The number 10 is the classiest role on a football pitch.
Gliding past defenders, playing in their teammates and chipping in with the occasional goal; it’s a tough life being an attacking midfielder.
That said, it takes years of practice and experience to become one of the very best.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne (CA 188), Paulo Dybala (168) and Christian Eriksen (CA 168) have all mastered their craft through years of hard work, but what if you are looking for a younger model to grow into a player of their calibre?
We look at the best wonderkid attacking midfielders (AMC) on Football Manager 2020 to build your team around in the years ahead.
How to choose the best Wonderkid Attacking Midfielders on Football Manager 2020
Our wonderkids are teenagers who are naturals in the attacking midfielder (AMC) position. They have a maximum Potential Ability (PA) range above 140-170, meaning they can grow into the finest players on the game. We have also included players with a fixed PA above 155.
Current Ability (CA) and Potential Ability are hidden when in-game, and can only be viewed by using the Football Manager Editor tool or In-Game Editor.
Star ratings only reflect how good a player is in relation to your first team squad, so if you want accuracy you must follow the CA & PA.
Joao Felix (CA 149 – PA 175)
Age: 19
Position(s): AM (LC), ST
Club: Atletico Madrid
Country: Portugal
Best Attributes: 19 flair, 18 technique, 16 determination
Value: £28.5 million
Wage: £155,000 a week
The hottest wonderkid in world football is Joao Felix. The new Atletico Madrid signing made the switch from Benfica in a £113 million deal over the summer, after netting 20 goals and bagging 11 assists in his maiden professional season.
The Portuguese international has a 149 CA on the game, with his 175 PA the eighth highest out of any attacking midfielder on the game. Dream on if you want to sign him however, with anything less than £150 million likely to me laughed off by the Atletico board.
Phil Foden (CA 140 – PA 175)
Age: 19
Position(s): AM (C)
Club: Manchester City
Country: England
Best Attributes: 17 technique, 16 agility, 16 flair
Value: £34.5 million
Wage: £30,000 a week
If Phil Foden was at almost any other English club aside from Manchester City, he would have well over 100 appearances to his name. As it is, the England U21 international has just the 45, spread out over two-and-a-half seasons. With David Silva (CA 175) set to leave the club at the end of the season, next term should bring more opportunity for Foden.
READ MORE: Best Wonderkid Goalkeepers (GK) to sign on Football Manager 2020
Stats of 17 technique, 16 agility and 16 flair give Foden a 140 CA, which can rise to a fixed potential of 175. Again, good luck trying to sign him, with over £100 million required to even open talks for the attacking midfielder.
Nicolo Zaniolo (CA 143 – PA 150-180)
Age: 19
Position(s): AM (RC), M (C)
Club: Roma
Country: Italy
Best Attributes: 17 bravery, 16 aggression, 16 work rate
Value: £18.5 million
Wage: £77,000 a week
A hot prospect in Italian football, Nicolo Zaniolo has already chalked up over 50 appearances for Roma. The 19-year-old is already firmly in Roberto Mancini’s plans with the national team too, two goals in his first five games for the Azzurri.
Zaniolo has stats of 17 bravery, 16 aggression and 16 work rate on FM20, taking him to a CA of 143, which can grow to a potential between 150 and 180. You can sign the attacking or central midfielder for upwards of £70 million, so don’t expect him to move anytime soon.
Jonathan David (CA 124 – PA 150-180)
Age: 19
Position: AM (LRC)
Club: Gent
Country: Canada
Best Attributes: 16 acceleration, 16 natural fitness, 16 pace
Value: £8 million
Wage: £8,250 a week
With Canada part-hosting the World Cup in 2026, their team already looks to be taking shape. The 19-year-old Jonathan David joins Bayern Munich wonderkid Alphonso Davies (CA 127 – PA 140-170) in the side, with both players set to be in their prime for the tournament.
David’s 16 acceleration, 16 natural fitness and 16 pace take his CA to 124, which can rise to a potential between 150 and 180. A bid around £25 million should get your man, making the versatile youngster one of the best purchases on FM20.
