Wonderkid Watch - Gianluca Busio

 
 

by MaddFM.

When you hear the phrase “Italian-American”, it’s likely your mind drifts to The Godfather, The Sopranos or Fat Tony from The Simpsons and that’s perfectly reasonable...the last big-name Italian-American footballer on the scene was Giuseppe Rossi and though tipped for greatness when he joined Manchester United from the Parma Youth Academy in 2004, injuries and a lack of any consistent form saw him have a rollercoaster career with mixed success at the likes of Villareal and Fiorentina (not to mention 30 caps for Italy) before he eventually hung up his boots in 2022.

Enter Gianluca Cristiano Busio (yep that’s his middle name). Born in 2002 in North Carolina to an Italian father, Busio joined Sporting Kansas City at the age of 15 years old making him the youngest player to sign with an MLS club since Football Manager legend Freddy Adu joined DC United at the age of 14 in 2004. This in itself qualifies Busio for Wonderkid status right?

 
 

By 16 he had made his MLS debut and scored his first goal for the club in a 4-1 win away to Vancouver Whitecaps, before literally shooting to national recognition the following season scoring in 3 consecutive games and also shining at the U17 CONCACAF Tournament helping USA reach the final alongside another FM Wonderkid with European ties, Giovanni Reyna. By 19 Busio was called up for his first senior international cap and helped USMNT to win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

 
 

Busio finished that season with the highest stats in the team in terms of minutes (1,152), chances created (20), tackles won (22), duels won (76) and recoveries (97), and it wasn’t long before European clubs were starting to get wind of Busio’s existence with the likes of Man Utd, Barcelona, Fiorentina and Bayern Munich all reported to have sent scouts to watch him. However for one reason or another a move never materialised, and in 2021 it was newly promoted (and highly fashionable) Venezia FC in Italy’s Serie A who successfully obtained his signature for a fee of €6 million, a deal which saw him become their most expensive ever transfer signing. 

 
 

Despite a relatively positive first season for him individually in which he made 29 appearances for I Leoni Ałati and scoring above average figures for Pass Completion, Successful Take Ons and finishing in the Top 10 in Serie A for most Successful Blocks made, it wasn’t enough to prevent them from being relegated back to Serie B however Busio has received widespread plaudits and interest largely based on his versatility and strength in midfield both defensively and in attacking phases for club and country, showing a clear and rare ability to play as a 6 or an 8 which is rare in a player of his age. 

 

Credit: @BrazilScout

 
 

Career stats to date (Source: BeSoccer.com)

 

It should also be said - the boy takes a mean free-kick…

 

 

In Football Manager 2023 Busio is a ready-made midfielder for pretty much any mid-tier club and has the potential to be developed for elite level if given the right support & development in the right role. Having just turned 20 at the start of the game and sitting in Serie B, he is both affordable & attainable and looking at those attributes he is highly desirable as a midfielder - good tackling and positioning combined with strong passing and technique mean that he can be deployed in several roles depending on your tactical needs, and at that age there is plenty of runway to train and develop him in a specialist role either in the Defensive Midfield or Central Midfield strata.

 
 

As usual what is key here is the influence of human managers in FM versus AI Managers - I have seen him at varying clubs and levels across other people’s saves including Juventus, Tottenham, Porto and even West Brom at one point 😄. In my own save in 2027 he is a starter for Ajax in midfield alongside World Cup winner Alexis McAllister, German sensation Karim Adeyemi and FM23 Wonderkid Julian Duranville so it’s safe to say that Busio is a solid bet and well worth your attention in this year’s game…I guess the same can be said of him in real-life too judging by the company he keeps..not a bad midfield that 👀

 
 

Go on, make him an offer he can’t refuse 👌.

Thanks for reading - let us know if you have any Wonderkids you would like us to cover or if you are interested in profiling any specific players for our Wonderkid Watch series, you can drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info.

8 Left-Sided Centre Backs to Sign in FM23

 
 

by MaddFM.

“There are many actions to build up — to make our play quicker, better — but we can’t do them. Not because the other players are not good but because he is the only left-footed central defender”. Pep Guardiola after signing Aymeric Laporte for Manchester City.

It has long been heralded that there is something special about Left-Sided footballers - often widely recognised that they can be more difficult to defend against, provide better balance within a team, offer a unique proposition on either side of the pitch and overall are often “easier on the eye” and more aesthetically appealing when you look at their passing, technique, skill and of course their shooting range/goal-scoring ability…who doesn’t have fond memories of Laurent Robert sh*tpingers, outrageous Robert Carlos free-kicks, Arjen Robben cutting inside from the right wing, David Silva’s beautifully arced through balls, Gareth Bale’s ball-striking ability and basically anything that Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi ever did with a football?

Traditionally the appeal of left-sided players leaned towards the more attacking side of the beautiful game, however modern-day football has somewhat switched this desire towards the more defensive aspects wherein the appeal and impact of having a left-sided defender has become more and more prevalent. M more and more clubs are willing to pay top dollar to bag themselves such a commodity as part of a two-man or three-man back line - deploying a left-sided ball-playing centre-half who is confident on the ball and can make a key pass has become a powerful trait as is has become evident through the likes of David Alaba, Pau Torres, Presnel Kimpembe & Alessando Bastoni who are all integral components of their teams’ tactical setup.

As usual Football Manager is no different (even Championship Manager respected the legend that was Taribo West), and with the recent evolution of the Wide Centre Back and Ball-Playing Centre Back roles, the concept of a Left-Sided Centre Half in your back three/back four can make for a powerful weapon in your in-game arsenal. While previous LCB wonderkids such as Joško Gvardiol, Nico Schlotterback, Benoit Badiashile and Sven Botman are all somewhat out of reach when we load up FM23 due to their recent big transfer moves, there are a number of top class options in this year’s game who all have the ability and/or potential to fulfil your left-sided centre-back needs. 

1. Arthur Theate (Rennes)

Belgium has a pretty good track record when it comes to Centre-Back pedigree right? Step forward Arthur Theate - arguably the future of the Belgian back line considering the average age of their recent starting pair at the World Cup was 34 years of age and look where that got them. Still only 22, Theate has had a rapid ascension in his short career, currently in his third full season of top tier football having signed for Rennes after a highly impressive season at Bologna following his breakout season at Oostende in the Belgian Pro League. Tall, strong, fond of surging runs forward with the ball and a confident ability to make long range passes and through balls forward - he has already exceeded his Ball Progression and Pass Completion numbers from last year with still half a season to go, while also looking comfortable in either a Back 3 or Back 4 system for club and country.

In FM23 Theate has only just signed for Rennes and though relatively unattainable at the beginning of a save, he regularly ends up with a move to an elite club (Real Madrid and Dortmund in my own save) and looking at his all round physical, mental and technical attributes (look at that Determination 😍) as well as his ability to play in almost any Centre-Back role, he is definitely a signing worth considering if you are looking for an LCB at an elite-tier club that isn’t short of a bit of cash. BEAST.

 
 

2. Jorge Cuenca (Villareal)

Another 22-year-old with a similar if not better profile at the start of FM23 takes us South to La Liga, where Jorge Cuenca is starting to attract attention as he creates some long awaited competition for Villareal’s regular partnership of Raul Albiol and the aforementioned Pau Torres. Like many ex-Barcelona graduates, Cuenca saw that first-team opportunities would be limited in Catalonia and made a smart move to Villareal knowing that he could rival the ageing Albiol for a place in the Yellow Submarine back line, and though the club have struggled slightly since the international break, Cuenca has looked more than at home whenever the opportunity has presented itself, so much so that Barcelona are already linked with a return move from him next summer as they look to add more depth and competition to their back line.

