With the release of the FM23 Winter Transfer update, which arrived at the end of last week, a major improvement and significant changes has been rolled out to player’s abilities and potential, meaning there are new wonderkids and bargains to discover!
In this event, it’s time to look at some of the many cheap wonderkids bargains on the FM23 Winter Transfer update which you can secure for under €5million on Football Manager 2023. Our recommendations of cheap wonderkids bargains on Football Manager 2023 will let you discover some of the many hot prospects and undervalued young players around the globe that you should sign on the latest updated FM23 patch – the 23.3 database.
As always with our FM23 wonderkids recommendations, we have handpicked what we believe are the best young players who gives you the most value for your money as we taken the momentum task of scouting worldwide for the best cheap bargains under the age of 21 in Football Manager 2023.
These 20 cheap wonderkids bargains of FM23 Winter Transfer update has all the potential to play in one of the top 10 leagues in Football Manager. I’ve tried to identify layers who can be sold for 10x their transfer value and could establish themself within the first team with careful player development and right guidance. Some might initially lack the ability to play in one of the top clubs, but has the potential to be a useful asset, while others could well be a great signing for those hunting for promotions to the top division right from the start.
However, we have tried to identify those players with the highest potential as possible that could be of value for you, whether that would be immediately, three years into future or more than five. By signing the players immediately, you can put extra effort on developing the players into wonderkids and ensure they fulfill their potential, either you keep them at the club or send them out on loan to get more match practice to aid their development.
If you’re managing a top division club, I can’t hide the fact that some of these players might not have the acquired level to reach the highest level of football such as playing for Manchester City, Bayern Münich or Real Madrid.
If you’re looking for such players, I recommend browsing through our list of best Football Manager 2023 Wonderkids, or check out our previous recommendations of Football Manager 2023 cheap wonderkids and bargains. As always, we have made our cheap wonderkids bargains shortlist available for you to download.
You can find the link to download in the bottom of this article.
James Gomez / 20 / AC Horsens
James Gomez is a powerful centre-back who came to Danish AC Horsens in a loan move from Gambian Premier division club Real de Banjul. The 189cm tall defender stands out for his physic and athleticism.
Great strength, pace, bravery and heading, as well as decent tackling, positioning and concentration. What more do you want from your defender?!
The Gambian defender who have represented his National team on 12 occasions has seen his transfer value increase rapidly over the last 6 month and could be available for a deal between €1-2Million on Football Manager 2023, due to his current contract is closing in on the expiry date. It runs out December, 31th 2024.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating: 
Miguel Monsalve / 18 / Independiente Medellín
Miguel Monsalve is probably one of the most costlier players on our cheap wonderkids list but with an higher potential ability, he will also represent more value for the money as you can potentially earn a lot of money through the signing of this Colombian wonderkid.
Miguel Monsalve is a familiar name for some of you. The now 18 year old attacking midfielder was included in Guardian’s Next Generation list in 2021 and made his debut in the Colombian top division already back in 2020.
Miguel Monsalve got everything you desire in a player who shall play between the lines. Above average vision, anticipation and flair as well as the necessary off the ball movements, acceleration and decisions to penetrate the opposition lines.
Standing out for his abilities on the ball, he could be the creator you need for your 4-2-3-1 system. His finishing and long shots is also decent and with his immense potential, Miguel Monsalve could represent one of the best wonderkids bargains on FM23, as you will need to pay a maximum transfer fee of only €3million to secure his services.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating: 
Maurice Krattenmacher / 16 / Unterhaching
Maurice Krattenmacher came to my knowledge when he became the top scorer of the B-Juniors Bundesliga South/Southwest 2021/22 season with 23 goals in 20 appearances playing as an attacking midfielder. In FM23, Maurice Krattenmacher is wanted by nearly all the German Bundesliga clubs outside the top three clubs and got the potential to be a great player in the Bundesliga five years into the future.