Yari Verschaeren (CA 124 – PA 150-180)
Age: 18
Position: AM (LRC), M (C)
Club: Anderlecht
Country: Belgium
Best Attributes: 17 agility, 16 first touch, 15 passing
Value: £6 million
Wage: £5,500 a week
Incredibly already in the Belgium national team, Yari Verschaeren is one of the top talents emerging from the country. The attacking midfielder has played 37 times for Anderlecht over the last year, earning him a call up into Roberto Martinez’s squad in June 2019.
READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Strikers (ST) to sign in Football Manager 2020
On FM, you can sign the prodigy for around £30 million, getting you his 124 CA and potential between 150 and 180. Stats of 17 agility, 16 first touch and 15 passing could tempt you to make the move.
Mohamed Ihattaren (CA 122 – PA 150-180)
Age: 17
Position: AM (LRC)
Club: PSV
Country: Holland
Best Attributes: 16 first touch, 15 technique, 15 vision
Value: £4 million
Wage: £1,700 a week
Not to be outdone, the Dutch have a wonderkid attacking midfielder of their own. The 17-year-old Mohamed Ihattaren has racked up 29 appearances for PSV Eindhoven in 2019, starting 14 of the club’s games so far this term.
The Holland U19 international has stat of 16 first touch, 15 technique and 15 vision on FM20, taking his CA to 122. This can grow to a potential between 150 and 180, seeing him cost around £17 million.
Thiago Almada (CA 120 – PA 150-180)
Age: 18
Position: AM (LC), ST
Club: Velez
Country: Argentina
Best Attributes: 16 flair, 15 agility, 15 ambition
Value: £2 million
Wage: £3,400 a week
Argentina’s turn now, with Thiago Almada a regular for native club Velez Sarsfield. In 27 games so far, he has five goals and two assists, taking him into the Argentina U20 squad. The 18-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester City, and has been dubbed the “new Messi”.
Almada is priced at just over £5 million on FM20, making him one of the biggest bargains on the game. 16 flair, 15 agility and 15 ambition take his CA to 120, with his potential between 150 and 180.
Reinier (CA 110 – 150-180)
Age: 17
Position: AM (C)
Club: FLA (Flamengo)
Country: Brazil
Best Attributes: 18 natural fitness, 15 flair, 14 strength
Value: £190,000
Wage: £4,300 a week
A regular for Flamengo this season, Reinier is just 17 years old. The attacking midfielder has played 13 times for the club, chipping in with four goals and two assists so far. He also has a useful record for Brazil U17s, scoring five goals in 10 games.
READ MORE: All the best Wonderkid Left Midfielders (ML) and Wingers (AML) on Football Manager 2020
Reinier’s 110 CA can improve to a potential between 150 and 180, with his best stats 18 natural fitness, 15 flair and 14 strength. A bid upwards of £14 million should get you the promising youngster.
Pedri (CA 105 – PA 150-180)
Age: 16
Position: AM (LRC), M (C)
Club: Las Palmas (on loan from Barcelona)
Country: Spain
Best Attributes: 17 flair, 16 first touch, 15 passing
Value: £575,000
Wage: £2,700 a week
Pedri hadn’t experienced professional football since this season, but the 16-year-old has made a great start on loan at second division Las Palmas from Barcelona. The attacking midfielder has scored three goals and picked up a further three assists in 11 games for the club.
On FM20, Pedri’s 17 flair, 16 first touch and 15 passing take his CA to 105, with a potential between 150 and 180. You will need in excess of £10 million to tempt Barcelona foor the youngster.
Hannibal Mejbri (CA 92 – PA 150-180)
Age: 16
Position: AM (C), M (C)
Club: Manchester United
Country: France
Best Attributes: 14 vision, 14 technique, 13 first touch
Value: £350,000
Wage: £120 a week
We finish with a Frenchman, making it 10 players from 10 different countries. Hannibal Mejri is still some way off the first team picture at Manchester United aged just 16, but Sports Interactive tip him for a big future. The France U16 international gas a goal and three assists in seven games for United’s youth sides this season, so keep an eye out for him over the years ahead.