In FM23 Cuenca is highly valued but with his deal ending in 2025 it may be worth keeping an eye out for him in your second or third season - his combined strength, speed, positioning and tackling are as good as you may find for a defender his age and with the right partner could form one hell of a solid defensive line for any top tier club in-game.

 
 

3. Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen)

Ecuadorians are all the rage lately and with good reason. While it was the likes of Moises Caicedo, Pervis Estupiñán and Enner Valencia who stole most of the headlines at World Cup 2022, Hincapié gave a very good account of himself for Ecuador featuring in all three group games and showing an ability to play in both a back four and back three as Ecuador switched tactics throughout the group stages. Since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Talleres in the Argentinian Primera Division he has been a first team regular, helping them finish 3rd in the Bundesliga last season and regularly featuring in the 90th percentiles for Progressive Carries, Take-Ons and Passes Received, proving his confidence on the ball and contribution to both defensive and attacking play.

In FM23 he is a ready made elite-level Centre-Half who can also play as a left-back and fit into any defensive setup. Though he may cost you if you intend to sign him early on, there is little doubt that he will hit the ground running and at 20 still has huge room to rapidly develop and progress in-game.

 
 

4. Mika Mármol (FC Andorra)

An ex-Barcelona graduate currently enjoying a breakout season with Gerard Pique’s FC Andorra - what more could you want? This has FM narrative written all over it and we are here for it. 21-year-old Mika Mármol rose through the ranks at La Macia to make his full first team debut in 2022, before moving to FC Andorra in the Spanish Segunda Division on a free transfer at the start of the season (if you think Barcelona don’t have a buy-back clause then you are sorely mistaken). Since joining FC Andorra Mármol’s defensive and possession stats have been highly impressive - 2.1 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per 90 minutes while also averaging an 87% passing accuracy and 89 passes per 90.

In FM23, 20-year-old Mármol is contracted at Andorra until 2024 and is both ready and affordable if you are in the hunt for a progressive left-sided CB; at 5’11” he is shorter than most but with decent Heading and Jumping Reach this shouldn’t be an issue - it certainly isn’t for Lisandro Martinez who we should also mention is left-footed 😉.

 
 

5. Mikey Van De Ven (Wolfsburg)

The Dutch are somewhat blessed when it comes to left-sided centre-halves and Mikey Van De Ven is next off the conveyor belt following the likes of Daley Blind, Nathan Aké and of course the aforementioned Sven Botman. Plucked from Dutch Second Tier obscurity in 2021, he has quickly become a first team regular at Wolfsburg impressively has played every minute of their league campaign so far this season and narrowly missed out on a place in the Netherlands World Cup 2022 squad after being included in their preliminary draft prior to the competition.

In FM23 we see a 21-year-old 6’4” versatile defender with 17 Pace and 16 Determination, with strong all round attributes and bags of room to develop as you see fit. Contracted until 2025, he should be both affordable and attainable and would be a force to be reckoned with in any back line…think Dan Burn meets Usain Bolt, yep I went there.

 
 

6. Anders Børset (Molde)

According to our friend Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout on Twitter), 16-year-old Anders Børset is “one of the leaders of a very interesting generation of Norwegian players born in 2006” and considering he has already made two senior appearances at the time of writing, it’s easy to see why. Quick, tenacious, confident moving forward and showing early signs of strong technical ability and positional intelligence, Børset is yet another reason for Norwegian fans to feel very hopeful for the future and if he continues on this upward trajectory it certainly won’t be long before some of the bigger clubs in Europe come calling.

In FM23 he is certainly one for the future however at just 16 we are looking at a player with 16 Determination, a Perfectionist personality type and already possessing the “Brings Ball Out of Defence” player trait. With his contract up for renewal in June 2023 - seriously, what are you waiting for.

 
 

7. Mattea Viti (OGC Nice)

An Italian Centre-Half tearing up Ligue 1, that’s the dream right? At 18 Mattea Viti quickly emerged as a first choice centre-back for Empoli in Serie A attracting national interest as one of Italy’s most promising defenders, after being linked with several moves it was OGC Nice who eventually won the race for his signature for a reported €13 million. At the time of writing he is still working on displacing the likes of Dante and Jean-Claire Todibo at Nice however with the former now 39 years of age, one has to expect that Viti is being primed as a ready-made replacement when the time comes especially looking at his high-scoring Pass Completion (90%+ for short/medium passes), Successful Take-Ons (97th percentile) and interceptions made (1.6 per 90).

In FM23 we have a 20-year-old 6’3” Ball-Playing Defender who is pricey but equally will be an asset to almost any club in the Top 5 Leagues - regularly compared to Alessandro Bastoni and with the Italian national back line very much going through a transition at present, Viti should be well within the reckoning if you can develop him accordingly (we know @FridayNightFM is already a fan so there’s your seal of approval).

 
 

8. Luke Mbete (Manchester City)

Probably should look to include an English player in this list right? Levi Colwill is probably one of the more obvious choices however we (and @FMDoop in particular) are big fans of Man City’s 18-year-old defender Luke Mbete who at the time of writing is an established England U21 international and has just joined Bolton on loan for the rest of the season. Starting his career in the Brentford academy before a decision was made to close it (Joe likes this), he joined Man City in 2016 and it’s safe to say he has been on a pretty good development path and has already shown an excellent read of the game as well as a strong passing range from deep.

In FM23 he has excellent Strength, Passing and Tackling for an 18-year-old - also don’t let that Pace/Acceleration fool you, we have seen these numbers rapidly increase in all of our saves once you progress a couple of years into a save and as we all know, a bit of Quickness training never does any harm 😉.

 
 

There we have it. Eight Left-Sided Centre-Halves of varying profiles and levels which will hopefully inspire you to refresh or rethink your defensive strategy as well as how much impact your back-line are having when it comes to transition, possession and offensive play. Deploying the right player in the right role can often give you that extra bit of edge and quality on the ball particularly in a world where getting dispossessed easily and giving the ball away can be more common than we would often like in-game. One thing is for sure - if it’s good enough for Pep, it should be good enough for us right?


Thanks for reading - feel free to share your thoughts, comments and alternative suggestions in the comments below or @5StarPod on Twitter 👌.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

5 Winter Signings We Are Excited About in FM23

 
 

by MaddFM.

“The trouble with the transfer window is it creates a window where transfers have to be done.”

Wise words indeed from Gary Neville. I guess he has a point though. Love them or hate them, Transfer Windows are the arguably the most essential and impactful periods in the football calendar given their ability to shape a club’s future and in some cases even a league outcome, and if history has taught us anything - one cannot underestimate the importance of planning ahead, spending wisely and smart recruitment. While many clubs thrive in this area, thankfully many also don’t and the power and influence of the January Transfer Window coupled with the panic and drama of Deadline Day are what makes this time of year so exhilarating and entertaining for football fans all over the world.

 
 

As usual, Football Manager is no different but that largely depends on what kind of Manager you are when it comes to making deals and adding depth and quality to your squad. Some of you may be more strategic and methodical - always looking ahead, building scouting & succession plans and utilising features such as the Squad Planner and Recruitment Focus to ensure you are making the right deals at the right prices for your club. Others (you know who you are) might be a bit less strategic, acting slightly more impulsively or adventurously when it comes to the January Transfer Window (no doubt enjoying the Deadline Day feature in-game), making deals based on player availability, spontaneous opportunities and as always the pursuit of an absolute bargain signing that will tear things up immediately and make you look like the most shrewd of Football Managers out there.

