Attacking midfielders are the architects on the football pitch.
The world's best have had to develop their game over the years, with composure only attained after racking up minutes, assists and the occasional goal over a number of seasons.
But what if you want to grow a young CAM into one of the finest players on the planet?
You can do exactly that on FIFA 20's Career Mode.
What is a wonderkid?
Here we discuss the best wonderkid CAMs in FIFA 20 – these players are aged between 16-19 at the start of the Career Mode and have the highest potential growth of all these young players.
Note that these players can outgrow their listed potentials
if they put in consistent performances over an extended period, however you must
keep club morale as high as possible.
Phil Foden (OVR 76 – POT 90)
Age: 19
Positions: CAM, CM
Club: Manchester City
Country: England
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 89 Balance, 87 Agility, 80 Ball Control
Value: £14.5 million (Release clause: £36 million)
Wage: £45,000 a week
In 2017, Pep Guardiola described Phil Foden as "a special player", saying "It's dangerous to say good things about young players because they are still young, and they have to grow and they have to learn many, many things... But we have a lot of confidence to help him, because we believe he is a guy who has potential”.
With this quote coming from arguably the most respected manager
in football, the England U21 should be delighted.
Dominic Szoboszlai (OVR 71 – POT 89)
Age: 18
Positions: CAM, RM, CM
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Country: Hungary
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 81 Sprint speed, 78 Curve, 77 Free Kick Accuracy
Value: £4.45 million (Release clause: £22 million)
Wage: £8,900 per week
Hungarian midfielder Dominic Szoboszlai cost Salzburg just £400,000 two years ago from FC Liefering and they stand to make a massive profit on the teenager.
READ MORE: Everything new in FIFA 20 Career Mode
Thanks to their early interest this summer, Arsenal are said to be in pole position to sign the Hungarian in 2020.
Thiago Almada (OVR 72 – POT 88)
Age: 18
Positions: CAM, LW, ST
Club: Velez Sarsfield
Country: Argentina
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 91 Balance, 88 Acceleration, 87 Agility
Value: £5.8 million (Release clause: £12.4 million)
Wage: £4,450 per week
Thiago Almada plays as a central midfielder for Velez Sarsfield of the Argentine Primera Division. This youngster is one to watch as he was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2018".
On Career Mode you should be able to pick him up for around the £10 million mark - a steal for an 18-year-old who can be one of the world''s best.
Nicolo Zaniolo (OVR 74 – POT 88)
Age: 19
Positions: CAM, CM, RW
Club: Roma
Country: Italy
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 78 Strength, 77 Positioning, 77 Ball Control
Value: £10.8 million (Release clause: £24 million)
Wage: £16,000 a week
Nicolo Zaniolo was a Serie B player two years ago. Now he is a first team regular with two Italy caps, following a breakthrough season at Roma.He played his first game for the club exactly a year ago – away at Real Madrid in the Champions League – and has not looked back.
Zaniolo is now a regular at the heart of the Roma midfield and his goals were instrumental in the club’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals last season.
Yari Verschaeren (OVR 72 – POT 87)
Age: 17
Positions: CAM, RM, LM
Club: RSC Anderlecht
Country: Belgium
Work rate: High/High
Best stats: 86 Agility, 85 Balance, 78 Ball Control
Value: £5.4 million (Release clause: £11.5 million)
Wage: £6,200 per week
Ever heard of Yari Verschaeren? You have now. And don’t you
forget him.
The 17-year-old plays for Anderlecht and already started appearing for the first team last season. Playing for Belgium at the U-21 Euros, Verschaeren scored an absolute belter against Italy in June 2019 to become the youngest scorer in the competition’s history.
READ MORE: Every single Playground in the new Volta mode
Ihattaren is currently at the center of a tense-looking feud between his two national teams, with both countries recently calling up the teenage player for upcoming matches.
Mohammed Ihattaren (OVR 67 – POT 86)
Age: 17
Positions: CAM
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Country: Netherlands
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 77 Ball Control, 73 Vision, 72 Dribbling
Value: £1.35 million (Release clause: £3.2 million)
Wage: £2,700 per week
Mohammed Amine Ihattaren is a Dutch Moroccan footballer who plays as a midfielder for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.
An absolute bargain on Career Mode, the attacking midfielder can be picked up for around £2 million and wages lower than £3,000 a week.
Kang-in Lee (OVR 76 – POT 86)
Age: 18
Positions: CAM, LM, RM
Club: Valencia
Country: South Korea
Work rate: High/Low
Best stats: 87 Balance, 86 Agility, 81 Free Kick Accuracy
Value: £11.1 million (Release clause: £23.8 million)
Wage: £13,300 per week
Not many 17 year-olds have a buyout clause of 80 million
euros, but then again not many 17 year-olds started their career in a popular
prime time television reality show.
