We have ALL the best young central midfielders (MC) on FM22 for you to sign.
A midfield dynamo who’s just as good at regaining and keeping possession as they are commencing an attacking move can be difficult to find, especially at a fair price.
Luckily, the best young MC players in Football Manager tend to be cheaper – or at least more worthy of investment – and have the potential to become world-beaters.
Here, we’ve collected all of the best wonderkid central midfielders in FM22, from little-known gems to the more established names playing for the elite teams of club football.
Choosing the best young central midfielders (MC) on FM22
Below, you’ll find many emerging MC talents alongside household names like Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, and Sandro Tonali.
To be classed as one of the best central midfield wonderkids in FM22, though, each player has to have a potential ability rating or range of at least 165 PA or 140-170, be 21-years-old or younger, and have an MC rating of 20.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a full list of all of the best young central midfielders (MC) in FM22.
1. Sandro Tonali (147 CA / 173 PA)
Team: AC Milan
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 147 CA / 173 PA
Wage: £36,501 p/w
Value: £35 million – £42 million
Best Positions: MC, DM
Best Attributes: 15 First Touch, 15 Bravery, 15 Technique
Atop this list of the best MC wonderkids in FM22, due to his firm 173 PA, is Sandro Tonali, who has one of the most well-rounded sets of attribute ratings of the players here.
If the game holds true, Tonali is very much the second coming of Andrea Pirlo. At just 21-years-old, the Italian midfielder boasts 15 corners, 15 first touch, 14 free-kick taking, 14 passing, 15 technique, 14 anticipation, 14 vision, and 14 stamina.
Having impressed greatly with Brescia Calcio, AC Milan won the race to sign Tonali, and for a mere £15 million across his initial loan and then purchase pick-up. Already, he is a core piece of the starting XI, more commonly positioned in defensive midfield for the Rossoneri.
2. Eduardo Camavinga (136 CA / 170-200 PA)
Team: Real Madrid
Age: 18
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 136 CA / 170-200 PA
Wage: £127,112 p/w
Value: £68 million – £84 million
Best Positions: MC, DM
Best Attributes: 15 Tackling, 15 Technique, 15 Anticipation
Certainly one of the more defensive-set MCs here, Eduardo Camavinga’s 170-200 PA Range means that, if you’re lucky, he can develop into one of the best players in FM22.
The French teenager is superb at both winning the ball and keeping it in possession already. His 14 passing, 15 tackling, 15 anticipation, 14 decisions, 15 positioning, 14 work rate, and 14 stamina make Camavinga a first-team-ready central midfielder.
Winner of the Coupe de France in 2019 and a part of the historic Stade Rennais side that qualified for the Champions League, Camavinga quite suddenly found himself at the Santiago Bernabéu. In the early part of the 2021/22 season, the Angola-born Frenchman featured regularly for Los Blancos, scoring in his La Liga debut.
3. Ilaix Moriba (135 CA / 170-200 PA)
Team: RB Leipzig
Age: 18
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 135 CA / 170-200 PA
Wage: £24,500 p/w
Value: £84 million – £104 million
Best Positions: MC
Best Attributes: 17 Flair, 16 Determination, 16 Technique
As his £84 million to £104 million valuation would suggest, Ilaix Moriba is a very highly-rated talent and undeniably one of the best wonderkid central midfielders in FM22.
Having a 170-200 PA Range, Moriba could easily top this list of the best young CMs on any given save, but regardless of his given potential ability in a game, he’s already fit for a starting XI role. His 135 CA includes 14 dribbling, 15 first touch, 14 long shots, 14 passing, 17 flair, and 14 pace.
Born in Conakry, Guinea, the Barcelona youth product was a casualty of Camp Nou’s summer fire sale in the wake of their financial mismanagements. Going to RB Leipzig for just £15 million on 31 August 2021, he was made to wait for a regular role in the Bundesliga side.
4. Vitinha (136 CA / 166 PA)
Team: FC Porto
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 136 CA / 166 PA
Wage: £4,830 p/w
Value: £17.5 million – £26 million
Best Positions: MC
Best Attributes: 16 Technique, 16 Vision, 15 Passing
Weighing in with a 166 PA at 21-years-old, Vitinha is one of the best MC wonderkids of FM22 and is already fit to play regularly for your club.
Perhaps the most favourable aspect of approaching to sign Vitinha is his valuation of between £18.5 million and £26 million. For that price, you’ll be able to make use of his 16 technique, 16 vision, 15 agility, 15 teamwork, and 15 passing in the middle of the park.