 
 

Whatever your style - it’s a glorious time of year, most importantly because the next data update will arrive with all of the latest transfers updated once all of the various transfer windows have closed (usually around March each year). To get you in the mood, here are 5 January Signings that we are most excited about ahead of the FM23 Winter Update who might just inspire you for your next big Football Manager save adventure.

1 . Oscar Gloukh (Maccabi Tel Aviv to Red Bull Salzburg)

 
 

An Israeli Wonderkid who has already played twice and scored once for his country by the age of 18. What more could we want? Since making his debut for Maccabi Tel Aviv at just 17 years old and going on to bag 7 goals and 4 assists in just 25 games for the club, Oscar Gloukh has been highly coveted by a host of clubs across Europe particularly due to his speed, his 1v1 ability and impressively his two-footedness wherein he is excellent at shifting the ball from one side to another, changing direction quickly and using his low centre of gravity to take on players and retain the ball effectively. It’s no wonder that RB Salzburg were happy to pay €7m to lock in his signature such is their belief in their ability to nurture his talent and help him flourish on a bigger stage.

In FM23, 18-year-old Gloukh is primed and ready as a #10 however can equally be deployed on either flank or in a deeper role if you don’t tend to deploy an AMC as part of your tactical style. His all round attributes are strong for his age, and with a likely bump due in the data update one can easily see him following in the footsteps of previous RB Salzburg Wonderkids to secure a big move if he can prove himself early on in Austria. Safe to say his new club are quite excited by his arrival…

 
 

2. Ilya Zabarnyi (Dinamo Kiev to Bournemouth)

 

How can a man have 22 international caps by the age of 19? Enter Ilya Zabarnyi who remarkably signed for Bournemouth on Deadline Day for a reported €22m after being heavily linked with Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa in recent months. Tall, strong, good in the air while equally confident on the ball and distributing passes from defence, it’s easy to understand why his services commanded such high interest and of course such a high transfer fee - basically a right-footed Sven Botman in this writer’s opinion and it will be interesting to see how quickly he takes to life in the Premier League and how big a part he might play in Bournemouth’s survival hopes.

In FM he is a ready made Centre Half for most Top 5 league clubs, can be deployed in any CB role and at just 19 has all of his best years ahead of him (unlikely they will all be at Bournemouth but who knows!). This is a man you can build a team upon - I smell a new save brewing already, as do his new club by the looks of things 👀.

 
 

3. Andreas Schjelderup (FC Nordsjaelland to Benfica)

“Siri - find me a quick and versatile Scandinavian Wonderkid with excellent technical and mental attributes please”. Needless to say, our search returns Andreas Schjelderup, one of the most talented players to emerge from Denmark in years so much so that Portuguese giants Benfica were happy to fork over €9 million for his signature relatively early in the window before things went wild as is usually the case in January. Since making his Nordsjaelland debut as a 17-year-old he has gone from strength to strength, already doubling his goal tally from last season scoring 10 in 17 games and it’s no wonder Benfica snapped at the chance to bring him into their already hugely impressive youth setup.

In FM23 Schjelderup is one of the top Wonderkids in-game as most of you will have seen in your own saves or across multiple content creator series; bringing him into the Benfics Senior setup usually means only one thing if the paths of Joao Felix, Darwin Nunez and now Enzo Fernandez are anything to go by - do you keep him and build a team around him, or look to sell him on for a potential world record fee? Decisions, decisions, decisions..

 
 

4. Dion Drena Beljo (Osijek to Augsburg)

If you haven’t come across Dion Drena Beljo in FM23 yet then you are doing it wrong. As attainable and affordable Strikers go, the 20-year-old Croatian is a ready made goal machine with excellent Technique, Flair, Finishing and Off the Ball skills and it’s interesting to see that his real-life ability and potential have already been recognised by a progressive club like Augsburg who can give him a platform to test himself against some of the top clubs in Europe. 8 goals in 16 games this season were enough to convince the German club to part with €3m to sign him, made better by him bagging an assist on his debut and fitting in quickly alongside fellow new Croatian David Colina. If you fancy a new save in Germany and want to avoid one of the larger clubs, a trip to Augsburg might be just what the doctor ordered.

 
 

5. Julian Duranville (Anderlecht to Dortmund)

We couldn’t not mention him right? Along with Endrick (who technically signed for Real Madrid before the January Transfer Window), Duranville is arguably one of the best Wonderkids in FM23 and with good reason; explosive from either wing, good technical ability and a direct run-at-opponent mentality, Duranville rapidly proved to be a handful for opposition defenders in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and recently bagged his first goal for the club just 6 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against Oud-Heverlee Leuvenat. Enter Borussia Dortmund. The “Wonderkid Factory” as FridayNightFM calls it and with good reason - Dortmund have an incredible track record and pedigree in nurturing and developing talent and it’s likely that Duranville will be the next big player to shine in front of the Yellow Wall in Germany.

In FM23, Duranville is the proverbial Wonderkid and has already risen to stardom in thousands of saves prior to his IRL move to Dortmund - the only way is up for the young Belgian, the question is will Dortmund rise with him and finally ascend themselves to compete with Bayern? If not, it’s likely history will continue to repeat itself with their best assets annually moving on to bigger & better things..make it stop, please.

 
 

There we have it! 5 Wonderkids who have made big moves in the recent Winter Transfer Window that we look forward to seeing in action for their new clubs in the near future - no Wonderkid is safe anymore and they are getting snapped up earlier and earlier each year, but as we all know..we knew about them first 😉.

 
 

Thanks for reading - see you for more transfer madness next Summer 👋.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

 

Wonderkid Watch - Arda Güler

 
 

by MaddFM

In 2005 I was “studying” in university. I say “studying” because the majority of that year was spent playing Football Manager 2005 chasing notable wonderkids such as Anthony Vanden Borre, Carlos Tevez, Fredy Guarin, Vagner Love and of course DC United and Football Manager’s most famous ever youth produce, that man Freddy Adu. Little did I know that in February of the same year, a new wonderkid had just entered the world in the Turkish Capital of Ankara, and that 17 years on he would already be banging it on the big stage for both club and country..that Wonderkid is of course Arda Güler, the youngest goalscorer in Turkish Super League history who is currently (but likely not for long) on the books at 19-time Turkish Champions Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü.

 

Güler signs for Fenerbahçe

 

After impressing in the academy of Gençlerbirliği in the Turkish second tier having joined at age 9, Güler signed for Fenerbahçe when he turned 14 and has rapidly progressed through the ranks at Sarı Kanaryalar (the “Yellow Canaries”), starting immediately in the U16 team before progressing to the U19 side at age 16 and making his Senior debut just a few months later in their Europa League group game against Finnish side HJK. By the time he turned 17 he had become the Turkish Super League’s youngest ever goalscorer, and he finished the season with 3 goals and 4 assists which instantly caught the eye of a number of high-profile European clubs as well as earning Güler his first international cap for Turkey in a 2-1 friendly win over Czech Republic - becoming the youngest player to do so since Nuri Sahin in 2005.

