Football Manager 2019 Wonderkids: Best Belgian players to sign

Belgium have not always been a powerhouse in world football, but in recent years they have exploded onto the scene thanks to a golden generation of players that catapulted them to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. While the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku power the biggest clubs in European football, the next generation of Belgian players are being eagerly scouted in the hopes of finding a new superstar.

How to choose the best Belgian wonderkids in Football Manager 2019

This article will look at the best Belgian wonderkids in FM19. These players are all teenagers when you start a new career in June 2018, are listed by the game as Belgian, and have a potential ability of at least 110. These players can provide a boost to almost any squad and can end up being key contributors to a lot of teams.

For a full list of ALL the best Belgian wonderkids in FM19, see the table at the bottom of the page.

Mile Svilar (CA 112 - PA Range 140-170)

Age: 18

Position: GK

Club: SLB

Best Attributes: Natural Fitness (18), Determination (15), Jumping (15)

Value: £450,000

Wage: £9,250 a week

Mile Svilar started his career with Anderlecht at the age of 10. While he made it up to the first team squad, he didn't make his debut with Anderlecht and instead signed a deal with Portuguese side Benfica, where he became the youngest goalkeeper to ever play in the Champions League.

In FM 19 Svilar has good physical traits (18 natural fitness, 15 jumping, 14 agility). He has a few very strong mental attributes (15 determination, 14 decisions, 14 bravery, 13 composure) and is a solid technical goalkeeper already (14 reflexes, 14 handling, 14 kicking, 13 one on ones).

Alexis Saelemaekers (CA 115 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 18

Position: D (R), WB (R)

Club: Anderlecht

Best Attributes: Technique (15), Crossing (15), Bravery (15)

Value: £5.75 million

Wage: £7,250 a week

In FM 19 Saelemaekers is a very good attacking full back. He can race down the wing (14 pace, 14 acceleration, 14 dribbling) and put quality balls into the forwards (15 crossing, 15 technique, 14 passing). He has some good mental attributes (14 teamwork, 14 work rate, 14 flair) but is not so good defensively (12 marking, 5 tackling).

Thibaud Verlinden (CA 110 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 18

Position: AM (RL), M (RL)

Club: Stoke

Best Attributes: Flair (15), Agility (15), Determination (15)

Value: £1 million

Wage: £5,000 a week

Thibaud Verlinden came up through the Standard Liege youth system, but moved to Stoke City at 16 for a fee of just €40,000. He is yet to play for Stoke, having been sent on loan to FC St. Pauli in Germany to gain experience.

In FM 19 Verlinden already has some terrific mental attributes (15 flair, 15 determination, 12 vision, 12 off the ball). He can move the ball in possession well (14 technique, 13 passing, 12 vision) and has reasonable speed too (14 acceleration, 12 pace).

Xian Emmers (CA 109 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 18

Position: DM, AM (C), M (C)

Club: Cremonese

Best Attributes: Natural Fitness (15), Teamwork (14), Stamina (14)

Value: £450,000

Wage: £230 a week

Xian Emmers started his career with Genk, but in 2015 he moved to Inter Milan. He is yet to make an appearance for Inter, but has been sent on loan to Cremonese in Serie B to gain experience. 

In FM 19 Emmers is a mentally strong player (14 teamwork, 14 determination, 13 off the ball) and has reasonable speed (14 stamina, 12 pace, 11 acceleration). He can move the ball well (13 passing, 12 technique, 12 crossing, 12 dribbling) and even threaten the goal too (11 long shots, 10 finishing).

Adrien Bongiovanni (CA 106 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 18

Position: AM (LC)

Club: Cercle Brugge

Best Attributes: Flair (16), Determination (15), Technique (15)

Value: £675,000

Wage: £6,750 a week

Adrien Bongiovanni started his career with Standard Liege. In 2015 he moved to Monaco and made his professional debut in April 2017. He has been a feature of the reserve side but has not received a Ligue 1 appearance yet and was loaned out to Cercle Brugge for the 2018/19 season.