Coming through the youth ranks at Estádio do Dragão, Vitinha was given a few cameo appearances back in 2019/20. Still, it was decided that a loan move to Wolverhampton Wanderers would be best to further his development. The switch seemed to do the trick, as he’s now a regular starter for FC Porto.
5. Albert Sambi Lokonga (137 CA / 165 PA)
Team: Arsenal
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 137 CA / 165 PA
Wage: £50,000 p/w
Value: £28 million – £42 million
Best Positions: MC, DM
Best Attributes: 16 Teamwork, 15 First Touch, 15 Determination
Starting FM22 as a 21-year-old, Albert Sambi Lokonga narrowly makes it onto this list of the best young central midfielders, with his 22nd birthday coming in October of the first season.
Still, his 165 PA more than makes him an ideal wonderkid to target. Lokonga’s 13 tackling, 16 teamwork, 15 work rate, 14 determination, 14 anticipation, and 14 stamina provide superb foundations for his future as the engine of your midfield.
A native of Verviers, the central midfielder made his way up to the first-team of RSC Anderlecht, eventually earning 78 appearances. Over the summer, Arsenal came knocking, eventually securing his signature for around £16 million. Now, he’s a regular feature in central and defensive midfield for the Gunners.
6. Jude Bellingham (143 CA / 160-190 PA)
Team: Borussia Dortmund
Age: 18
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 143 CA / 160-190 PA
Wage: £48,735 p/w
Value: £105 million – £124 million
Best Positions: MC
Best Attributes: 18 Determination, 16 Bravery, 16 Work Rate
Jude Bellingham is already a top-class MC, sporting a 143 CA, but it’s his 160-190 PA Range that lands him as one of the best young central midfielders in FM22.
The Englishman makes for a great box-to-box midfielder, with his technical, mental, and physical attribute ratings all befitting of the role. Bellingham’s 15 stamina, 16 work rate, and 18 determination get him around the pitch, while his 14 passing, 14 dribbling, 14 pace, and 15 acceleration allow him to move the ball swiftly.
Still only 18-years-old, the Stourbridge-born midfielder already has eight caps for England, four goals and two assists in 44 games for Birmingham City, and continues to be a mainstay in the Bundesliga. For Borussia Dortmund, he scored seven goals and 11 assists by his 64th appearance.
7. Dominik Szoboszlai (143 CA / 150-180 PA)
Team: RB Leipzig
Age: 20
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 143 CA / 150-180 PA
Wage: £32,325 p/w
Value: £90 million – £107 million
Best Positions: MC, AMC
Best Attributes: 16 Free-Kick Taking, 16 Penalty Taking, 16 Corners
Hungary’s wonderkid, Dominik Szoboszlai, has certainly made a name for himself in Football Manager circles, at the very least. In FM22, his PA Range of 150-180 potentially puts him among the best players in the game.
While he boasts several other superb attribute ratings, Szoboszlai’s set-piece ability alone demands attention. He features a rating of 16 for corners, free-kick taking, penalty taking, and flair. When the ball is live, his 15 long shots, 14 passing, 13 dribbling, 15 pace, and 15 acceleration make him a classy playmaker.
Having made a name for himself in Austria with RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig thought it time to bring Szoboszlai up to the East Germany side. Injury stopped the Hungarian from enjoying a swift start, but he has been fighting fit this season, scoring six goals and three assists in his first 15 games for Die Roten Bullen.
All of the best young central midfield (MC) wonderkids on FM22
In the table below, you’ll find each of the best central midfield wonderkids in FM22 sorted by their potential ability ratings.