 

International debut for Turkey at age 17

 

Casually dubbed “The Turkish Messi”, one would hope that fans and media won’t put too much pressure such a young player so early in his career - that said, early comparisons to a young Mesut Özil are understandable looking at Güler’s technical ability, confidence on the ball, creative vision and his versatility being equally able to play out wide or in the middle of the park (also helps that he is left-sided). Under Jorge Jesus this season he has often found himself deployed on the right side of their attacking midfield block wherein he has a natural tendency to cut inside on his favoured left foot - his rapid pace, dribbling ability, low centre of gravity and quick feet causing all kinds of problems for opposition full backs (clearly as you will see below).

 
 

Güler plays with a confidence and arrogance that most players usually don’t show until they are in their prime mid-late twenties - effectively taunting players with his skill and tricks while also showing no fear in dropping deep to get on the ball, taking players on, shielding the ball, riding tackles and thriving in congested areas & getting out of trouble. This season he is already close to matching his goal contributions from last season, impressive considering most of his appearances have been off the bench; it’s no surprise that his explosiveness and ability to change a game instantly have attracted interest from a host of top European clubs most notably Arsenal and Benfica, the latter of whom we know have a history of producing and developing outstanding talent and more often than not selling on for exorbitant transfer fees..

 

Career stats to date (Source: BeSoccer.com)

 

In Football Manager 2023, Güler starts out as a 17-year-old attacking midfielder already showing outstanding mental and technical skills hence the early valuation of €10m-€12m. While the SI researchers have him penned as an AMC which also probably explains his slightly lower Pace and Acceleration numbers - his form for Fenerbahçe will likely see him get an attributes boost in the next data update, which has often been the case for Wonderkids gone by once their real-life ability and potential becomes more evident and somewhat overtakes their in-game profile. That said - even in the original database, his Technique, Flair, First Touch, Passing, Vision, Crossing and Finishing are already outrageous for a 17-year-old, and if we combine these with 16 Determination and a Resolute personality - Güler is primed and ready to be trained and developed for greatness in almost any attacking role depending on your needs and tactical insight (just keep an eye on that Decision-making attribute which has also been highlighted as an IRL opportunity area). Personally the idea of a left-sided Centre Midfielder on Attack duty makes for very interesting tactical masterminding but of course, each to their own..👀.

 
 

In my own save by the year 2026, Güler has just sealed a January move to Liverpool at age 20 and it’s easy to see why - if the Fenerbahçe AI Manager can develop him this far in FM, just think what you might be able to do with him if you are lucky enough to secure his services..18 months left on his contract at the start of FM23 won’t do your chances any harm 😉

 
 

Speaking of technicals…well, it’s no wonder UEFA have him listed as one of their Players to Watch in 2023 and with good reason…

 
 

Sign..Him..Up..💫


Thanks for reading - let us know if you have any Wonderkids you would like us to cover or if you are interested in profiling any specific players for our Wonderkid Watch series, you can drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

Wonderkid Watch - Maurice Krattenmacher

 
 

by MaddFM.

The year is 2005. José Mourinho has just won his first of two back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea; Liverpool are crowned Champions of Europe after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Milan following an incredible 3-goal comeback in Istanbul; Patrick Vieira is on the cover of Fifa alongside Fernando Morientes and Andriy Shevchenko, while Graeme Souness is the current manager of Newcastle United. What times we lived in.

Maurice Krattenmacher was born on the 11th of August that year, the same year in which fellow wonderkids Mathys Tel, Desiré Doué, Paul Wanner, Bobby Clark, Issac Babadi and Jobe Bellingham also entered the world meaning all are now around the 17/18 year old mark and are primed and ready to be scouted and signed in Football Manager 2023.

 

A young Krattenmacher at Unterhaching

 

Today our focus is on Krattenmacher - largely based on the fact that he is a raw gem that we unearthed in my HFC Haarlem Globetrotters save and also that he is emerging as both an FM and real-life wonderkid following his recent exploits for SpVgg Unterhaching in the Regionalliga Bayern which is one of the five Regionalliga leagues in Germany that collectively make up the fourth tier of the German football league. Let’s take a closer look…

 
 

Following a very similar path to Karim Adeyemi, Krattenmacher began his youth career on the books at Bayern Munich before moving on to neighbours Unterhaching whose last spell in the Bundesliga was all the way back in 2001. Quick, confident on the ball and showing early signs of being both an excellent dribbler and distributor of the ball as well as an instinctive finisher - he is capable of playing anywhere up front or across the Attacking Midfield strata, and has quickly shown his worth in the U17 Bundesliga, scoring 23 goals in 20 games and earning a place in Germany’s U17 squad where he scored on his first start against San Marino and has since racked up 8 caps, 2 goals and 2 assists for the national youth team.

 

Career stats to date (Source: BeSoccer.com)

 

In Football Manager 2023, Krattenmacher starts the game as a 16-year-old in the Underhaching U19 squad, and immediately we can see his ability and potential based on the attributes already given to him by the SI researchers, no doubt his impressive form for club and country last season played a big factor here. What’s really intriguing is that looking at his attributes and his role ability - he can be trained into almost any attacking role depending on your needs and where you think you can develop him to be most effective. More importantly - given the reputation and level of his club, his estimated value (€180k - €550k) and the fact that he is only contracted to Underhaching in-game until 2024, he is very much attainable for most decent sized clubs without having to worry about interest or breaking the bank for his signature.

 
 

The FM Gods are already dubbing him the “next Mesut Özil” which is never a bad sign, however early signs indicate that he will be very adept as a left-sided forward cutting in on his favoured right foot:

 
 

In my own save in the 2nd Tier of Dutch football, we had already had some success in sourcing players from the lower tiers of Germany and after dispatching one of our scouts to explore the leagues in more detail, we received one hell of an inbox item which first alerted me of 18-year-old Krattenmacher’s existence:

 
 

By 2024 he had already moved on to Aalen in the Regionalliga Südwest, racking up 20 goals and 4 assists from 34 games in his first season - it’s no surprise that Dortmund were showing an interest and having just sold Che Nunnely for €1.5m (whom we signed on a free at the start of the save), we needed to move quick before Dortmund could swoop in.

 

A wanted man..

 

A bid of €400k up front plus €400k over 3 annual installments is accepted and after some tricky negotiations which we sealed with some very generous goal and assist bonuses, Krattenmacher becomes our record signing and immediately we set about training him as an Inside Forward (Left) to compliment our lone Striker and Right Winger as part of a 4-3-3 formation, as well as adding additional Player Trait training for him to Cut Inside from the Left Wing. 

 
 

We give the lad his debut in our opening league game against Top OSS. Now I’m not one to get carried away easily, however after just 4 minutes we see him win the ball back on the left hand side, find a pass, continue his run and then this happens…

 
 

Absolute poetry as we go on to win the game 4-2 with Krattenmacher also picking up an assist and an 8.4 average rating. He goes on to score in his next game as well, and whether it’s his ability, the fact that he is probably too good for this level or the fact that we gave him that lovely goal contribution contract clause - within a few months we receive this notification in our inbox..ITS ONLY JANUARY 🔥.

 
 

By the end of the season Krattenmacher finishes with 16 goals and 13 assists from 37 league appearances, not only finishing as the Top Assist provider in the league but also helping us to finish in 2nd place and gain promotion to the Eredivisie. WHAT A PLAYER.

 
 

At the beginning of Season 3 and our first foray into top division football, Krattenmacher (now age 20) has gone from strength to strength and it’s no wonder we turned down measly €3m and €4m bids from Bayern and Milan for his services. 

