(s): Quickness, Off the ball and Vision
Álex Cardero / 17 / Real Oviedo
One of the wonderkids on an expiring contract is the attacking midfielder talent Àlex Cardero at Real Oviedo. The 17-year old technical midfielder could be a great signing for any team’s playing with a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1. His ability to play between the lines and connect the defensive unit with the attacking unit by working hard to create space for himself and his teammates is great for his levels.
With creativity and unpredictability with the ball at his feet, he could be the cheap advanced playmaker your team needs to fight for promotions in the year to come. Despite lacking vision and dribbling, Alex Cardero got great skills as a shadow striker. His ability to get control of the ball in tight spaces, hold up the ball and play in others makes him an interesting signing.
I would think he could be a great signing for any team’s playing gegenpress. His work rate and aggression will be perfect for any team’s using a high block where the objective is to win the ball in the opposition half.
The great thing is that he will be available for under €1Mill, and won’t demand too high wages.
Aziz Ouattara / 20 / Hammarby IF
For the last years, African players have often looked to Scandinavia as a stepping stone to reach top levels of football. While FC Nordsjælland has been the biggest producer of Ghanaian and Ivorian wonderkids through the Right to Dream Academy, other Scandinavian clubs have seen the financial benefits of signing cheap African wonderkids.
If you need a great cheap central defender for your high block tactic, Aziz Ouattara might be one to look at. With fairly good quickness to play with a high defensive line, he could be the central defender or wide centre-back you need at a club with a limited transfer budget.
The Ivorian central defender is 190cm tall and got great jumping reach. Therefore, he’s a remarkable threat in attacking set-pieces as well as a trusted marker inside the box at defensive set-pieces.
In fact, Aziz Ouattara is a very versatile player. He could be used as a ball-winning midfielder in a 3-1-3-3 formation, as a wide centre-back (support) for your back three formations, or as a future ball-playing defender.
He got aggression and tackling to close down opponents in front of him, as well as the bravery to block shots. His number of clearances and tackling completion ratio could make him into a great defender in the years to come.
He got the potential to play in one of the top 10 leagues and could potentially be a great signing already for Liga Bwin , Jupiler Pro, Ligue 2, Serie B, Eredivisie, Championship or League One clubs. Expect a maximum transfer cost of around €3Mill.
Main Strength(s): Heading, Jumping Reach and Aggression
Pablo Torre / 18 / Racing Santander
Why Racing Santander does NOT demand a higher fee for Pablo Torre surprises me! The Spanish wonderkid got immense potential and could be rated at a similar level as Thiago Alamada, Billy Gilmour or Kang-In Lee.
Instead, if you’re lucky you’ll be able to sign Pablo Torre for under €1million in Football Manager 2022 – an absolute steal! Don’t forget you need to move fast to secure him!
The versatile attacking midfielder could be used either as an Enganche or Advanced playmaker. His creativity and technique with the ball are outstanding. He could even be used as wide playmaker in your 4-2-3-1 narrow, but I would have used him in a 5-2-1-2 formation where he can play in others as movements are coming around him.
This will hide his weaknesses which are quickness and stamina. Instead of asking him to cover a lot of ground, simply make sure he’s able to pinpoint passes to those around him. His vision and passing will aid your team to destabilize any teams trying to park the bus. His creativity and skills will come to light when he’s given full freedom to roam from the position. The tighter space, the more you can trust Pablo Torre’s gifted skills.
Main Strength(s): Passing, Technique, Vision and Flair
Fabián Ángel / 20 / Junior
A great place to scout for future wonderkids in FM22 is scouring Liga Águila in Colombia. In recent years, Colombia has produced players like Jhon Duran, Yerson Mosquera and Alfredo Morelos. By scouting the teams; America de Cali, Envigado and Atletico Nacional you can spot some great wonderkids and bargains.
When loading FM22 for th first time, one of the most interesting Colombian wonderkids in FM22 is Fábian Ángel. The deep-lying playmaker is one of the most creative midfielders in the league and could potentially dominate the league in the years to come.