| Player | PA (Range) | CA | Age | Position | Team | Wages (p/w) | Value |
| Sandro Tonali | 173 | 147 | 21 | M(C), DM | AC Milan | £36,501 | £35 million – £42 million |
| Eduardo Camavinga | 170-200 | 136 | 18 | M(C), DM | Real Madrid | £127,117 | £68 million – £84 million |
| Ilaix Moriba | 170-200 | 135 | 18 | M(C), DM | RB Leipzig | £24,500 | £84 million – £104 million |
| Vitinha | 166 | 136 | 21 | M(C), AM(C), DM | FC Porto | £4,830 | £17.5 million – £26 million |
| Albert Sambi Lokonga | 165 | 137 | 21 | M(C), DM | Arsenal | £50,000 | £28 million – £42 million |
| Jude Bellingham | 160-190 | 143 | 18 | M(C), DM | Borussia Dortmund | £48,735 | £105 million – £126 million |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | 150-180 | 143 | 20 | M(C), AM(LC) | RB Leipzig | £32,325 | £87 million – £104 million |
| Ryan Gravenberch | 150-180 | 137 | 19 | M(C), AM(C), DM | AFC Ajax | £48,735 | £34 million – £40 million |
| Gavi | 150-180 | 130 | 16 | M(C), AM(C), DM | FC Barcelona | £2,565 | £43 million – £51 million |
| Nicolò Rovella | 150-180 | 129 | 19 | M(C), DM | Zebre (Juventus) | £30,417 | £13.5 million – £20 million |
| Samuele Ricci | 150-180 | 127 | 19 | M(C), DM | Empoli | £30,418 | £7 million – £10.5 million |
| Alfie Devine | 150-180 | 106 | 17 | M(C), AM(C), DM | Tottenham Hotspur | £150 | £40 million – £48 million |
| Takuhiro Nakai | 150-180 | 96 | 17 | M(C), AM(C) | Real Madrid | £2,000 | £5.8 million – £8.6 million |
| Conor Gallagher | 140-170 | 137 | 21 | M(C), AM(C) | Chelsea | £15,000 | £15 million – £22 million |
| Billy Gilmour | 140-170 | 127 | 20 | M(C), AM(C) | Chelsea | £25,000 | £20 million – £24 million |
| Aster Vranckx | 140-170 | 116 | 18 | M(C), AM(C), DM | VfL Wolfsburg | £12,331 | £5.2 million – £8 million |
| Oliver Skipp | 140-170 | 135 | 20 | M(C), DM | Tottenham Hotspur | £25,000 | £22 million – £32 million |
| Kenneth Taylor | 140-170 | 119 | 19 | M(RLC), DM, D(C) | AFC Ajax | £2,100 | £21 million – £24 million |
| Marcos Antonio | 140-170 | 135 | 21 | M(C), DM | Shakhtar Donetsk | £10,500 | £18 million – £27 million |
| Moisés Caicedo | 140-170 | 118 | 19 | M(C), DM | Brighton & Hove Albion | £20,000 | £5.6 million – £8.6 million |
| Nicolas Seiwald | 140-170 | 124 | 20 | M(C), DM | RB Salzburg | £1,282 | £9.4 million – £14 million |
| Yunus Musah | 140-170 | 126 | 18 | M(C), AM(RC) | CF Valencia | £8,550 | £42 million – £49 million |
| Nico | 140-170 | 130 | 19 | M(C), DM | FC Barcelona | £10,985 | £10.5 million – £13.5 million |
| Luka Sucic | 140-170 | 120 | 18 | M(C), AM(C) | RB Salzburg | £4,411 | £12 million – £14 million |
| Adil Aouchiche | 140-170 | 116 | 19 | M(C), AM(C) | AS Saint-Etienne | £15,741 | £26 million – £31 million |
| Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson | 140-170 | 109 | 18 | M(CL), AM(RLC), WB(L) | FC København | £5,747 | £220,000 – £6.6 million |
| Amadou Onana | 140-170 | 119 | 19 | M(C), DM, D(C) | LOSC Lille | £4,702 | £5.2 million – £7.8 million |
| Lucien Agoume | 140-170 | 121 | 19 | M(C), AM(C), DM | Inter Milan | £6,083 | £6 million – £7.2 million |
| Kacper Kozlowski | 140-170 | 110 | 17 | M(C), AM(C) | Pogoń Szczecin | £302 | £1.6 million – £3.2 million |
| Sandry | 140-170 | 120 | 18 | M(C) | SAN | £4,400 | £9.2 million – £11 million |
| Paulo Bernardo | 140-170 | 118 | 19 | M(C), AM(C) | SL Benfica | £2,778 | £9.6 million – £11.5 million |
| Danilo | 140-170 | 129 | 20 | M(C), DM | SEP | £8,750 | £6.2 million – £9 million |
| Gabriël Misehouy | 140-170 | 94 | 16 | M(C), AM(C) | AFC Ajax | £6,412 | £9.8 million – £12 million |
| Charlie Patino | 140-170 | 101 | 17 | M(C), DM | Arsenal | £1,000 | £29 million – £41 million |
| Hannibal | 140-170 | 115 | 18 | M(C), AM(LC) | Manchester United | £12,000 | £18 million – £22 million |
| Williot Swedberg | 140-170 | 105 | 17 | M(C) | Hammarby IF | £1,048 | £250,000 – £2.6 million |
| Koba Lein | 140-170 | 115 | 19 | M(C) | CF Valencia | £3,200 | £8.4 million – £10.5 million |
| Guilherme… |