 
 
 
 

Now valued between €13.5 and €15 million, he is wanted by some serious teams and we will do well to hold on to him..it’s no surprise that the lad is heavily linked with a big move in real life having already bagged 4 goals and 4 assists in 16 games for the Underhaching Senior Squad this season - and still only 17 years old! Not only did our friends over at Scouted Football already namedrop him recently based on his FM profile - rumours are that both Bundesliga giants Bayern and Dortmund are in the hunt for his signature, which means he may not be as easily attainable for long in FM23 if a move transpires before the next data update. You better move quick, this is one not to be missed ☝️.

 
 

Thanks for reading.


Share your thoughts below! Let us know if you have any Wonderkids you would like us to cover or if you are interested in profiling any specific players for our Wonderkid Watch series - you can drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

5 Clubs That Need Your Help in FM23

 
 

by MaddFM.

Myth #1: You need to manage a lower league team or manage in an obscure nation in order to have an interesting Football Manager save.

Myth #2: Managing a “big” club in a Top 5 league is too easy in Football Manager.

“The simplest solution is almost always the best one”. Occam’s razor - life doesn’t have to be too complicated, and often the best way forward is the simplest. The same can be said when it comes to choosing a Football Manager save; many of us spend hours pondering over the most random of leagues and save ideas in order to find something unique and engaging, when often the simplest thing to do is to take a quick look around the leagues for a club who are underperforming or who find themselves in a predicament of sorts - maybe they have financial difficulties, have sacked their manager, lost a key player or have even already been relegated. 

Whatever it may be - if you are struggling to find a new save that you can easily get into and become absorbed in quickly, here are 5 clubs that are currently struggling in real life and/or are in need of urgent assistance at this stage of the season and therefore offer a highly intriguing proposition for your next Football Manager save.

1. Sevilla (La Liga)

Last Season: 4th

Media Prediction: 4th

Current Position (Jan ‘23): 17th

 
 

After finishing in 4th place for the 3rd consecutive season in La Liga, Manager Julen Lopetegui must have been confident of building on Sevilla’s consistent league form particularly having added the likes of Isco, Adnan Januzaj, Alex Telles and Tanguy Nianzou to a squad already boasting World Cup winners Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuna and Papu Gomez, Moroccan World Cup heroes Bono and Youssef El-Nesryi as well as the likes of Ivan Rakitić and Jesús Corona. What he probably didn’t expect however, was the loss and immediate negative impact of the sales of both first-choice centre-backs with Jules Koundé and Diego Carlos leaving for Barcelona and Aston Villa respectively, and this upheaval saw Sevilla open their season with zero points from their first 4 games and led to Lopetegui losing his job by October with the club in 17th place in La Liga, and the board turning to former Sevilla legend Jorge Sampaoli in the hope of rescue and a turn in the club’s fortunes.

Fast forward to January and things aren’t much better. Sevilla are still 17th in La Liga following disappointing defeats against Vallecano and Sociedad as well as draws with Betis and Celta Vigo, and there are little signs of any major turnaround in performance and results which means the club are in real danger of missing out on European football for the first time since the 2012/2013 season. For a club with the most Europa League titles in history (6) this would indeed be a travesty - perfect timing for you to take the reins and see if you can become the saviour of Seville in FM23.

 
 

2. Leverkusen (Bundesliga)

Last Season: 3rd

Media Prediction: 4th

Current Position (Jan ‘23): 12th

 

An under-managed club in Football Manager in this author’s opinion. 20 years ago Leverkusen were narrowly defeated in the 2002 Champions League Final, wherein a side led by a prime Michael Ballack nearly overcame the likes of Fernando Hierro, Roberto Carlos, Claude Makelele, Zinedine Zidane, Raul and the might of the Real Madrid Galacticos only to lose 2-1 after an epic battle in Glasgow. That said, they have failed to reach anywhere close to those heights again since, peaking in a 2nd place Bundesliga finish in 2011 and since gradually declining and allowing the likes of Dortmund and RBL to overtake cement themselves as the best of the rest in Germany behind Bayern Munich. 

Fast forward to the present day and Xabi Alonso has recently taken the reins following the removal of Gerard Sleone and while things have slightly improved and stabilised, they remain in 12th place at the time of writing, 10 points outside the Top 4 and after some embarassing results earlier in the season (losing 3-0 to Hoffenheim, 4-0 to Bayern, 5-1 to Frankfurt and of course that ignominious 3-0 collapse at Porto in the Champions League to throw away a 2 goal lead from the first leg) - things definitely aren’t going according to plan for what is an incredibly talented side boasting the likes of Moussa Diaby, Patrik Schick, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong as well as new signings Adam Hložek and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The question is do we trust Xabi Alonso to get them ticking or is an FM23 intervention needed - sometimes if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.

 
 

3. Nice (Ligue 1)

Last Season: 5th

Media Prediction: 6th

Current Position (Jan ‘23): 11th

There are no excuses; this team should be doing far better than they have been in recent years considering the money spent and individual talent on show in the South of France. Having reached a peak of 3rd position in 2017, they have been highly inconsistent in terms of league form since and slumped as far as 9th in 2021 - made even worse by the fact that they have spent upwards of €250m on transfers in the same period.

At the time of writing Nice sit in 11th place in the league, a massive 21 points behind PSG and in real danger of missing out on a European place with the likes of Lens, Lorient and Clermont Foot all out performing them on far inferior budgets. Having focused on signing younger players previously (e.g. Amine Gouiri, Kasper Dolberg, Calvin Stengs etc) it feels like they have attempted to balance this with the additions of Kasper Schmeichel, Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley, however despite returning to former Manager and fan-favourite Lucien Favre, progress has been slow and at some point we may need to say enough is enough - the likes of Todibo, Thuram and Delort deserve better and surely won’t hang around for long.

 
 

4. Everton (Premier League)

Last Season: 16th

Media Prediction: 16th

Current Position (Jan ‘23): 18th

Debatable whether it’s Chelsea or Everton that are in more need of rescue at the time of writing, however the situation has become so perilous at Goodison Park that they are again in real danger of relegation - made all the more hazardous by the fact that they have never been relegated in Premier League history and are one of only 6 teams that have been ever-present in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The good times of consistent 4th/5th place finishes under David Moyes are almost a forgotten memory despite only being 10 years ago, such has been Everton’s persistent downfall over the past decade.

A media prediction of 16th is far too low for a club like Everton let alone their current 18th place standing. The general consensus is that Everton have spent big but invested incredibly poorly since being taken over by Farhad Moshiri in 2016 and the result is a squad that is clearly struggling to compete in the Premier League under Frank Lampard - with the latter being the current favourite to be the next manager sacked, now is the time to see if you can get a tune out of the likes of Dwight McNeil, Anthony Gordon, Domenic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi. Survive one season and perhaps you can invest far more smartly than the club have proven thus far.

 
 

5. Fiorentina (Serie A)

Last Season: 7th

Media Prediction: 8th

Current Position (Jan ‘23): 9th

Fun fact #1: The highest Fiorentina have finished in Serie A in the last 40 years is 3rd.

Fun fact #2: They haven’t finished above 4th for more than 20 years, in 1999 courtesy of 26 league goals from one Gabriel Batistuta.

Fun fact #3: The last time Fiorentina won a Scudetto title was before man walked on the moon (2 months beforehand to be precise).

