FIFA 19 Hidden Gems: Best players to sign in career mode

It’s the dream for all FIFA Career Mode players, to find that one young player who evolves into one of the finest on the planet. This is no easy task, with even the best of scouts in your network holding no guarantee of how good a player could become. RealSport have done all the hard work for you, so you can head straight into the transfer market on FIFA 19 and pick up these stars of the future.

How to find a hidden gem in FIFA 19’s Career Mode

We are looking at the all the best FIFA 19 hidden gems on Career Mode. These are players who are rated below 65 on the game, but can reach a potential of at least 82. Borussia Dortmund and England U17 World Cup winner Jadon Sancho (now OVR 72) made our top 10 last year, so who are the men to watch over the next few seasons. 

For a complete list of all our hidden gems look at the bottom of this page.

Abdoulaye Dabo (OVR 63 – POT 87)

Age: 17

Positions: LM, CM

Club: Nantes

Country: France

Growth: 24

Work rate: High/Medium 

Best stats: 69 ball control, 69 short passing, 69 acceleration

Cost: £2 million (release clause)

Wage: £2,000 a week

The 17-year-old Abdoulaye Dabo has only just started his professional football career, making two appearances for Nantes so far this season. He has made great strides for the France youth teams, scoring four goals in 13 for the U16s then making ten appearances for the U17s and now working with the U18s.

Dabo’s 63 overall can grow by 24 points to a very impressive 87, so it won’t be long before his 69 ball control, 69 short passing and 69 acceleration improve. You will only need £2 million to sign him, but you will need to wait until January to sign the rookie on wages of £2,000 a week. 

Willem Geubbels (OVR 64 – POT 86)

Age: 17

Positions: ST

Club: Monaco

Country: France

Growth: 22

Work rate: Medium/Low

Best stats: 85 acceleration, 84 sprint speed, 76 agility

Cost: £2 million

Wage: £6,000 a week

Willem Geubbels could be the man to replace previous forwards Anthony Martial (OVR 83) and Kylian Mbappe (OVR 87) as they look to keep hold of a promising young French attacker. The 17-year-old arrived from Lyon in the summer after making four appearances last season, and has already made his debut for the Monegasques.

France U18 international Geubbels costs just £2 million with wages of £6,000 a week on FIFA 19, but you will need to wait until January for his 64 overall and 86 potential. Stats of 85 acceleration, 84 sprint and 76 ability means he is set to be another Monaco speedster in the near future.

Ethan Ampadu (OVR 63 – POT 86)

Age: 18

Positions: CB, CDM

Club: Chelsea

Country: Wales

Growth: 23

Work rate: Medium/Medium

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

Cost: £1.8 million (release clause)

Wage: £7,000 a week

You wouldn’t label Ethan Ampadu as a ‘hidden gem’ with the 18-year-old already mixing it with the Chelsea first team and full Wales international, but the centre back and defensive midfielder looks to be the real deal. He already has 29 professional appearances to his name after making his debut for Exeter aged 15.

Ampadu’s FIFA 19 stats of 74 jumping, 68 short passing and 68 balance take his overall to 63, which can grow to a potential of 86. A £1.8 million is a bargain for a top talent who can currently be used in rotation, with his wages a slightly pricey £7,000 a week. 

Takefusa Kubo (OVR 63 – POT 85)

Age: 17

Positions: CAM, RM, ST, LM

Club: Yokohama F. Marinos (on loan from FC Tokyo)

Country: Japan

Growth: 22

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 89 acceleration, 87 balance, 82 agility

Cost: n/a

Wage: £1,000 a week

An obscure hidden gem, Takefusa Kubo’s work for the Japan youth teams is probably what has taken his potential so high. On the club scene, the 17-year-old scored just once in 14 games for Tokyo FC before being loaned out to Yokohama F. Marinos, where he has scored once in three games. He has worked his way up from Japan U15 to U20 level however, scoring 15 times in 32 games across all age groups.

Kubo’s 63 overall can improve to a potential of 85, with his best stats being 89 acceleration, 87 balance and 82 agility. You will need to wait until the attacking, right and left midfielder or striker’s loan spell has finished in January to sign him, where he will cost around £1.5 million and wages of £1,000 a week. 