He’s an ideal shadow striker or a second forward (read false 9) who likes to come deep to get the ball before using his acceleration, dribbling and agility to drive with the ball forward. His close control, creativity and passing vision makes him a great player to play between the lines. In possession of the ball, he has got the finishing technique to score goals both from inside or outside the penalty box.
At the age of 16, the German talent has no particular weaknesses according to his playing position. both his decision-making, anticipation and physical attributes will develop naturally as he gets older and gain more match experience at higher levels.
For under €230K, there’s no risks attached by securing the talent of Maurice Krattenmacher in FM23.
Potential Rating: 
Oscar Perea / 16 / At. Nacional
I cant hide the fact that you’ll find a number of cheap talents from Colombia when downloading our FM23 wonderkids bargains shortlist but there’s a limit to how many we can showcase in this post. One of the players I feel I need to recommend is Atletico Nacional’s promising youngster Oscar Perea.
The Colombian wonderkid made his professional debut in Primera A in 2022 and is labelled as one of the best players born in 2005 by the Guardian. The 16 year old winger is a technical gifted player.
Out of the box, he’s a natural right winger who got the quickness, crossing and passing to stretch play and create chances from wide. He can become a decent Inside Forward left in the future, but requires a great deal of development to get the necessary abilities to both create and score goals as his vision, off the ball, composure and long shots are below par – at least it is in my save.
Signing Oscar Perea at the start of 2022-23 should be a very low risk affair. He has a transfer value of maximum €550K, but he’s available on an approach to sign – meaning you will be able to only pay the compensation fee.
Potential Rating: 
PS! If you’re looking for a similar type of player but who is a bit more refined in his skills, then look at Oscar Perea’s teammate Tomás Angel (19) or Daniel Luna (19). These two players do not have the same maximum potential ability, but has fewer weaknesses.
Stanislav Shopov / 20 / CSKA Sofia
If Kiril Despodov has been one of your favorite bargain signings on FM23, then you will probably like the looks of Stanislav Shopov. The 5 years younger Bulgarian talent is natural in the attacking midfielder position, but can easily be good in the inverted winger role.
Like Despodov, he got above average off the ball movement, crossing, dribbling and agility – what you want from your inverted winger. He’s abilities in set-pieces is great too with Corners, Free-kicks, passing and technique which makes him able to both make long driven crosses into the penalty box either from corners or indirect free-kicks, or shorter more accurate free-kicks to a nearby player.
Stanislav Shopov stands out for his creativity and vision more than his athleticism. He does not got the same levels of quickness or balance as Despodov and could improve his composure, finishing and anticipation, but as an attacking midfielder given the freedom to dictate play and create chances from outside the area, Shopov can be a useful signing – especially for clubs in Belgium, Holland and English Championship.
For a deal between €300K and €2.5Million, this Bulgarian talent can be yours.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Jose Cordoba / 21 / Levski Sofia
On the topic of Bulgaria, another cheap signing attracted my attention in the Bulgarian top division. At Levski Sofia, we got both Martin Petkov and Asen Mitkov which can be signed for less than €3Million but the one I wanted to showcase is Paraguayan international Jose Cordoba.
The 21 year old defender was signed from CA Independiente for only €100K back in July 2022. This season, he has been an integral player in Levski Sofia’s campaign by playing all the matches so far.
In FM23, Jose Cordoba can fit the role of the no-nonsense centre-back, wide centre-back or as a defensive fullback. The powerful centre-back stands out for his pace, strength, bravery and tackling and looks like a rock solid defender ideal for minor clubs looking to play on the counter with long range passes made forward to breaking players.
His level of anticipation, positioning and aggression gives you a secure player at the back who can block shots, intercept passes or movements as well as make clearances.
Jose Cordoba represents a great alternative to James Gomez as they both as some of the same abilities, physic and price tag. It’s just a question of preferred foot and the difference in technique, passing, dribbling and crossing,
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Lukas Kačavenda / 19 / Lokomotiva Zagreb
Lukas Kačavenda in FM23 is probably one of the greatest hidden gems in the game. Actually, he’s been one of my personal hidden gems for two years now – one I haven’t wanted to recommend officially until now. The 19 year old Croatian attacking midfielder is out for up to 8 months with an injury on the latest FM23 patch, but once recovered from injuries, I believe he can still be of great value as you can secure his services for a cheap fee.
