On FIFA 18’s Career Mode, it is vital that you have some players coming through the ranks. If you have a youngster who has the quality now, and will get better and better; that is the dream. Looking back over the years, youngsters who hit the ground running and then build on their success is very rare, with Pele, Michael Owen, Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney the prime examples. If you are planning to stick with one club for the entirety of your Career Mode, you need those quality teenagers to build for the future.
READ: FIFA 19: Wonderkid Strikers (ST & CF) to sign in Career Mode
How to choose the best wonderkid for FIFA 18 Career Mode
Here we are looking at the best wonderkid strikers on FIFA 18. These are players aged 16 - 19 who have overall ratings higher than 70 and potentials higher than 80. Players who are useful now, but have the potential to go on and become the world’s best.
Remember that a player can outgrow their potential if they are playing exceptionally well. But be careful, just because they are at the start of their careers, they may not come cheap. We've compiled our top 10 by looking at players stats, potential and age.
We've also included a list of the other wonderkid strikers available in the game who are rated 65 or higher at the bottom of the page.
Kylian Mbappe (OVR 83 – POT 94)
Age: 18
Positions: ST
Club: Paris Saint-Germain (on loan from Monaco)
Country: France
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 90 Sprint Speed, 89 Acceleration, 87 Finishing
Cost: £150 million
Wage: £27,000
The most famous wonderkid out there at the moment is new PSG man Kylian Mbappe. The French international blew the world away last season, scoring 26 goals for Monaco as they lifted the Ligue 1 title.
The 18-year-old’s efforts earned him a big money move to Paris Saint-Germain, and although the initial deal is only a loan, PSG have a £128 million obligation to purchase him next summer, which could rise to close to £160 million in add-ons.
On FIFA 18, Mbappe is already a star with his 83 overall rating, and the striker’s 94 potential matches the current level of the world’s best player Cristiano Ronaldo. He has 90-rated sprint speed, 89 acceleration and 87 finishing.
With him technically only being on loan, you may have to wait two seasons before you can sign the superstar, and his overall will have improved considerably by then. It would take a bid of well over £100 million to get PSG talking, with something nearer the £150 million mark needed to complete a deal. His wages of £27,000 are incredibly reasonable, but this will undoubtedly go up over the next couple of seasons.
Marcus Rashford (OVR 80 – POT 89)
Age: 19
Positions: ST, RM, LM
Club: Manchester United
Country: England
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 93 Acceleration, 92 Sprint Speed and 90 Agility
Cost: £39.7 million (release clause)
Wage: £65,000
Marcus Rashford is currently keeping Anthony Martial out of the starting line-up at Manchester United, and it won’t be long before he has a regular starting berth for the England national team. The striker or wide midfielder has five goals in eight games so far this season and was entrusted to feature in 53 games under Jose Mourinho last year.
19-year-old Rashford has an 80-overall with a superb 89 potential. He has 93 acceleration, 92 sprint speed and 90 agility. A £39.7 million fee is very reasonable for someone who is already a Manchester United regular, and his wages of £65,000 are a fair price for someone with a stunning potential.
Kasper Dolberg (OVR 78 – POT 88)
Age: 19
Positions: ST, CAM
Club: Ajax
Country: Denmark
Work rate: Medium/Low
Best stats: 87 Shot Power, 79 Sprint Speed and 79 Ball Control
Cost: £23.2 million (release clause)
Wage: £9,000
Ajax have a reputation for bringing through young talent, and Danish striker Kasper Dolberg is their latest star. The 19-year-old only arrived in Holland last season but went on to score 23 goals in 47 games, as Ajax reached the Europa League final.
Dolberg, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, has already bagged a hat-trick this season as he looks to make his name even bigger.
The Denmark international has a decent 78-rating on FIFA this year, with a frightening potential of 88. His best stats include 87 shot power, 79 sprint speed and 79 ball control, with his release clause only £23.2 million. His starting wages of £9,000 mean you don’t need to break the bank to bring in the Dane.
Tammy Abraham (OVR 73 – POT 86)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: Swansea (on loan from Chelsea)
Country: England
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 81 Strength, 80 Sprint Speed and 80 Acceleration
Cost: £20 million
Wage: £49,000
The next Englishman to break through and follow the likes of Owen, Rooney and Rashford could be Tammy Abraham. The 19-year-old bagged 26 Championship goals on loan at Bristol City last season, and the Chelsea man has been sent out to Premier League side Swansea for this campaign.
Six-foot-three striker Abraham would be a perfect man to bring off the bench for your side, with a 73 overall and 86 potential. The youngster holds 81 strength, 80 sprint speed and 80 acceleration, but you will have to wait until the end of his loan spell to make a move for him. By that point it may take a bid of over £20 million to get your man, and you will need to fork out for his pricey £49,000 a week wages.
Lautaro Martinez (OVR 72 – POT 88)
Age: 19
Positions: ST, CAM, RM
Club: Racing Club
Country: Argentina
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 85 Strength, 79 Sprint Speed, 79 Jumping
Cost: £12.2 million (release clause)
Wage: £8,000
Outside of Europe, the Argentine Lautaro Martinez is the man making an impression. The 19-year-old has picked up nine goals so far this season for Racing Club out in Argentina, playing as a striker, attacking midfielder and right midfielder.
A bit of an unknown quantity, Martinez would be a perfect signing on Career Mode, and you can nurture him into one of the world’s best. The pocket rocket of a forward has a 72 overall on FIFA 18 with an 88 potential, with 85 strength (he’s only five-foot-nine), 79 sprint speed and 79 jumping.
A release clause of £12.2 million should tempt you enough to get hold of the Argentine, with his £8,000 weekly wages almost no concern.