READ MORE: Sports Interactive’s Top 10 clubs to manage on FM20
Mejbri has stats of 14 vision, 14 technique and 13 first touch on the game this year, taking his CA to 92. This can improve to a potential between 150 and 180, but you will need a huge bid of over £100 million to tempt United.
All the best wonderkid Attacking Midfielders (AMC) in Football Manager 2020
| Player | Age | Pos | Club | Country | CA | PA | V | W |
| João Félix | 19 | AM (LC) ST |
A. Madrid | Portugal | 149 | 175 | £28m | £155k |
| Phil Foden | 19 | AM (C) | Man City | England | 140 | 175 | £35m | £30k |
| Nicolò Zaniolo | 19 | AM (RC) M (C) |
Roma | Italy | 143 | <180 | £18m | £77k |
| Jonathan David | 19 | AM (LRC) ST |
Gent | Canada | 124 | <180 | £8m | £8k |
| Yari Verschaeren | 18 | AM (LRC) M (C) |
Anderlecht | Belgium | 124 | <180 | £6m | £6k |
| Mohamed Ihattaren | 17 | AM (LRC) | PSV | Holland | 122 | <180 | £4m | £2k |
| Thiago Almada | 18 | AM (LC) ST | Vélez | Argentina | 120 | <180 | £2m | £2k |
| Reinier | 17 | AM (C) | FLA | Brazil | 110 | <180 | £200k | £4k |
| Pedri | 16 | AM (LRC) M (C) |
Las Palmas* | Spain | 105 | <180 | £600k | £3k |
| Hannibal Mejbri | 16 | AM (C) M (C) |
Man Utd | France | 92 | <180 | £400k | £100 |
| Naci Ünüvar | 16 | AM (LC) | Ajax | Holland | 90 | <180 | £200k | £100 |
| Brahim Díaz | 19 | AM (LC) M (C) |
R. Madrid B | Spain | 126 | <170 | £3m | £107k |
| Takefusa Kubo | 18 | AM (C) M (R) |
Mallorca | Japan | 125 | <170 | £3m | £20k |
| Morgan Gibbs-White | 19 | AM (C) M (C) |
Wolves | England | 125 | <170 | £11m | £2k |
| Kang-in Lee | 18 | M (LRC) AM (LRC) |
Valencia | South Korea | 120 | <170 | £1m | £6k |
| Andre Anderson | 19 | AM (C) M (C) |
Lazio | Brazil | 117 | <170 | £2m | £8k |
| Angel Gomes | 18 | AM (LC) | Man Utd | England | 116 | <170 | £9m | £15k |
| Benjamin Nygren | 17 | AM (RC) ST |
Genk | Sweden | 114 | <170 | £2m | £6k |
| Roberto López | 19 | AM (LC) | Real San Sebastián C | Spain | 111 | <170 | £1m | £3k |
| Gianluca Gaetano | 19 | AM (LC) ST |
Napoli | Italy | 108 | <170 | £600k | £6k |
| Goncalo Ramos | 18 | AM (C) ST |
SLB B | Portugal | 107 | <170 | £500k | £2k |
| Lazar Samardzic | 17 | AM (C) | Hertha Berlin | Germany | 101 | <170 | £200k | £100 |
| Ronaldo Samardzic | 16 | AM (C) M (C) |
SLB | Portugal | 101 | <170 | £200k | £100 |
| Faustino Anjorin | 17 | AM (C) M (C) |
Chelsea | England | 101 | <170 | £400k | £2k |
| Morgan Rogers | 16 | AM (C) ST |
Man City | England | 100 | <170 | £600k | £100 |
| Félix Correia | 18 | AM (LRC) | AZ | Portugal | 100 | <170 | £600k | £25k |
READ MORE: Subtle tweaks to a proven formula take Football Manager 2020 to the next level