Lukas Kacavenda is a highly versatile player who can play in a number of roles and positions. He would probably be best used as an Inverted Winger left where he can use his long shots, close control and off the ball movement to penetrate the lines either with or without the ball.
His fairly decent abilities in one-on-one situations, agility and vision can be useful capabilities to keep in mind if you’re looking for a shadow striker who can move into the final third with the ball and open up spaces for the forward.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Elia Caprile / 20 / Bari
Elia Caprile is probably the best goalkeeper wonderkid bargain on Football Manager 2023. The 191cm tall goalkeeper has seen a steep rise in his reputation over the past 6 months, but for under €2.5million the 20-year old Italian goalkeeper playing for Bari can be yours.
Right from the start, the goalkeeper has great abilities in Handling, Positioning, Reflexes and Concentration – everything you want from a good shot stopper. Due to his high rushing out and one on ones, you can easily play him as a sweeper keeper without worrying about being caught on the break as he can sweep up through balls and protect the goal when playing with a high defensive line.
Elia Caprile is also a confident and secure player in aerial situations. He commands the area well, got a great aerial reach and got the awareness to claim high crosses delivered into the box.
All in all, a great signing who won’t demand high wages or a high transfer fee. Basically, he’s a player you can keep in your squad until his retirement.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Lucas Bergvall / 16 / Djurgårdens IF
Scandinavia has always been a great place to scout for bargains. Over the last few seasons, more and more wonderkids have come through the Nordic nations in the likes of Andreas Schjelderup and Roony Bardghji.
A player who I’m sure we will hear a lot more about in the future and who can potentially be the next Swedish wonderkid to play for one of the top teams in Europe is Lucas Bergvall.
The 16-year old midfielder started out his professional football career at Brommapojkarna but got purchased by Djurgårdens IF at the start of January 2023.
In FM23, Lucas Bergvall is a versatile player who can be used either in a double pivot system as a Regista, or as a playmaker in the MC strata, either you prefer to play him in the Mezzala role or the Advanced playmaker role. He can even play in the AMC position and could play between the lines with ease!
At such a young age, his ball control and close control when running with the ball is remarkable. He’s fairly intelligent and mature in his way of playing, too. Standing out for his passing, vision and acceleration, Lucas Bergvall could develop to one of the best playmakers from Scandinavia. I would draw similarities in his style of play to Martin Ødegaard or the Swedish Andres Iniesta.
Potential rating:
Nicolás Paz / 17 / Real Madrid Castilla
Some of you might have discovered the abilities and cheap price of Noel Lopez. Instead of recruiting him, the youth academy of Real Madrid, Castilla, has an even better player in their ranks. Two years younger and at an approximate similar level, Nicolás Paz has the world class potential you want to go for!
The Argentinian wonderkid was actually born in Santa Cruz, Spain but has represented the Argentinian Unde-20 side at the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament and was in the preliminary 48-man squad for Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The versatile winger has played as both central defender, forward and central midfielder for the youth teams of Real Madrid. As an inverted winger he’s able to take advantage of his acceleration and pace by moving between the channels.
His awareness, decision-making and off the ball movements makes him into a fairly intelligent player for his age group. In possession of the ball, Nicolas Paz stands out for his low centre of gravity, agility and unpredictability.
Capable of carrying the ball and coming out victorious in one-on-one situations and make those killer balls despite being put under pressure, Nicolas Paz has the extraordinary skills to be named in the same breath as Julian Duranville or Ben Doak in terms of ball control and quickness.
He’s available for a deal between €400K to €3million – a very cheap price according to his abilities.