Landry Dimata (OVR 72 – POT 84)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: Wolfsburg
Country: Belgium
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 81 Strength, 79 Sprint Speed, 79 Acceleration
Cost: £9.2 million (release clause)
Wage: £21,000
Wolfsburg new man Landry Dimata comes in at number six after impressing with KV Oostende in just his first season in professional football. The 19-year-old bagged 12 goals in the Belgian Pro League last year, earning himself a £9 million move to Wolfsburg. The Belgian striker is yet to score this season but has featured in five matches so far, so he must be impressing his new manager Martin Schmidt
Dimata is rated at 72, with a potential of 84. His stats include 81 strength, 79 sprint speed and 79 acceleration, and his transfer fee of just over £9 million and weekly wages of £21,000 are about right for a player of his quality.
Rui Pedro (OVR 70 – POT 85)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: Boavista (on loan from Porto)
Country: Portugal
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 75 Shot Power, 74 Reactions and 73 Positioning
Cost: £11 million
Wage: £5,000
Rui Pedro looks to be the next man to come through the ranks at Porto, with the 19-year-old Portuguese being sent out on loan to Boavista this season. Striker Pedro featured 13 times for Porto last season, scoring twice, but his youth international record is far more impressive. The starlet has represented Portugal from U15s to U19s, where he has bagged five goals in 11 games over the past year.
Pedro has a modest 70 rating but a superb overall of 85, perfect for a bottom half top division club. 75 shot power, 74 reactions and 73 positioning is what he has up his sleeve. You will have to wait 12 months before making a move for him, and after his loan spell a bid of around £11 million should do the trick. His wages of £5,000 means it will be little hassle in negotiating with the player.
Dominic Solanke (OVR 70 – POT 84)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: Liverpool
Country: England
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 76 Ball Control, 76 Acceleration, 74 Sprint Speed
Cost: £8.5 million (release clause)
Wage: £33,000
Despite having only played for Chelsea once, Dominic Solanke has arrived at Liverpool with a strong reputation. The striker bagged 10 goals in 15 appearances for England U20s, and was the player of the tournament at the World Cup last summer.
Whether the 19-year-old will get his opportunity at Liverpool remains to be seen, with Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and perhaps Danny Ings ahead of him in the pecking order.
Solanke holds a 70-overall rating and 84 potential, so if you are in charge of Liverpool in Career Mode, perhaps consider sending him out on loan. Solanke has 76 ball control, 76 acceleration and 74 sprint speed on the game. A £8.5 million release clause balances out his slightly heavy £33,000 a week wages.
Luka Jovic (OVR 70 – POT 83)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt (on loan from Benfica)
Country: Serbia
Work rate: Medium/Medium
Best stats: 77 Shot Power, 77 Sprint Speed and 74 Acceleration
Cost: £13 million
Wage: £5,000
Despite being just 19 years old, Luka Jovic’s career has stalled slightly since joining Benfica. The striker finds himself on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt this season as he looks to showcase his quality once more.
The Serbian first made a name for himself when he was 16, scoring on his debut for Red Star Belgrade. Jovic went on to become a regular over the next two seasons bagging 12 goals and earning a move to Benfica. Limited to just four appearances over two seasons, a loan move was just what he needed.
Jovic is another one who needs to be looked after on Career Mode, rated just 70 but with a potential of 83. He has 77 shot power, 77 sprint speed and 74 acceleration, but his two-year loan move means that you will have to wait a while before making a move. By then, a bid upwards of £12 million should do the trick, to go along with his £5,000 a week wages.
Fedor Chalov (OVR 70 – POT 82)
Age: 19
Positions: ST
Club: CSKA Moscow
Country: Russia
Work rate: High/Medium
Best stats: 82 Acceleration, 75 Agility and 74 Sprint Speed
Cost: £4.7 million (release clause)
Wage: £16,000
Off to Russia now where we find the 19-year-old Fedor Chalov. The CSKA Moscow man scored six times in 15 league games last season, a pretty healthy return for a player who often gets brought off the bench.
He’s another player to have gone through the international ranks, featuring from Russia under 15s to the under 21s. The striker’s task this season is to get more starts for CSKA, and the best way to do that is to grab yourself some goals.
Chalov has a 70 starting rating on FIFA 18, with a potential of 82. With 82 acceleration, 75 agility and 74 sprint speed, there is more than meets the eye with the young Russian. A £4.7 million release clause is a fair price for a player who needs nurturing and without holding a fantastic potential. His £16,000 a week wages may be more than some, but they will not increase by much for the rest of his career.
More Wonderkid Strikers
Below are the teenagers rated 65 or higher, with potentials of 80 or higher.
Player | Age | Pos . | Club | Nation | OVR | POT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Odsonne Edouard | 19 | ST | Celtic* | France | 70 | 80 |
Dimitri Oberlin | 19 | ST | Basel* | Switzerland | 69 | 84 |
Emmanuel Dennis | 19 | ST LW | Brugge | Nigeria | 69 | 81 |
Alexander Isak | 17 | ST | B. Dortmund | Sweden | 68 | 84 |
Villalibre | 19 | ST | R. Valladolid* | Spain | 68 | 80 |
Han Kwang Song | 18 | ST | Perugia | North Korea | 67 | 86 |
Sergio Diaz | 19 | ST | CD Lugo* | Paraguay | 67 | 81 |
Ben Brereton | 18 | ST RM | Nottingham Forest | England | 66 | 85 |
Myziane Maolida | 18 | ST | Lyon | France | 66 | 84 |
Johannes Eggestein | 19 | ST | W. Bremen | Germany | 66 | 84 |
*Denotes players who are on loan
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