If we ever needed an excuse to visit Florence, this is it. While you could argue they aren’t in that much peril sitting 9th in Serie A at the time of writing - a club of this size and stature deserves far more than being 20 points off the top and looking more and more unlikely to qualify for European football this season. The big danger here is that Fiorentina continue to remain static while clubs around them (Lazio, Atalanta, Udinese etc) continue to improve year-on-year - however with a squad that can boast the likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Jonathan Ikoné and Nicolás González as well as FM favourites Nikola Milenkovic and Gaetano Castrovilli, there is no reason why they can’t compete for European football and build from there - aiming to compete with the top teams in Italy rather than having to sell on their best players as has been the case previously with the likes of Vlahovic, Chiesa and Cuadrado. This save is ready.

 
 

There you have it - 5 clubs who have been struggling and/or are in desperate need of a saviour. If you have reached that point in FM23 where you are in need of a new club or are struggling to commit permanently to a new save then hopefully this has given you some inspiration or appetite to get back on the proverbial FM horse. As the saying goes - “Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right”; let us know if this has whetted your appetite either on Twitter or in the comments below, we may even discuss some of these on the pod in the coming weeks 👌.

Thanks for reading.


Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

 

10 Players to Retrain in FM23

 
 

by MaddFM.

A while back I wrote an article for Football Manager’s The Byline which focuses on Retraining Player Positions in FM and how best to go about introducing players to a new position or role and implementing as quickly and as smoothly as possible. 

The premise is that players don’t always have to be “Natural” or “Accomplished” when it comes to positions and players roles in FM, meaning that if a player possesses the right attributes and characteristics then they can be retrained to play a certain role and deployed there very effectively, giving you additional depth and flexibility across various roles in your tactical setup as well as allowing you to be a bit more nimble and shrewd when it comes to filling gaps in your squad (as retraining an existing player can often prevent you from having to spend funds on a new one for that role).

Back in the days of Championship Manager it was common to see players with slightly more unusual versatility and ability to play in multiple dissimilar roles - namely players with the ability to play at Centre-Back or Centre-Forward as was often the case when “big meaty men” were often the player of choice and these profiles had often grown up playing in both roles due to their size and strength on the field.

 
 

CM Heritage

Since then we have seen a gradual shift towards retraining players once they reach the latter stages of their careers wherein they may no longer be as effective in more attacking roles that require pace and stamina etc, but can still contribute heavily further back the pitch using their ability, experience and read of the game to successfully transform into a new role - examples of this have included the likes of Ashley Young, Febian Delph, Antonio Valencia, James Milner, Victor Moses all of whom spent much of their careers in more advanced roles before being deployed as full-backs or wing-backs accordingly.

In contrast to this - there are of course occasions where a player has simply been deployed in the wrong position all along and a position change is needed to actually unlock their ability and potential as was clearly evident with the likes of Philipp Lahm, Gareth Barry, Joshua Kimmich and Gareth Bale who all went on to play their best football following a role change.The same can be said even now in modern day football where the likes of Joelinton and more recently Alex Iwobi, both of whom initially started out as Forwards/Wide Players and have since been coached and retrained into highly effective Box-to-Box Midfielders for Newcastle and Everton respectively.

So what does all of this mean? As “Football Managers”, it’s essential to be able to diagnose and understand what and where a player’s best role may be, and that this is not necessarily always the more obvious or most evident role as recommended in-game. If you find you have a player who appears to be largely ineffective in a role or you have a specific gap to fill within your squad and tactical setup, it can be highly beneficial and rewarding to look in-house at these players to assess if there is potential to retrain them in order to both maximise their impact and contribution to your squad, as well as providing some much needed cover or competition for a particular role or position.

Based on this, here are 10 players that could be successfully retrained into a completely new role in Football Manager based on their in-game attributes and characteristics - not to say that these players are not effective in their natural or normal roles currently, but rather they may be better suited in another role based on these attributes and/or can offer a somewhat unexpected solution or outcome upon being retrained in said role thereafter. All I’ll say is..please keep an open mind, won’t you? 😏.

1. Kevin Volland (Monaco)

 

Current Role (Pressing Forward): While Volland possesses the Determination, Stamina, Fitness and Work Rate to be an effective Pressing Forward, it’s unlikely you will see much from him in terms of goal return. Relatively low in terms of Finishing, Composure, First Touch, Technique and Decisions, it’s hard to see any real form of goalscoring instinct which is somewhat replicated in his goal scoring record for club and country and one feels that deploying him in a forward position is slightly wasteful when might be better suited using a player with better predatory instincts and natural goal scoring ability.

Proposed Role (Box-to-Box Midfielder): The attributes we mentioned above as his strengths while not much help in terms of goal contributions are most certainly assets to a BBM role, wherein you need that player who never seems to stop running, pushing forward on attack and harassing opposition players in possession while also working back when under pressure and closing down/protecting his back line accordingly. Volland has all the Physical and Mental attributes to perform this role (did we mention Aggression 18?) and when you add that he has 14 Passing, 14 Vision and 14 Dribbling, there’s little doubt that he can slot into a midfield duo or diamond and more than hold his own both defensively and in attack. 

2. Pablo Fornals (West Ham)

Current Role (Attacking Midfielder Left/Centre): At 26 Fornals has plenty of football left him, however in terms of Physical and Technical attributes (in FM terms at least) it’s fair to stay that he lacks any real star quality to make a big impact in the Attacking Midfield strata, particularly if you are looking for game-changing moments and that extra layer of dominance in the match engine either on or off the ball where he is unlikely to beat players for pace and may be easily dispossessed in a crowded midfield.

Proposed Role (Inverted Wing-Back Right): Picture it - a player with all-round good Technique, First Touch, Vision, Passing and Flair cutting inside from a wide full-back or wing-back position while also having the necessary defensive attributes (Anticipation, Tackling, Positioning, Stamina and Work Rate) to operate in a defensive role - giving you options on the attack where he will support and contribute towards ball progression and creativity, while also covering for the player ahead of him and defending whenever needed. I like this one a lot.

3. Aymeric Laporte (Man City)

Current Role (Ball Playing Defender): There’s little to criticise of Aymeric Laporte as a Ball Playing Defender, as he clearly does possess the defensive, mental and technical attributes needed to operate successfully in this role (and has proven so quite effectively in real life). However in a world where Man City are blessed at Centre-Back (Dias and Stones are powerful in FM23 to say the least) and where City could occasionally find themselves short in the creativity department at Centre Midfield (with Gundogan ageing slowly, Rodri/Phillips on the more defensive side of the spectrum) and if you are reluctant to pull back one of KDB or Bernardo Silva, then Laporte might just be a viable option.

Proposed Role (Deep Lying Playmaker): The mind goes straight to Deep Lying Playmaker with a Defend mentality here. Operating in the space between defence and midfield, holding position, breaking down play when needed and then initiating/unlocking attacking moves or counter attacks through creative pinpoint passes - Laporte can do all of this, full stop.

4. Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)

Current Role (Attacking Midfielder Left / Striker Centre): Having scored over double figures in each of his last five league seasons, Oyarzabal has proven himself to be a crucial element of Real Sociedad’s recent ascent in La Liga and has frequently featured for Spain either as a Striker or Attacking Midfielder in recent years - such is his stature in Spain over the past few seasons that he is arguably one of the most all-round attacking players in Football Manager this year with every single one of his attributes above 12 which is mostly unheard of in FM databases. That said - his main high scoring attributes mostly fall under his Mental ability, and a slight lack of speed means that at 25 (and unlikely to get any quicker) he may also find himself being outpaced by speedy full-backs or wing-backs similar to Pablo Fornals above. 