Reo Griffiths (OVR 61 – POT 84)

Age: 18

Positions: ST

Club: Lyon

Country: England

Growth: 23

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 69 sprint speed, 68 acceleration, 67 strength

Cost: £1.3 million

Wage: £6,000 a week

Young British players going abroad seems to be in fashion at the moment, with Reo Griffiths leaving Tottenham for French side Lyon in the summer. The 18-year-old is yet to make his first full professional appearance, but for Spurs U18s last season the striker blasted in 27 goals in 20  games. 

Former England U17 international Griffiths has a 61 overall which can improve to a potential of 84. Stats of 69 sprint speed, 68 acceleration and 67 strength will cost you £1.3 million in January with wages of £6,000 a week. 

Billy Gilmour (OVR 61 – POT 84)

Age: 17

Positions: CM, CAM

Club: Chelsea

Country: Scotland

Growth: 23

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 82 balance, 75 agility, 70 long passing

Cost: £1.1 million

Wage: £8,000 a week

Back to Chelsea, with Billy Gilmour one of top talents in the club’s academy. Aged 17, Gilmour is already a Scotland U21 international, having jumped straight up from U17 level. In 36 youth appearances for Chelsea, the central or attacking midfielder has notched 10 goals with six assists, and it may not be long before we see him in the first team squad.

82 balance, 75 agility and 70 long passing take his overall to 61 with a potential of 84. £1.1 million is all you need to sign him with wages of £8,000 a week. 

Rhian Brewster (OVR 62 – POT 84)

Age: 18

Positions: ST

Club: Liverpool

Country: England

Growth: 22

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 78 acceleration, 77 balance, 76 sprint speed

Cost: £1.5 million

Wage: £9,000 a week

Rhian Brewster was the youngster who fired England to U17 World Cup success, scoring eight goals back in the tournament back in 2017. An injury has stalled his progress at Liverpool, but manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to involve him, but is yet to make his professional debut for the club having been on the bench for one game last season.

Striker Brewster has a 62 overall which can grow by 22 overall points to an 84 potential, meaning he will cost £1.5 million with wages of £9,000 a week. For his stats of 78 acceleration, 77 balance and 76 sprint speed this is a move you need to be making. 

Anthony McDonald (OVR 62 – POT 84)

Age: 17

Positions: RM, CAM

Club: Hearts

Country: Scotland

Growth: 22

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 79 acceleration, 79 balance, 75 agility

Cost: £1.2 million

Wage: £880 a week

Another Scotsman, the 17-year-old Anthony McDonald has already chalked up 18 appearances for Hearts. Five assists for the right or attacking midfielder is a great start to his career, and those performances have seen him called up for the Scotland U18. 

The youngster can grow by 22 from a 62 overall to a potential of 84. Abilities of 79 acceleration, 79 balance and 75 agility will set you back £1.2 million and wages of £880 a week. 

Josh Sargent (OVR 64 – POT 84)

Age: 18

Positions: ST

Club: Werder Bremen

Country: United States

Growth: 20

Work rate: High/Medium

Best stats: 79 acceleration, 76 sprint speed, 76 agility

Cost: £2 million

Wage: £4,000 a week

We are all waiting for American ‘soccer’ to take off, and there are signs that the US national team could be in a good place for 2026 when they joint-host the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. Werder Bremen’s Josh Sargent is coming through the ranks at Werder Bremen, and has already scored his first USMNT goal, becoming the first player to represent the U17s, U20 and full international side in the same year. 

The 18-year-old has a rating of 64 on FIFA 19, rising to a potential of 84 on Career Mode. Stats of 79 acceleration, 76 sprint speed and 76 agility costs £2 million and wages of £4,000 a week.

Lars Lukas Mai (OVR 64 – POT 84)

Age: 18

Positions: CB

Club: Bayern Munich

Country: Germany

Growth: 20

Work rate: Medium/Medium

Best stats: 79 strength, 69 jumping, 65 marking

Cost: £1.5 million

Wage: £7,000 a week

Bayern Munich have produced some top talent in years gone by, all the way back to Franz Beckenbauer to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller in recent times. Lars Lukas Mai wants to be the next big name on that list, with the centre back starting two games last season. He is also a Germany U18 international after making 17 appearances for the U17s.

Abilities of 79 strength, 69 jumping and 65 marking take Mai’s overall to 64 with a potential of 84. He will cost £1.5 million and wages of £7,000 a week. 

All the best hidden gems on FIFA 19