FIFA 14: Players to look out for in Career mode

Varun Andhare previews the top young talents to be looking at in EA Sports’ FIFA 14

It’s back! Annually one of the most awaited dates on a football fan’s calendar is the release date of the next installment of EA Sports’ FIFA franchise. With FIFA 14’s revamped career mode, fans are clamoring to get their hands on this one. Here, we take a look at the young players you should be looking to sign as soon as possible to build your dream team.(Note: No obvious stars have been included so that you don’t go ‘Duh!’ when you read this)

Goalkeepers:

Thibaut Courtois. Belgium and Atletico Madrid (on loan from Chelsea) – The young Spanish ‘keeper is waiting in the wings to succeed Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal. Already touted as one of the best prospects in the world, look out for this one.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Germany and Borussia Moenchengladbach- He’s tall. He’s agile. He’s a tremendous shot stopper and is a long term replacement for Manuel Neuer in the German goal. Already rated highly, he might be a tad pricy but trust me, he’s worth it.

Honorable mentions: David de Gea (Manchester United)

Defenders:

Marquinhos (Centre Back). Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain- He’s one of world football’s elite prospects and has prompted PSG to pay 34 million Euros for his signature. Fantastic signing.

Luke Shaw (Left Back). England and Southampton- You can’t tell from his game that he’s just 18. Another Saints youth academy product, he’s being called the new Gareth Bale. He’s quick and is a great crosser, but is also an excellent defender.

Matija Nastasic (Centre Back). Serbia and Manchester City- He has already established himself in the City squad and has formed an effective partnership with Vincent Kompany. Again, expect a high price, but a good rating.

Alex Sandro (Left Back). Brazil and Porto- He had a fantastic last season and is an excellent signing as he’s already an experienced, yet young player.

Honorable mentions: Phil Jones (Manchester United), Lucas Digne (PSG), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Nicolai Boilesen (Ajax).

Midfielders:

Eden Hazard. Belgium and Chelsea- Yes, he’s going to be insanely priced but will definitely have the potential to go above 90 so he’s worth it!

Wilfried Zaha. England and Manchester United- The trickster was underrated last time round and expect him to be rated near the 75-80 mark, but he will definitely have the potential to go up to 85+.

Marco Veratti. Italy and PSG- The diminutive Italian established himself in the Parisians’ side last season and will be pretty expensive considering he’s young and world class.

Kevin De Bruyne. Belgium and Chelsea – It doesn’t ‘Mata’ if there’s no Mata (!), because this guy has all the qualities you require in a quality playmaker. He’s quick, a tidy passer and has a mean long shot. Buy him.

Honorable mentions: Isco (Real Madrid), Asier Illaramendi (Real Madrid), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United), Ross Barkley (Everton), Ravel Morrison (West Ham), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) Geoffrey Kondogbia (Sevilla)

Forwards:

Romelu Lukaku. Belgium and Chelsea- The big Belgian powerhouse is already being compared to Didier Drogba, but is quite faster than the Ivorian legend. Imagine a faster and taller Drogba (with messy hair) and you’ve got a mean goalscoring machine!

Fred. Brazil and Corinthians- No, he is not a character from the Flintstones, but a physical target man with a powerful shot. He will be relatively cheaper as compared to other top-notch strikers but will be a great signing, nonetheless.

Wilfried Bony. Ivory Coast and Swansea- Bony set the Eredivisie on fire last season at Vitesse. Signed by Swansea and becoming their most expensive signing to date, expect super stuff from him.

Alvaro Morata. Spain and Real Madrid- Morata has a better chance than ever at Madrid because of the departure of Gonzalo Higuain. Extremely talented, he may be pricey but will have a tremendous potential.

Honorable Mentions: Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Andre Schurlle (Chelsea), Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund), Jackson Martinez (Porto)