Proposed Role (Inverted Wing Back Left): Though capable of playing in all forward roles in FM, surprisingly the boy can also contribute defensively with good Decisions, Anticipation, Positioning, Tackling and Work Rate - meaning that in a system which seeks to capitalise on talented wing-backs and relies on them for ball-progression and chance creation, Oyarzabal would add a ridiculous amount of quality that very few wing-backs in-game possess - did someone say break the match engine?

5. Tomáš Souček (West Ham)

Current Role (BWM/B2B Midfielder): Equally effective either as a Ball Winning or Box-to-Box Midfielder, Souček has all the attributes to be an absolute battering ram of a centre midfielder in Football Manager with outstanding figures across the majority of his Physical, Mental and Technical attributes. He has become a pivotal force of West Ham’s midfield alongside Declan Rice, enjoys a scrap and is one of those players who will nearly guarantee you 90 minutes at top gear in every game he plays..but can he do more?

Proposed Role (Pressing Forward): Let’s not forget that Souček scored 10 goals in his first full season at West Ham, and though he is primarily a more defensive player in-game his attributes suggest there may be more to his game than being a beast in the middle of the park. His exceptionally high Stamina, Work Rate and Natural Fitness, his Marking and Tackling combined with his Finishing, Off the Ball and Composure mean that he would work very well as a Pressing Forward - closing down opposition defenders and loose balls and more than capable of shooting and finishing in and around the box when the opportunity itself. Still only 27, a few months of training in the role could well have a big impact in a West Ham side that can always do with an extra layer of attacking threat when it comes to goal contributions. Get it done.

6. Marcos Alonso (Barcelona)

Current Role (Left-Wing Back): Alonso gets a lot of flack as a Left-Wing Back and some sub-par performances for Chelsea last season have definitely put his ability and status in the team under the microscope by fans and journalists alike. Though he managed to secure a move to Barcelona, the reality is that while he is commonly hailed for his attacking contribution, defensively he is seen as a liability (somewhat akin to TAA at Liverpool) and although he has decent defensive attributes in FM23, it might be time to accept that Alonso simply isn’t a good enough defender for elite level and therefore a new role is needed for his skillset.

Proposed Role (Attacking Midfielder Centre): What do David Silva, Mesut Özil and Juan Mata all have in common? All were of course elite Number 10’s during their prime and all have picked up honours at the highest level of football. More specifically though - all were left footed #10’s giving them a slightly more unique proposition as AMCs, and looking at Marcos Alonso one could argue that he can more than do a job in this role based on his all round attributes - physically, mentally and technically strong which means he shouldn’t be hugely difficult to retrain. We wouldn’t expect him to be a #10 for Barcelona, but with his contract up at the end of the first season in FM23, he could prove to be a shrewd and versatile signing for the right club at the right level.

7. Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)

Current Role (Attacking Midfielder/Forward Right): At 30 years old Ayew is not as quick as he used to be however still offers a decent attacking threat with good Off the Ball, Dribbling and First Touch as well as good Stamina, Work Rate and Determination. In-game however he arguably lacks the required Vision, Technique, Flair and Finishing needed for a highly impactful Wide Player or Forward, however that’s not to say he couldn’t do a job elsewhere…

Proposed Role (Right Wing-Back): Interestingly Ayew has 14 Tackling, 13 Anticipation and 14 Acceleration which are all required attributes for a good wing-back - combine this with relatively good Positioning & Marking and the aforementioned Attacking and Physical/Mental attributes and we could be looking at a very effective wing-back in this match engine, wherein you would expect him to bomb up and down the right-flank offering a tricky attacking threat for opposition full-backs while also having the required Work Rate and Stamina to track back and defend when needed. While he probably won’t displace Tariq Lamptey at RWB for Ghana, he definitely presents an interesting option for a mid-level club favouring attacking wing-backs as part of your tactical style.

8. Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool)

Current Role (Left-Wing Back): Widely regarded as the “best backup left-back in the Premier League”, it’s unfortunate that Tsimikas has to compete with one of the best in the world for his position in Andy Robertson and as such he finds first-team opportunities limited at Liverpool. That doesn’t take away from how highly rated he is by the FM researchers, with a very strong set of all round attributes and at 26 years old, still very much with his best football ahead of him..does it have to be at Left-Back though?

Proposed Role (Mezzala): Tsimikas has excellent technical attributes in-game and these need to be more utilised; I toyed with the idea of him as a Segundo Volante or Deep-Lying Playmaker, however when you look at the description of a Mezzala in Football Manager “a central player that likes to drift wide and operate in the half spaces…essentially a central/half-winger who likes to do his defending slightly further up the field” - I can’t move away from the idea of Tsimikas in this role; his physical and defensive attributes give him what most players might lack in this role, while his ability as a midfield technician (Passing 15, Technique 15, Dribbling 15, First Touch 15) mean he can link play and fashion chances for those around him particularly if he finds space which is key for a Mezzala. The lad can cross too, meaning he will be highly effective either centrally or when he finds himself out wide - I am here for this one.

9. Robin Gosens (Inter)

Current Role (Left-Wing Back): There’s not much to say here - Gosens is an exceptional player and was a critical part of Atalanta’s recent resurgence in Serie A wherein he and Joakim Mæhle were given express runway to attack at will from wing-back positions and primarily focus on attacking rather than defensive duties. Such was his impact that he has become a mainstay in the German national side (only getting his first cap in 2020 at the age of 25), and he has since earned himself a move to Inter who clearly also favour attacking wing-backs with Gosens and Denzel Dumfries both as attack-minded as you’ll find in a wing-back. I have other ideas for Gosens though..

Proposed Role (Advanced Forward):  If I was to say 16 Pace, 17 Off the Ball, 15 Finishing and 14 Composure you would assume I’m talking about a Striker right? The man is a Left-Back! A bit of retraining and I have to think that FM defenders wouldn’t know what to do with Gosens, wherein you’d expect him to make runs off the ball, hassle defenders, look for balls to feet and ultimately end up finishing frequently on his favoured left foot - at 6’0” tall there are Robin Van Persie vibes all over this one.. 🔥.

10. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Current Role (Striker): Though not usually known for his goal scoring ability, Firmino is one of the most effective and hard-to-mark strikers in European football and one would argue that the uniqueness of his role and style while highly valued at Liverpool is one of the main reasons he was omitted from Brazil’s recent World Cup squad. Overall he is physically, mentally and technically exceptional in-game but his low Finishing (11) is definitely problematic in-game..

Proposed Role (Wide Centre-Back): Ok ok, hear me out. I know this sounds crazy but let’s take a closer look..in FM the Wide Centre-Back is “encouraged to stay wide in possession and support the midfield”, and when set to Attack duty “is willing to make regular overlapping and underlapping runs to create 2 vs 1 situations, and also has a higher tendency to dribble with the ball”. Firmino has outstanding Fitness, Stamina and Work Rate to make these runs; his ridiculous Technique, First Touch and Composure (18, 17 and 17 respectively) make him comfortable on the ball while defensively his Anticipation (15), Balance (17), Marking (13), Positioning (13) and Tackling (12) make him well able to handle both the defensive and offensive responsibilities of the Wide Centre-Back role. He is decent in the air at 5’11” and should he be retrained effectively alongside the right defensive partner(s), I reckon we have a very interesting proposition on our hands that again could either make or break the match engine 🙃.