In Football Manager 2019 Bongiovanni is a mentally impressive teenager (16 flair, 15 determination, 14 vision, 13 work rate) which will help his development in the coming years. He can move the ball well (15 technique, 14 dribbling, 14 first touch, 13 passing) and is good from dead balls too (13 free kick taking, 12 corners).

Brandon Baiye (CA 97 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 17

Position: DM, M (C)

Club: Club Brugge

Best Attributes: Natural Fitness (17), Teamwork (14), Work Rate (14)

Value: £180,000

Wage: £3,600 a week

Brandon Baiye has been with Club Brugge since the age of 10. He rose through the youth system there to make his professional debut in July 2018.

In FM 19 Baiye has good physical traits (17 natural fitness, 14 acceleration, 12 pace, 12 stamina) and is a solid passer (13 passing, 12 first touch, 12 technique). He has reasonable mental attributes (14 teamwork, 14 work rate, 13 bravery, 12 determination) but is not as strong a tackler as you might like yet (10 tackling, 10 marking).

Jeremy Doku (CA 94 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 16

Position: AM (L), ST

Club: Anderlecht

Best Attributes: Crossing (13), Dribbling (13), Agility (13)

Value: £40,500

Wage: £1,600 a week

Jeremy Doku came up through Anderlecht's youth academy and was linked with a move to Liverpool earlier this year but rejected the proposal, opting to stay with Anderlecht and work his way up the ladder there.

In FM 19 Doku is extremely raw. He has some talent on the ball (13 dribbling, 11 first touch) and can both deliver into the box (13 crossing) and threaten the goal (13 finishing). That is about it for now, but at 16 years old there is plenty of time for everything else to improve.

Nicolas Raskin (CA 94 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 17

Position: DM, M (C)

Club: AA Gent

Best Attributes: Technique (14), Vision (14), First Touch (13)

Value: £250,000

Wage: £2,200 a week

Nicolas Raskin started his career with the Standard Liege youth system, but in 2015 he moved to Anderlecht. He only spent two years with them though, moving to Gent in 2017 where he eventually made his debut.

In FM 19 Raskin has some very good mental attributes (14 vision, 13 flair, 13 decisions) to help his development. He can move the ball well (14 technique, 13 passing, 13 first touch) and has reasonable speed (12 pace, 12 acceleration) although his overall physical skills are lacking.

Jamie Yayi Mpie (CA 94 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 17

Position: AM (L), ST

Club: Sampdoria

Best Attributes: Determination (18), Dribbling (14), Finishing (14)

Value: £240,000

Wage: £230 a week

Jamie Yayi Mpie began his career with Anderlecht, coming up through their youth academy before moving to Sampdoria in August 2017. So far he has starred for the Sampdoria Under-19 side but is yet to win his senior debut.

In FM 19 Mpie has wonderful skill on the ball for someone his age (14 dribbling, 14 first touch, 14 crossing, 14 finishing) to both create and score. He has one really good mental attribute (18 determination) to help him develop further and he's got reasonable speed too (13 pace, 13 acceleration, 13 agility).

Evangelos Patoulidis (CA 92 - PA Range 130-160)

Age: 16

Position: AM (C)

Club: Standard

Best Attributes: Passing (14), Technique (14), Flair (14)

Value: £275,000

Wage: £1,800 a week

Evangelos Patoulidis started out with Anderlecht, but moved to Standard Liege in July 2017. He progressed from the youth system to the reserve side this year but is still awaiting his first-team debut.

In FM 19 Patoulidis is a good creative player (14 flair, 14 passing, 14 technique, 14 first touch, 14 dribbling) who can really trouble defences already. He has a few good mental attributes (14 determination, 13 vision, 12 anticipation) and decent speed for a central player (14 pace, 14 acceleration).

All the best Beligan wonderkids on Football Manager 2019