If you have a solid defence and are hard to beat, it puts you in a very good position to go and win matches.
Finding young defenders in Football Manager 2022 will be very important, getting in that talent who can marshall your players for years to come.
Table of Contents
- Defining wonderkids
- Josko Gvardiol (CA 135 - PA Range 150-180)
- Tanguy Nianzou (CA 128 - PA Range 150-180)
- Goncalo Inacio (CA 136 - PA 157)
- Devyne Rencsh (CA 126 - PA Range 140-170)
- Illya Zabarnyi (CA 125 - PA Range 140-170)
- Taylor Harwood-Bellis (CA 122 - PA Range 140-170)
- Timothee Pembele (CA 110 - PA Range 140-170)
- Nnamdi Collins (CA 95 - PA Range 140-170)
- El Chadaille Bitshiabu (CA 92 - PA Range 140-170)
- Wisdom Amey (CA 90 - PA Range 140-170)
Read on to find out who the best wonderkid centre-backs are in FM22.
Defining wonderkids
As many of you will know, a wonderkid is a player under the age of 19 with a high potential ability.
From players you can capture on loan to stars that you can splash mega-money on, this list has your FM22 shortlists covered.
Josko Gvardiol (CA 135 - PA Range 150-180)
Age: 19
Club: RB Leipzig
Value: £72-£88 million
Wage: £20,500 a week
Josko Gvardiol could prove to be one of the most popular choices at centre-back on the game, with his incredible speed and strength making him a tough man to pass.
You'd best bring the war chest though, as you could be paying upwards of £70 million for such top talent.
Tanguy Nianzou (CA 128 - PA Range 150-180)
Age: 19
Club: Bayern Munich
Value: £28-£34 million
Wage: £66,000 a week
A diamond hiding in the German giant's ranks, Tanguy Nianzou looks set to be a wonderkid once again in FM22.
His unrivalled physical stats make him an appealing option for any club looking for a dominant centre-half.
It's hard to doubt that Nianzou is one of - if not the most - exciting wonderkid defenders in the game.
Goncalo Inacio (CA 136 - PA 157)
Age: 19
Club: Sporting CP
Value: £20-£26 million
Wage: £9,000 a week
An injury has put him out of action at the moment, but up until that point, Goncalo Inacio had worked hard and secured a regular starting spot at Sporting.
If you bring him to your club expect a solid, ball-playing centre-back who can handle any situation.
Devyne Rencsh (CA 126 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 18
Club: Ajax
Value: £13-£16 million
Wage: £16,250 a week
It's always exciting to see the talent produced by Ajax, and Devyne Rensch is going to be special.
He can play anywhere along the backline, and at 5'10" you may prefer putting him on the right or in a back three.
Illya Zabarnyi (CA 125 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 18
Club: Dynamo Kyiv
Value: £26-£35 million
Wage: £6,250 a week
Totally solid at everything you need defensively, Illya Zabarnyi will be one of the best picks in the game.
He could also be your go-to option if you can't afford Gvardiol, being less than half his price.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (CA 122 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 19
Club: Anderlecht (on loan from Manchester City)
Value: £15.5-£25 million
Wage: £10,000 a week
Taylor Harwood-Bellis is getting valuable game time on loan away from parent club Manchester City, unable to break into a newly strengthened backline.
If you plan to make a move for him it should be done sooner rather than later, as he is set to improve into one of the best.
Timothee Pembele (CA 110 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 18
Club: Bordeaux (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
Value: £4.7-£7.4 million
Wage: £4,900 a week
Timothee Pembele is a player who should undoubtedly be on your shortlist.
Quick and dynamic, the young French defender is destined for great things, could you be the one to snatch him away from Paris and develop him into a superstar in FM22?
Nnamdi Collins (CA 95 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 17
Club: Borussia Dormund
Value: £6.4-£9.4 million
Wage: £6,500 a week
Nnamdi Collins definitely has the speed to match any striker, but he may lack the strength to battle it out with players.
Still only 17, he could develop into one of the best around if you get him training well.
El Chadaille Bitshiabu (CA 92 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 16
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Value: £4-£8.8 million
Wage: £675 a week
It's quite a mouthful, and you may not have heard of him, but El Chadaille Bitshiabu could be the rock at the back your team needs.
He is still very young so his development will need careful nurturing, but at 6'5" he can make sure crosses don't reach their destination.
Wisdom Amey (CA 90 - PA Range 140-170)
Age: 15
Club: Bologna
Value: £210,000-£2.1 million
Wage: £220 a week
The youngest on our list at 15, don't let his age put you off, as Wisdom Amey could reach a very high ability.
He looks set to become a strong, no-nonsense centre-back, and he could be a part of your squad for over 20 years.
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