FIFA 19 Career Mode: Best young goalkeepers (GK) to sign

Goalkeepers are the most important players on the pitch. We have seen the prices paid for top ‘keepers rise dramatically in recent years, with the transfer record broken twice this past summer. On FIFA 19 Career Mode, it’s hard to know whether to go with a world class goalkeeper from the get-go, or attempt to nurture a young stopper into one of world’s best. It depends on how long you will stay with your club, but the latter is a smarter option in terms of longevity.

How to choose the best young goalkeepers (GK) on FIFA 19 Career Mode

These are the best young goalkeepers on FIFA 19’s Career Mode. These players are all aged 24 and below at the start of Career Mode, hold an overall rating of at least 74 but with the potential to reach at least 80. 

For a full list of ALL the best young goalkeepers (GK) on Career Mode, look at the table at the end of this page.

Ederson (OVR 86 – POT 90)

Age: 24

Club: Manchester City

Country: Brazil

Best stats: 90 GK kicking, 87 GK reflexes, 86 reactions

Cost: £62 million

Wage: £110,000 a week

Already a world class player, Manchester City’s Ederson has transformed the role of the modern goalkeeper since arriving at the Etihad. The Brazilian is just as good at distributing the ball as he is at shot stopping, making him the ideal man to have in the net for Pep Guardiola.

The Premier League winner costs a large £62 million on FIFA 19 Career Mode, with wages of £110,000 a week. That will get you his 86 overall which can rise to a 90 potential, so there is still some growth in his already impressive stats of 90 GK kicking, 87 GK reflexes and 86 reactions.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (OVR 83 – POT 91)

Age: 23

Club: Chelsea

Country: Spain

Best stats: 84 GK reflexes, 84 GK diving, 80 GK handling

Cost: £50 million

Wage: £73,000 a week

Now the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, few outside Spain had heard of Kepa Arrizabalaga before his £71.6 million move to Chelsea over the summer. The 23-year-old impressed at previous club Athletic Bilbao over two seasons and earned his first Spain cap in November 2017. 

84 GK reflexes, 84 GK diving and 80 GK diving take Kepa to an 83 overall, which can improve to a fantastic 91 potential. You can sign him for around £50 million in January, with a £73,000 a week wage. 

Jordan Pickford (OVR 83 – POT 86)

Age: 24

Club: Everton

Country: England

Best stats: 88 GK kicking, 86 GK reflexes, 83 GK diving

Cost: £40 million

Wage: £69,000 a week

Jordan Pickford is another keeper with a reputation for being strong with the ball at his feet, but he won English hearts when he helped the national side win their first penalty shootout in a World Cup. Pickford’s form for Everton since joining from Sunderland last season, has been rewarded with a fresh contract at the start of the new campaign. 

Pickford has an 83 overall on FIFA 19, consisting of stats of 88 GK kicking, 86 GK reflexes and 83 GK diving. Those can rise as he closes in on an 86 potential with the 24-year-old costing £40 million and wages of £69,000 a week. 

Gianluigi Donnarumma (OVR 82 – POT 93)

Age: 19

Club: AC Milan

Country: Italy

Best stats: 88 GK reflexes, 88 GK diving, 78 GK positioning

Cost: £45 million

Wage: £21,000 a week

Gianluigi Donnarumma is the successor to namesake Gianluigi Buffon’s throne as the Italian number one, after coming into the AC Milan first team aged just 16. Now 19, Donnarumma has over 132 appearances to his name, but faces competition at the San Siro this season from the experienced Pepe Reina (OVR 83). 

An 82 overall for Donnarumma can improve to a stunning 93 potential, so watch his 88 GK reflexes, 88 GK diving and 78 GK positioning stats rise considerably. £45 million is needed to sign the teenager however, with wages upwards of £21,000 a week.

Pau Lopez (OVR 82 – POT 87)

Age: 23

Club: Real Betis

Country: Spain

Best stats: 83 GK positioning, 82 GK handling, 81 GK reflexes

Cost: £32 million

Wage: £19,000 a week

Pau Lopez is currently the third choice Spanish goalkeeper behind David De Gea (OVR 91) and Kepa, showing how much depth they have. The 23-year-old joined Real Betis in the summer as the Seville-based club look to push themselves into the La Liga top four.

