FIFA 19 Career Mode: Best cheap high potential centre backs (CB)

Goals win you games, but defence wins you titles. You may have a solid defence at the moment on Career Mode, but what about the future? You can never have too many youngsters coming through at your club, so you need to be aware of which fledglings have the talent to become superstars in the years to come.

How to choose the best cheap high potential centre backs (CB) in FIFA 19 Career Mode

We are looking at the best cheap high potential centre backs (CBs) on FIFA 19. These players have the potential to hit at least an 80 OVR and all have a release clause of less than £5 million. We have not included any players out on loan. These men can be developed into star players for a host of top clubs, and should be cheap enough for most sides on Career Mode.

For a full list of ALL our best cheap high potential centre backs (CBs), please look at the table towards the end of the page

Ethan Ampadu (OVR 65 – POT 86)

Age: 18

Position: CB, CDM

Club: Chelsea

Country: Wales

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 74 jumping, 70 short passing, 68 balance

Cost: £2.7 million (release clause)

Wage: £7,000 a week

Aged just 18, Ethan Ampadu is already firmly in the fold at FA Cup holders Chelsea. The centre back has played seven games for the Blues since arriving at the start of last season, having earned his stripes at Exeter City in League Two, playing 13 games and making his debut at 15. Two years later, and Ampadu has four Wales caps to his name. 

Stats of 74 jumping, 70 short passing and 68 balance take Ampadu to a 65 overall, with a potential of 86. He also holds 67 strength, 67 standing tackle and 66 marking, making him reliable and worth £2.7 million with a £7,000 a week wages.

Lars Lukas Mai (OVR 64 – POT 84)

Age: 18

Position: CB

Club: Bayern Munich

Country: Germany

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 79 strength, 69 jumping, 65 marking

Cost: £2 million (release clause)

Wage: £4,000 a week

Lars Lukas Mai made his Bayern Munich debut last season, with the centre back able to learn off class centre backs Mats Hummels (OVR 89), Jerome Boateng (OVR 86) and Niklas Sule (OVR 84) at the German heavyweights. Mai has played at every age group from German U15 to U19 level. 

On the FIFA 19, Mai’s stats of 79 strength, 69 jumping and 65 marking lift his overall to 64, with the potential to hit 84. Further abilities of 65 standing tackle, 65 interceptions and 64 sliding tackle show how spread his stats are, and you should look to sign him for £2 million and a £4,000 a week wage. 

Nicolas Cozza (OVR 68 – POT 84)

Age: 19

Position: CB, LWB

Club: Montpellier

Country: France

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 79 acceleration, 75 balance, 74 jumping

Cost: £4 million (release clause)

Wage: £3,000 a week

Adept at centre back and left wing back, Nicolas Cozza is a versatile defender. The 19-year-old has played 15 times for Montpellier over the last two seasons. Since then, he has made his France U18 & U19 debuts, and is now in the U20 squad.

On FIFA 19 Cozza has great pace with 79 acceleration, 75 balance and 74 jumping taking him to a 68 overall. 73 sprint speed, 70 marking and 70 standing tackle will improve as he progresses to an 84 potential and will cost £4 million with wages of £3,000 a week. 

Konstantinos Mavropanos (OVR 68 – POT 83)

Age: 20

Position: CB

Club: Arsenal

Country: Greece

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 79 strength, 74 standing tackle, 72 sliding tackle

Cost: £4 million (release clause)

Wage: £18,000 a week

The signing of Konstantinos Mavropanos looked a bizarre one from Arsenal last season, with then manager Arsene Wenger stating the centre back would go out on loan. An injury crisis saw him make two appearances during the campaign, and is yet to feature this term behind Sokratis (OVR 84), Shkodran Mustafi (OVR 82) and Rob Holding (OVR 74), and that’s even with club captain Laurent Koscielny (OVR 82) out injured. 

Greek U21 international Mavropanos has stats of 79 strength, 74 standing tackle and 72 sliding tackle to take him to a 68 overall. Those are supported by 70 marking, 67 jumping and 66 heading accuracy, making him reliable at the back, and even more so when he hits his 83 potential. A £4 million release clause and wages of £18,000 a week should get you the 6’4” defender. 