His hometown of Incheon, on South Korea’s west coast, may be gritty and tough in appearance, but the way Lee plays is much easier on the eye. This attacking midfielder, fast and skilful enough to play on the wing, was promoted to the club’s first team squad in July and made his debut in pre-season. A La Liga start is not far off.
Hamed Junior Traore (OVR 70 – POT 86)
Age: 19
Positions: CAM, CM
Club: Sassuolo
Country: Ireland
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 78 Agility, 73 Dribbling, 73 Shot Power
Value: £3.3 million
Wage: £12,500 a week
Following a fantastic season in Italy, Hamed Junior Traore was being chased by clubs Fiorentina and Juventus over the summer transfer window.
In spite of all the rumours, Traore joined Sassuolo in July 2019 on a two-year loan with an option to buy. This move reflects a desire from Traore to play first-team football on a more consistent basis.
Angel Gomes (OVR 68 – POT 86)
Age: 18
Positions: CAM, CM, LW
Club: Manchester United
Country: England
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 90 Balance, 88 Agility, 77 Acceleration
Value: £1.6 million (Release clause: £4.2 million)
Wage: £14,250 per week
Angel Gomes is an English professional footballer who plays as a CAM for Premier League club Manchester United.
READ MORE: FIFA 20 Review: New levels of customisation & the birth of Volta
Gomes is the youngest player to represent Manchester United since Duncan Edwards in 1953, as well as the first player born in the 2000s to appear in the Premier League. He has captained England at under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels.
Paxton Pomycal (OVR 69 – POT 86)
Age: 19
Positions: CAM, CM, RM
Club: FC Dallas
Country: USA
Work rate: High/High
Best stats: 82 Balance, 81 Agility, 79 Stamina
Value: £2 million (Release clause: £4.2 million)
Wage: £1,800 a week
Paxton Pomykal can play as an attacking midfielder, but he
can also play out on the right.
READ MORE: FIFA 20: All the New Licensed Stadiums
After making his MLS debut in 2017, the rising star has shined bright, especially in the 2019 season where he made 14 appearances. He has been so good in fact, that he made the All-Star team as a commissioner pick to take on Atletico Madrid on July 31 in the MLS All-Star Game.
All Wonderkid CAMs above 83 POT
Player | Pos | Age | OVR | POT | Club | Country | V | W |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P. Foden | CAM CM | 19 | 76 | 90 | Man City | England | £14.9M | £47K |
D. Szoboszlai | CAM RM CM | 18 | 74 | 89 | RB Salzburg | Hungary | £10.4M | £9K |
T. Almada | CAM LW ST | 18 | 72 | 88 | V. Sarsfield | Argentina | £5.9M | £4K |
N. Zaniolo | CAM CM RW | 19 | 74 | 88 | Roma | Italy | £10.8M | £17K |
Y. Verschaeren | CAM RM LM | 17 | 72 | 87 | Anderlecht | Belgium | £5.4M | £2K |
M. Ihattaren | CAM RW | 17 | 68 | 86 | PSV | Netherlands | £1.6M | £900 |
Kangin Lee | CAM LM RM | 18 | 76 | 86 | Valencia | S.Korea | £10.4M | £10K |
H. Traorè | CAM CM | 19 | 70 | 86 | Sassuolo | Mali | £3.4M | £13K |
A. Gomes | CAM CM LW | 18 | 68 | 86 | Man Utd | England | £1.7M | £11K |
P. Pomykal | CAM CM RM | 19 | 69 | 86 | FC Dallas | USA | £2M | £2K |
Sergio Gómez | CAM CM LM | 18 | 68 | 85 | Huesca | Spain | £1.7M | £1K |
Romário Baró | CAM RM | 19 | 70 | 84 | Porto | Portugal | £3.4M | £4K |
O. Kökçü | CAM CM | 18 | 71 | 84 | Feyenoord | Turkey | £3.8M | £3K |
E. Brignola | CAM RW CF | 19 | 70 | 84 | Sassuolo | Italy | £3.4M | £13K |
Domingos Quina | CAM CM CDM | 19 | 69 | 84 | Watford | Portugal | £2M | £13K |
Roberto Lopez | CAM | 19 | 63 | 83 | R. Sociedad | Spain | £720K | £3K |
B. Woodburn | CAM LW ST | 19 | 68 | 83 | Oxford Utd* | Wales | £1.7M | £2K |
*Denotes player is on loan
Another great way to utilise your Career Mode transfer budget is through contract expiry signings.
Players who are in the final six months of their contract can be signed on pre-contract agreements for free, meaning you don’t have to exhaust your entire budget to bring in top-class players.
Head here for everything you need to know about contract expiry signings and which top talents are available for pre-contract agreements in FIFA 20.
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