Lopez’s 82 overall consists of 83 positioning, 82 GK handling and 81 GK reflexes. Those can rise as he nears an 87 potential, costing you £32 million in January with wages of £19,000 a week. 

Thomas Strakosha (OVR 80 – POT 85)

Age: 23

Club: Lazio

Country: Albania

Best stats: 86 GK reflexes, 81 GK diving, 77 GK positioning

Cost: £19 million

Wage: £30,000 a week

Thomas Strakosha is the Lazio number one, flying the flag for Albania. The 23-year-old wrestled the shirt off former star Federico Marchetti (OVR 77) in 2016, going on to make 86 appearances for the club, keeping 27 clean sheets.

On FIFA 19 Strakosha’s 80 overall can improve to a potential of 85 on the game, so stats of 86 reflexes, 81 GK diving and 77 GK positioning have considerable improvement within them. £19 million can sign the Albanian international, with wages of £30,000 a week. 

Sergio Rico (OVR 80 – POT 84)

Age: 24

Club: Fulham (on loan from Sevilla)

Country: Spain

Best stats: 81 GK reflexes, 80 GK positioning, 79 GK handling

Cost: n/a

Wage: £12,000 a week

Yet another Spaniard, Sergio Rico is currently out on loan at Fulham, but is in a three-way battle for a starting spot with Fabricio (OVR 80) and Marcus Bettinelli (OVR 83). Rico made 170 appearances for parent club Sevilla, keeping 58 clean sheets, so expect him to add more to just the two cup appearances he has made for the Cottagers so far this season. 

81 GK reflexes, 80 GK positioning and 79 GK handling take Rico to an 80 overall, rising to an 84 potential. You must wait until the beginning of next season to sign him however where he will cost around £18 million and wages upwards of £12,000 a week. 

Andre Onana (OVR 79 – POT 85)

Age: 22

Club: Ajax

Country: Cameroon

Best stats: 84 GK kicking, 82 GK diving, 80 jumping

Cost: £16 million

Wage: £12,000 a week

Ajax have one of the finest reputations in Europe for bringing through youngsters, with goalkeeper Andre Onana looking to follow Johan Cruyff, Clarence Seedorf and Christian Eriksen as players to have progressed through the club. Onana, who has five Cameroon caps, has already appeared for Ajax 100 times, keeping an impressive 43 clean sheets.

A 79 overall for Onana can improve to a potential of 85, so watch his 84 GK kicking, 82 GK diving and 80 jumping rise in the coming seasons. £16 million can get you the 22-year-old, with wages of £12,000 a week. 

Alexandr Selikhov (OVR 78 – POT 82)

Age: 24

Club: Spartak Moscow

Country: Russia

Best stats: 81 GK handling, 79 GK diving, 78 GK kicking

Cost: £13 million

Wage: £880 a week

One of the more unfamiliar names, Alexandr Selikhov signed for Spartak Moscow in January 2017, and took the number one shirt last season, The 24-year-old has since been called up to the Russian national team, but needs to continue to perform to earn a starting spot.

Stats of 81 GK handling, 79 GK diving and 78 GK kicking take Selikhov to a 78 overall, improving to a potential of 82. £13 million can get you the shot stopper, with his wages at the moment just £880 a week. 

Alban Lafont (OVR 77 – POT 89)

Age: 19

Club: Fiorentina

Country: France

Best stats: 79 GK reflexes, 78 GK diving, 77 GK handling

Cost: £19 million

Wage: £10,000 a week

Alban Lafont superb rise at Toulouse saw him sign for Fiorentina in the summer. Aged just 19, he managed to chalk up 106 appearances for his former employers, which earned him a £7.5 million move to Serie A. 

On FIFA 19 Lafont costs £19 million with wages of £10,000 a week but you must hold off until January. Only then can you get his abilities of 79 GK reflexes, 78 GK diving and 77 GK handling, which lead to a 77 overall and 89 potential. 

All the best young goalkeepers (GK) on FIFA 19