John Souttar (OVR 70 – POT 82)

Age: 22

Position: CB

Club: Hearts

Country: Scotland

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 83 composure, 77 sprint speed, 77 strength

Cost: £4.8 million (release clause)

Wage: £3,000 a week

Scotland need youngsters to come up the ranks and help them to a first international tournament since 1998, and John Souttar could be the answer at the back. The Hearts man has already made 166 professional appearances as well as two caps for the Scottish national team, meaning he has plenty of experience for a 22-year-old.

83 composure, 77 sprint speed and 77 strength are fantastic stats for a young defender, with Souttar’s 73 interceptions, 73 stamina and 72 long passing all set to improve plenty. A 70 overall can hit an 82 potential, so look to pay £4.8 million with wages of £3,000 a week for him. 

Perr Schuurs (OVR 70 – POT 82)

Age: 18

Position: CB

Club: Ajax

Country: Holland

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 83 shot power, 76 strength, 73 standing tackle

Cost: £3.6 million (release clause)

Wage: £3,000 a week

Young centre backs Perr Schuurs signed for Ajax from Fortuna Sittard in the summer but has made just two appearances for the Dutch heavyweights. A goal and an assist from the back has been a superb start for the 18-year-old, but he will need to be patient behind the centre half partnership of Matthijs de Ligt (OVR 80) and Daley Blind (OVR 79). 

Schuurs holds abilities of 83 shot power, 76 strength and 73 standing tackle on FIFA 19, giving him a 70 overall. Due to a potential of 82, expect a significant boost to those stats as well his 72 jumping, 71 FK accuracy and 70 sliding tackle. A release clause of £3.6 million and wages of £3,000 a week will get your man. 

Matt Clarke (OVR 69 – POT 82)

Age: 22

Position: CB

Club: Portsmouth

Country: England

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 86 strength, 74 aggression, 73 stamina

Cost: £3.8 million (release clause)

Wage: £4,000 a week

Matt Clarke signed for Portsmouth on an initial loan deal in 2015 and has gone on to become a rock at the back for the club. Still just 22, Clarke has played close to 130 times for Pompey, and helped them win promotion to League One in 2017. 

Clarke has a 69 overall on the game, rising to an 82 potential. Stats of 86 strength, 74 aggression and 73 stamina make him a solid defender, and will cost you £3.8 million with £4,000 a week wages. 

Scott McKenna (OVR 69 – POT 82)

Age: 21

Position: CB

Club: Aberdeen

Country: Scotland

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 89 strength, 85 aggression, 73 jumping

Cost: £3.8 million (release clause)

Wage: £3,000 a week

After returning from a loan spell from Ayr United in 2017, Scott McKenna has become a regular feature for Aberdeen at the back. Aged 21, the defender has 45 appearances for the club which has seen him earn four Scotland caps in 2018.

89 strength, 85 aggression and 73 jumping add to McKenna’s 69 overall, which can improve to a potential of 82. The Scotsman also has a 68 standing tackle, 67 sliding tackle and 67 marking and with some growth they will become very solid abilities. £3.8 million and £3,000 a week should get you the centre back. 

Marin Pongracic (OVR 68 – POT 82)

Age: 21

Position: CB

Club: Red Bull Salzburg

Country: Croatia

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 83 strength, 69 sprint speed, 68 standing tackle

Cost: £3.3 million (release clause)

Wage: £8,000 a week

Despite joining Red Bull Salzburg just last season, Milan Pongracic has already made 38 appearances for the club at the age of 21. His progression in the Austrian Bundesliga has seen him called up to the Croatian U21 side, but has only earned two caps so far.

A 68 overall for Pongracic is made up by stats of 83 strength, 69 sprint speed and 68 standing tackle. His 82 potential will cost you £3.3 million with wages of £8,000 a week. 

Eric Garcia (OVR 62 – POT 82)

Age: 17

Position: CB

Club: Manchester City

Country: Spain

Work rate: Medium/High

Best stats: 66 jumping, 63 standing tackle, 62 aggression

Cost: £1.4 million (release clause)

Wage: £5,000 a week

Manchester City like to nurture young Spaniards, with Eric Garcia the latest youngster eying up first team action. The 17-year-old is yet to play for the first team after arriving in the summer of 2017, but does have 10 caps for Spain U17s. 

Centre back Garcia costs just £1.4 million with a wage of £5,000 a week. That will get you his 66 jumping, 63 standing tackle and 62 aggression abilities, which will grow as his 62 overall rises to an 82 potential. 

All the best cheap high potential centre backs (CBs) on FIFA 19