Potential rating:
Emilio Lara / 20 / Club America
Scouting Mexico can be a great way to identify prospects for clubs hunting for Champions League or Europa League qualifications. There are a number of Mexican players with great abilities and the potential to become a useful assets for one of the top divisions clubs in Europe. Since Omar Campos (19 – Santos Laguna) is a bit over the budget of €5million, Bryan González (19 – Pachuca) is a bit too similar to some of the other inverted wingers in this post, and Heriberto Jurado (17 – Necaxa) has a bit of development to do, I set my eyes on Emilio Lara – one of the better cheap bargain signings on FM23.
Emilio Lara could be the ideal defender signings for clubs in Portugal, Belgium, France, Italy and Holland. Able to play as either a defensive fullback (like Benjamin White), wide centre-back or as ball-playing defender, he has the abilities to play both in a back three system or in a traditional back four formation.
Standing out for his positioning, tackling, marking and stamina, he’s a player who can protect the team from counter-attacks as you can without worry use an attacking-duty player in front of him.
His abilities might draw similarities to Eric Abidal. Not the fastest player, but got the stamina, crossing and off the ball to become a useful player in attack, as he is tasked to get forward when necessary to make those vital overlaps.
Due to his height (175cm), average heading and low jumping reach, I think I would use Emilio Lara as a fullback rather than as a centre-back. He could improve his vision and ball control to become a great wingback but he seems like a reliable defensive fullback who can help to protect the back-line as he has decent concentration and anticipation – meaning he won’t make as many mistakes.
The Mexican fullback is also great in pressing with high levels of aggression, bravery and tackling to close down and make it hard for the opponent to get time on the ball.
With his contract expiring in June 2023, his transfer value will be quite low. We’re looking at a deal between €500K to €4Million but with some tricks you can save a lot from the initial transfer fee by paying minimal up front.
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Anders Børset / 16 / Molde
Anders Børset is one of these players that might develop into an international star in some saves, while in others he quite doesn’t reach the level required to play for any of the top 10 clubs. However, he always reach the level to play in one of the top 5 divisions in FM23.
His Determination, high-end Consistency, Professionalism and Ambition reveals a player that will develop greatly and got what it takes to perform at the highest levels.
In November 2022, Anders Rønne Børset made his professional debut in the Eliteserien. The centre back is a well-rounded defender who can also play as defensive fullback.
Anders Børset is definitely one to watch IRL as well as in Football Manager 2023 as the seasons passes by.
Potential Rating:
Afonso Moreira / 17 / Sporting CP
Sporting CP is a powerhouse for wonderkids and talents. Some of the best young talents in Football Manager 2023 can be found at one of the top three Portuguese clubs. Simply browsing through their B-Teams and Under-21s can identify some remarkable talents with world class potential. I could have written aout 10 players only from the Portuguese league that could represent a great bargain deal on FM23.
One of these players is Afonso Moreira.
The 17 year old inverted winger has represented the Portuguese Under-19 national team on three occasions and have gone the grades from the Portuguese Under-17 team who reached the UEFA Under-17 Euro semifinals in 2022.
In FM23, Afonso Moreira is a fairly quick and technical winger with above average vision and creativity. Standing out for his abilities when carrying the ball or coming up in one versus one situations where he needs to take advantage of his dribbling and agility to get out of tight areas, Afonso Moreira is the next Portuguese wonderkid you need to know of!
With fierce competition from Rodrigo Ribeiro, Samuel Justo, Joelson Fernandes, Matheus Fernandes and Issahaku Fatawu for a place in the attacking line, Afonso Moreira may be the one to suffer. He’s available on loan in FM23 but can be secured for under €1.5Million – a bargain price for a player that would well be worth up to 120Million six years into the future.
All the top clubs will eventually try to secure his services, so act fast and tie him down early!
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Rafael Luís / 17 Benfica
On the topic of Portuguese wonderkids, a special player that could be available for less than €3million in Football Manager 2023 but is worth at least 10x more 5 years into future is Rafael Luís.
Now, I can’t hide the fact that I have a weak heart for the Benfica talents. João Rêgo, João Fonseca, João Neves and João Veloso are all players with remarkable talent, and which I recommend you to buy if you have the chance.