Standing out for his vision, anticipation, work rate and positioning he’s a natural holding midfielder perfect in your 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 system. He’s able to recycle possession when playing out from the back as well as making those vital penetrating passes that let your team enter the final third.
He’s a player that can cover a lot of ground with ease due to his stamina and acceleration. When the team is in possession he got the balance and first touch to receive the ball in tight areas and create chances from deep as he makes key passes that set up your winger or advanced playmaker/mezzala for a shot on goal.
The intelligent midfielder is a fairly consistent player that would most likely be a great signing for Spanish La Liga clubs, Belgium Jupiler Pro or Liga Portugal Bwin. He will probably be available for around €2-5Million, and is one of the more costlier players on this list.
Main Strength(s): Vision, Work Rate, Anticipation, Passing
César Araújo / 20 / Wanderers
If you find Fábian Ángel abit too costly, then I’d recommend to turn your attention to Uruguayan wonderkid César Araújo. The defensive midfielder or central midfielder which can play as both a deep-lying playmaker in a 4-3-3, as a roaming playmaker in a 4-2-3-1 or as a Mezzala in a 3-5-2/5-3-2, could be the creative force your club needs.
The versatile midfielder stands out for his long shots and teamwork, but got decent vision, passing and anticipation to pull the strings for your team. Available for under €1Mill he might be a great signing for the future for clubs in Eredivisie, Spanish La Liga bottom half clubs, French Ligue 2 or Liga Portugal Bwin.
Fabricio Díaz / 18 / Liverpool F.C (URU)
While we are talking about cheap deep lying -playmaker wonderkids, I need to bring awareness to Fabricio Díaz. Signed by Arsenal in my save for €1,1Mill, he might be the ideal ‘sign low-sell high’ player!
The Uruguayan wonderkid is fairly versatile and could play as a Mezzala, dee-lying-playmaker or advanced playmaker. His vision, passing, technique and anticipation can both create chances and make those crucial through balls, but he is also goood in aerial situations or in the final third with great long shots and finishing.
Take advantage of his crossing abilities, long shots and acceleration in the role of a Mezzala and make him into a creative attacking threat in the years to come.
Stipe Biuk / 18 / Hajduk Split
Croatia is a great hotbed for cheap wonderkids and bargain talents. While many might think of Dinamo Zagreb when looking for the best Croatian talents, Hajduk Split got lots of talents too!
Stipe Biuk is a cheap inverted winger or inside forward suitable for Belgium, France, Germany and Spain. While he’s not the quickest wingers, he got great skills in one-on-one situations by penetrating the opposition’s defensive block by dribbles and quick changes of directions with the ball.
His creativity and unpredictability is quite ‘unordinary’ according to his height. Normally players at 185cm should be better in the air rather than on the ground. But this is completely the opposite in Biuk’s case.
His consistency could be of great help to your teams performances, but he needs to work on his game intelligence (decisions, anticipation and teamwork to be a suitable backup player for top teams.
Noel López / 18 / Deportivo Fabril
What if I told you, there was a Spanish wonderkid striker in FM22 that you could sign for less than €1million?! Yes, there is and he’s not that bad either despite requiring time to mature and gain experience at a higher level.
Noel López is a young advanced forward at an expiring contract. He got the quickness and off the ball movement to be a great threat against teams playing with a high defensive line. He can also be a great signing for counter-attacking systems as you can ask the player to run with the ball and dribble in one-on-one situations.
He’s adept at receiving and holding up the ball in tight areas, can play in others with decent passing and vision, and got the finishing and technique to find the back of the net time after time.
Honorable Mentions
- Matias Arezo (18) River Plate – ST – Transfer Cost: €850K-2Mill
- Victor Boniface (20) Bodø-Glimt – ST – tTansfer Cost: €1.5-3Mill
- Filip Bundgaard (17) Randers FC – AMRC/ST – Transfer Cost: ~€1Mill