There we have it. 10 players who could (arguably) be retrained into a completely new role in Football Manager - some slightly more wild than others, but overall the idea of retraining players in-game is a sound concept and in this writer’s opinion an underrated/underutilised function in FM. Have you tried it yourself? Tell us your experiences either on Twitter or in the comments below - how crazy is the idea of Firmino at Centre-Half? 😄. 

Thanks for reading.

Interested in becoming a Guest Writer on 5StarPotential.com? Drop us a DM on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM for more info 👌.

 

6 Players Who Deserve a Big Move After WC22

 

by MaddFM.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. While we shouldn’t shy away from the humanitarian and ethical issues surrounding FIFA’s decision to host this year’s World Cup in Qatar (here’s hoping some valuable lessons have been learned), one can’t take away from some of the outstanding individual and team efforts on display in this year’s tournament, particularly looking at performances across the younger generation of players in action. Coming into the World Cup, all eyes were on the likes of Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala, Pedri/Gavi, Vinicius Jr and of course that man Kylian Mbappé and rightly so as almost all of them delivered elite performances at various stages of this year’s tournament. The same can be said for likes of Joško Gvardiol, Enzo Fernandez, Mohammed Kudus, Gonçalo Ramos, Julian Alvarez, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Bukayo Saka all of whom are of course already well-known outstanding players for their respective clubs and domestic leagues and as such and are no strangers to most of us in the Football Manager community.

That said, a good World Cup usually brings about a few surprises in terms of players who shine for their nations in tournament football to absolutely rise to the occasion somewhat unexpectedly, and this year was no different as we saw a number outstanding individual efforts from some more unexpected names who as a result have done more than enough to earn a big move off the back of their World Cup exploits.

Here are 6 Players who deserve a big-money move following their performances in World Cup 2022.

1. Jakub Kiwior (Spezia/Poland)

Age: 22 

Position: Defender (Left/Centre)

Value: €9.2m to €14m

Contract Expiry: 30/06/2025

Already linked with moves to the likes of Roma, Milan, Juventus and Tottenham, 22-year-old Jakub Kiwior was a shining light in a somewhat disappointing Poland side who despite reaching the Last 16 will look back in regret at some of their performances in this year’s tournament. Ranking among the top defenders for Tackles and Clearances made, Kiwior is a hot commodity as left-sided centre-halves tend to be, and in FM23 we can see the makings of a strong reliable defender for most mid-tier clubs, likely raising to top-tier should he get an attributes boost in the next data update following his performances in Qatar. In his last three transfer moves his value went from €10k to €250k to €2.2m - expect to pay double figures at a minimum if you wish to avail of his services 👌.

2. Stephen Eustáquio (Porto/Canada)

Age: 25

Position: Midfielder (Centre)

Value: €21m - €30m

Contract Expiry: 30/06/2027

While you could argue Eustáquio already had a big move when he joined FC Porto from Paços de Ferreira 18 months back, the €3.5m transfer fee looks like excellent value for money if his performances for Canada are anything to go by (not to mention his in-game value). While they somehow managed to pick up zero points despite some excellent performances in the group stages, Eustáquio was a shining light alongside Alphonso Davies and he continually offered a creative outlet for Canada - confident on the ball, linking up play, recycling possession and leading the central midfield strata for the Canadians. In FM23 he looks to be a quality playmaker with solid all round physical, mental and technical attributes - definitely potential for a move to a bigger side where he could more than do a job for many of the elite clubs in Europe. 

3. Azzedine Ounahi (Angers/Morocco)

Age: 22

Position: Midfielder (Centre)

Value: €8m to €12m

Contract Expiry: 30/06/2026

With the exception of Enzo Fernandez, you could argue that 22-year-old Azzedine Ounahi was the best young player of the 2022 World Cup as well as being one of the driving forces behind Morocco’s incredible journey to the Semi-Finals. Featuring in all 7 games, averaging 41 passes per 90 minutes with an both an 83% passing accuracy and successful dribbling rate - this is a player with a huge future ahead of him especially when you consider that 4 of those 7 games came against Belgium, Spain, Portugal and France. The fact that he is at Angers (a club very close to my heart since FM21) is an added bonus having joined them in 2021 and with a value between €8m and €12m at the start of FM23 (and surely due an upgrade in the next update) - he looks a tasty versatile midfield option who will surely be at a bigger club by the time FM24 comes around.

4. Dominik Livaković (Dinamo/Croatia)

Age: 27

Position: Goalkeeper

Value: €13m to €19.5m

Contract Expiry: 15/06/2024

How is this man still playing his football in Croatia - no disrespect to the Croatian league of course, but while many football observers witnessed Livakovic’s ability for the first time in World Cup 2022, we’ve known about him for some time now in the Football Manager community and he has been a go-to keeper for the past few versions of FM based on his availability and star quality. The Croatian #1 made 4 penalty shoot-out saves in this year’s tournament and became the first keeper to make 11 saves in a World Cup game since another FM favourite Tim Howard in 2014 - his quality is equally evident in FM23 with excellent attributes and with his contract up in 2024, he is very much attainable with a valuation between €13m and €19.5m and arguably his best football ahead of him as a keeper at 27 years old.

5. Cody Gakpo (PSV/Netherlands)

Age: 23

Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward (Left/Centre)

Value: €53m to €63m

Contract Expiry: 30/06/2026

What a World Cup this young man has had. After bagging a goal a game in the group stages and helping Netherlands reach the quarter-finals only to lose out on penalties to eventual Champions Argentina, Gakpo rose to instant stardom however many of us will already be well aware of his qualities not only based on his current league form where has racked up 9 goals and 12 assists in 14 games for PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie, but also based on his undoubted quality and potential over the last few editions of Football Manager. Already heavily linked with a move to Man Utd, at 6’2” he can be deployed in almost any wider or central role, with bags of room to be developed and improved right from the get go - the only stumbling point might be his in-game value, but if you have the funds - get it done.

6. Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina/Morocco)

Age: 25

Position: Midfielder (Centre)

Value: €10.5m to €13m

Contract Expiry: 30/06/2024

Another Moroccan but it had to be. Now in his third season at Fiorentina, Amrabat has gone from strength to strength year-on-year and was arguably the key ingredient in Morocco’s incredible run to the Semi-Final, so much so that he comfortably earned a place in the World Cup Best XI. Showing his class both defensively and offensively throughout the tournament, he ranked among the top 5 players for tackle completion and tackles attempted with the highest successful tackling percentage in the defensive third for the whole tournament (see his epic challenge on Kylian Mbappé for more info). In FM23 he is very much an all rounder in terms of his attributes and ability and could slot into almost any midfield role needed which is of huge value when playing a 3-man midfield. With his contract also up at the end of 2024 (and heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in real-life) - €10.5m to €13m looks a steal for his services..he may not be as attainable by the time the next FM data update comes our way 👀.

There you have it - 5 players who were outstanding in this year’s World Cup and who have very much earned a big transfer move following their exploits for their respective home nations. Of course the likes of Fernandez, Kudus, Ramos, MacAllister and Gvardiol are all stealing the headlines in terms of transfer rumours however the 6 above should be far more attainable at the start of FM23 based on their current club and contract. Who doesn’t love a bit of post-World Cup transfer chaos right? Let us know how you get on either on Twitter or in the comments below!

Thanks for reading.

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