Rafael Luís has all the abilities required to become a brilliant deep-lying playmaker – in somehow the same mould of Sergio Busquets. In FM23, he stands out for his Consistency, Personality (Model Citizen), Determination and Professionalism that will make him develop quickly into a first team candidate.
The mix of favorable hidden attributes, positive personality traits and abilities on and off the ball makes him into an ideal signing. Unpredictable and creative, great vision and ball control is just some of the most notable strengths. His composure, balance and tackling makes him the perfect player in a 4-3-3 possession-oriented tactic, such as a tiki-taka tactic but he can also bplay in the role of Advanced playmaker if you prefer a 4-2-3-1 system instead.
In this case we’re talking about a transfer fee of around €2Million to sign Rafael Luis in FM23. For such a price tag, he will be the best ever signing you’ve ever made in Football Manager!
Passion4FM Recommendation Rating:
Cameron Humphreys / 18 / Ipswich
If you’re in need of a player that doesn’t affect the foreign player rules, then I have you in mind!
Cameron Humphreys is a well-rounded midfielder capable of playing in a number of positions and roles. Either you use him as a single holding playmaker, or want to take advantage of his box-to-box capabilities, the 18 year old Ipswich midfielder has everything you want.
Tireless, great passing range and ball control. Fairly intelligent both on and off the ball, as well as great abilities as play advances into the final third with finishing, dribbling and crossing to both assist and score goals from in and around the penalty area.
For a maximum fee of €3.5Million, you’ll get a player who can play on the wing as a wide playmaker in a 3-5-2 formation as good as being coupled in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 to be used either as a 6or number 8 in a traditional 4-3-3 formation.
Potential Rating:
Fabricio Diaz / 19 / Liverpool Fútbol Club
Despite he’s only 19, Fabricio Diaz has been a bargain for a few years now. Eventhough I have recommended him earlier, I think he deserves a place in this article – especially due to his well-rounded player profile.
In my current save, his abilities is closing quickly in on his maximum potential abilities, but regardless of that he could be a useful player for any teams in Belgium, Holland, Spain and Italy – as long as the club is outside the top clubs.
Capable of playing as both defensive midfielder or as a central midfielder who can both help the team in defensive and attacking situations, his abilities in possession outweighs his defensive weaknesses. I think I would use him in the Segundo Volante role, or as a roaming playmaker, to take advantage of his teamwork, vision and off the ball abilities. His long shots will give you attacking threat from outside the area.
Note! His aggression, anticipation and stamina – useful assets for teams favouring to use a high pressing tactic.
Cheap ‘Lower League’ Wonderkids Bargains
Emil Højlund / 17 / FC København
While Rasmus Højlund is plying his trade at Atalanta and is often compared to Erling Haaland for his outstanding physic, Determination and goalscoring abilities, Rasmus’ younger brother Emil Højlund is a promising target man or pressing forward.
Despite he doesn’t come close in maximum potential as his brother, Emil Højlund could turn into a great forward for Italian, French or English mid-table clubs. Standing out for his tactical intelligence, aggression, team work and work rate, the Danish forward could be the perfect signing for high pressing systems.
The fact that he is 185cm tall and got above average heading and jumping reach makes him a useful assets in aerial situations. I reckon he will score lots of goals from attacking set-pieces on FM23.
For a maximum transfer fee of €2Million, Emil Højlund could be the bargain signings you are looking for – especially for those of you who are managing below the premier division level.
Potential Rating:
Thomi Montefiori / 18 / Juventude (Guarany)
The football career of Tomi Montefiori as been highly remarkable so far. According to Cheshire Live, the now 19 year old attacking midfielder played for the Northern Premier League side, Nantwich Town, in seventh tier of the English league system. The Argentinian, who had a contract with A.C Milan but couldn’t get an Italian passport made the bizzare move from Nantwich Town to Gremio in 2021.
The former River Plate youth graduate’s bizarre career so far hasn’t quite been picked up by Sports Interactive researchers. Anyway, now the talented attacking midfielder nicknamed the ‘Cheshire Messi’ is loaned out from Guarany to Juventude.
