Football Manager 2014 – Top 5 wonderkids

3. Maximilian Meyer (Schalke | Age – 17)

Maximilian Meyer

I just said above that Southampton manager might be one of the best jobs in the game, but maybe Schalke comes very close to it or even trumps it. They have so many young players in their squad who could go on to be stars in the future like Leon Goretzka, Julian Draxler and now Max Meyer.

Meyer starts in Schalke’s second team and will excel in the first season itself. He has all the raw skills you would want from a silky attacking midfielder, agility, creativity, flair, passing, dribbling, technique and first touch are all 16 and above before the first season is over with. He is young and has a lot of developing to do, but his skills reminds me of Toni Kross. Like Kroos, he can also play on the wings and is equally good with both legs when shooting or passing.

He is a true wonderkind on the game, a player that can already cope with top-flight football at the tender age of 17. Unfortunately, Schalke know that they have a real gem in this kid and they want around £20 million for him at the start of the game. If you are ready to spend over the odds and can lure him away from his boyhood club, then Meyer might just be the one you need as he is one of Europe’s top talents.

2. Paul Pogba (Juventus | Age – 20)

Paul Pogba

We all know the story of Paul Pogba. A young and exciting prospect at Manchester United who was fed up with his chances, kicked up a fuss and left the club for Juventus. It might be one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest mistakes as they have needed a quality box-to-box midfielder for years. United’s loss though was Juventus’ gain and in the game, they know it.

He is porbably the best young midfielder and player overall in the game. One of the three players with a -10 potential ability in FM 2014, which is a sign of a true world class player according to Football Manager 2014. A player whose starting attributes world make him a star player for most of the Premier League sides, and this is at the age of only 20. Once he develops he truly becomes a world class midfielder with excellent attributes in technical, mental and physical departed. He is a beast of player in the game and his strongest area is his skill and specific aspect is important matches.

He is labelled as the next Patrick Vieira, but is very expensive at the start of the game and you will have to be at the best of your transfer game if you wnat to get him from Juventus to your team. You will have to pay around £40-50 million to get him, but he is not prepared to leave the Serie A champions immediately at the start of the game and so you will have to wait a season or two to get him.

1. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid | Age – 20)

Raphael Varane

Anyone who watched the Champions League last year or follows Real Madrid on a regular basis knows what a beast of a defender Raphael Varane is. He could very well be the most talented defender we have seen in a generation and he is our second Frenchman in this list and the number one wonderkid you must sign on Football Manager 2014.

Many compare him to the retired Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro and we do agree on those comparisons, but we think that Varane could be way better player than Hierro. He has a got a very rating for a senior team player, and would be a leading player for most Premier League signes. He is a rock-solid defender, both strong and quick, tall and good in the air and also with excellent mental attributes. His stats in the game reflect that and he is by far the best defend you can get.

He is very difficult to sign in the latest patch as Real Madrid are not willing to sell him, and why would they. But an offer of around £50 million will probably be good enough to persuade them to let him go. If you can spare that amount of money for a centre-back then you could buy Varane, but considering that you have good cheaper options like Elder Alvarez Balanta or even Doria, I guess that would be a waste of money.

Honourable Mentions - Stephan El Shaarawy (AC Milan), Yassine Benzia (Lyon), Gabriel Barbosa (Santos), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Ross Barkley (Everton), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) and Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Doria (Botafogo).