In FM23, Tomi Montefiori has the potential to become a useful Premier League player but at the time of writing lacks the abilities to play at such a level. His attributes alone is far from incredible and needs to improve both his football intelligence on and off the ball, his decision-making and movements.
Montefiori’s strengths comes when in possession of the ball. Great first touch, vision, passing and the quickness required in modern football for attacking midfielders.
At the moment he could be a decent player in the lower leagues. For the price of below €100K, the shadow striker could be signed to increase the club finances and take yur club to the next level.
Potential rating:
Recommendation Rating (lower leagues):
David Mella / 17 / Deportivo La Coruña
Looking for the future Raphinha or Ferran Torres – those wingers who stands out for their incredicle acceleration and pace, and are able to use their movements to break behind the opposing defensive line.
Even though David Mella has a long way to go in terms of developing the necessary attributes to be compared to those international stars, he can develop into one with the proper guidance.
Capable of playing on either wing, either you favor to put him in the inverted winger role on the right wing, or as a traditional winger on the left, the explosive winger can be the attacking force you need to open up the defensive block.
His playing style which revolves around dribbling and beating his marker in one on one situations, or delivering crosses from wide positions puts the opposing defenders under pressure by bringing that uncertainty of what he will do.
In possession of the ball, David Mella has a low centre of gravity and good close control making it hard to win the ball from him without making a foul.
At a transfer fee of around €500K-1.5Million you’ll get a young promising winger which you can develop into your liking. It’s even a chance to develop the player into an Advanced Forward to take advantage of his incredible acceleration of the first few meters.
Potential Rating:
João Vitor / 17 / Vitória
At the start of a new save, João Vitor might not stand out and seem like a great prospect. But the reality is that he has the potential to play for some of the top division clubs if he develops to the better. It might require a bit of attention to turn Joáo Vitor into an international star. Especially his anticipation, decisions, determination, composure and acceleration is below par, which is why I would recommend him as a great lower league bargain signing.
However, the 17 year old attacking midfielder’s abilities in possession of the ball is top notch. Great technique, passing, flair and first touch is attributes you desire for an advanced playmaker in AMC strata.
Even though he might lack the acceleration and decisions to become a great shadow striker, his finishing can not be overlooked – meaning he will be both a chance creator and a goalscorer as play advances into the final third.
The Brazilian talent is available on loan at the start of 2022/23 season, but can also be signed for the bargain price of plus/minus €100K! Potentially a great steal for first division clubs who looks to build a squad for the future.
Potential Rating:
Recommendation Rating (lower leagues):
Joseda / 20 / Ibiza
On the topic of players that might be better suited for clubs outside the top 3 leagues in FM23, or could be of value for first division clubs who are hunting for promotion to the premier division, Spanish wingback Joseda could represent a great cheap signing.
The defensive fullback who can also play as centre back will demand fairly low wages, and should be available at the start of 2022/23 season for under €1million.
Competent in the art of defending play, Joseda’s tackling, marking and postioning will be useful skills for any sides having to defend for the majority of the match. However, his quickness and crossing will be useful as play advances into final third, either you ask the player to make crosses from deep or overlap on the right side. He got the stamina and work rate to cover the entire flank, but should probably be asked to pass the ball to a teammate rather than dribbling with the ball towards the byline.
At the moment, the player is English League One standard so has a bit of development to do to play for a top division club. His potential isn’t the highest either and with his random potential that varies from save to save, you will probably find this player better suited for a lower league save, for instance if managing a French Ligue 2 side, Italian Serie B side or a Spanish LaLiga Smartbank club.
Recommendation Rating:
Disclaimer: Both the level of player attributes and potential may vary from save to save. Most of these players have random PA which varies between 120 to 150 as the minimum potential ability level.
Get our ultimate shortlist of cheap wonderkids in Football Manager 2023. This shortlist of FM23 Cheap wonderkids is a great addition to the complete wonderkids shortlist by Passion4FM.com.
Players included: ~250
Latest update: 09.03.2023
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