FIFA 22's Most Potential Centre-Backs: Career Mode Wonderkids

FIFA 22's Most Potential Centre-Backs! Career Mode Wonderkids

With the January transfer window closed and Europe's competitions winding down, we're bringing back the best FIFA 22 Career Mode centre-back potential talents.

Whether you're into catenaccio or gegenpressing, the key to success in FIFA 22 is having an athletic defense.

These rock-solid players at the heart of the defense are strong centre-backs who can break up play and launch counter-attacks with ease.

It's often said that across Europe's top five leagues, and world football in general, quality defenders are scarce right now, particularly with the game in such an attack-focused phase.

That said, we're covering the best defenders in FIFA 22, including centre-backs, left-backs and right-backs, who give no room to attackers sneaking in behind your defense — the kind of players Jose Mourinho would be proud to see — and looking at the most promising centre-backs of the future.

First, we'll list the highest-rated defenders in FIFA 22. While these superstars will only fit the biggest budgets, with names like Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane making big moves this summer, you can't really call either transfer a full success.

Next, we'll cover players who aren't quite ready for the starting eleven yet but have very high potential throughout FIFA 22 Career Mode and are on track to become the highest-potential centre-back.

Finally, we'll go over centre-backs of every price and style who are both talented and can patch up your weaknesses, ready to sign for your team right from the first season of FIFA 22 Career Mode.

You can also check out our FC 25 potential centre-backs list here.

Who Are FIFA 22's Most Potential Centre-Backs? Career Mode

The most potential FIFA 22 centre-backs we've found since the game's launch

Josko Gvardiol - CB - RB Leipzig - £28 million Value - 19: We initially mentioned Josko Gvardiol because we didn't expect him to develop this much, but as the player improved day by day, he became the most potential centre-back in FIFA 22. With stats ranging from 75-85 across everything you'd need from the moment you sign him, plus growth potential, Gvardiol is simply the best defender you can sign in FIFA 22 Career Mode if you're playing multiple seasons!

David Hancko - CB - Sparta Prague - £22 million Value - 23: Another one you'll need to wait for the second transfer season for, but David Hancko is a very sound pick who fits naturally with Premier League clubs and looks more than realistic. The Slovak is fast, strong and a thoroughly classy centre-back with great starting potential!

Goncalo Inacio - CB - Sporting CP - £21 million Value - 19: Portuguese defenders are having a tough time, but one of the best talents to emerge is Sporting's Goncalo Inacio, with 87 potential. With a generally high starting point, good pace and strong defensive stats, he's a great pick for many top clubs looking to refresh an aging back line.

Alex Centelles - LB - Almeria - £12 million Value - 21: With generally good stats and a great 85 stamina rating, Alex Centelles also has an 85 starting potential and is quickly becoming a first-team-quality left-back. A high-potential left-back and centre-back that any team can comfortably pick up!

Morato - CB - Benfica - £5.5 million Value - 20: A lower-rated alternative to Inacio but still with very high potential is his fierce rival from Benfica, Morato. Cheaper but slower, with 87 starting power to dominate the defense. He'll likely keep rising throughout FIFA, so he could end up far pricier than he started this year.

Hugo Siquet - RB - Liege - £3.5 million Value - 18: He joined Freiburg in the winter transfer window, but if you're continuing from an earlier save, I'd say grab him in FIFA before that happens there too. A ridiculous 80 crossing rating and reliable stats everywhere else at just 18 is enough to show why he's a hot pick!

Armel Bella Kotchap - CB - Bochum - £4.2 million Value - 19: Given his overall rating and age, he has great pace, strength and tenacity. A genuinely good potential signing who should quickly become the cornerstone of your defense.

Micky van de Ven - CB - Wolfsburg - £3 million Value - 20: A cheaper but solid option for later seasons with lower-league clubs, Micky van de Ven has good sprint speed and strength in the mid-80s, plus starting potential.

Noah Mbamba - CB - Club Brugge - £2 million Value - 16: Not available in the first transfer season, but one to keep an eye on in Road to Glory. Starting off generally with a few good stats in the 60s, Noah Mbamba has an 88 starting potential despite his cheap price, giving him the biggest potential gap of any young defender in the game.

The Highest-Rated Defenders in FIFA 22

The players listed below would raise the quality of any back line on the planet. Some may be past their peak, but their talent is beyond question.

Player Name	Age	Club	OVR	POT
Virgil van Dijk	29	Liverpool	89	89
Sergio Ramos	35	PSG	88	88
Ruben Dias	24	Man City	87	91
Trent Alexander-Arnold	22	Liverpool	87	92
Andrew Robertson	27	Liverpool	87	88
Marquinhos	27	PSG	87	90
Milan Skriniar	26	Inter	86	88
Aymeric Laporte	27	Man City	86	89
Joao Cancelo	27	Man City	86	87
Raphael Varane	28	Man Utd	86	88
Kalidou Koulibaly	30	Napoli	86	86
Jordi Alba	32	Barcelona	86	86
Mats Hummels	32	Dortmund	86	86
Giorgio Chiellini	36	Juventus	86	86
Matthijs de Ligt	21	Juventus	85	90
Achraf Hakimi	22	PSG	85	88
Dani Carvajal	29	Real Madrid	85	85
Stefan de Vrij	29	Inter	85	85
Kyle Walker	31	Man City	85	85
Leonardo Bonucci	34	Juventus	85	85
Thiago Silva	36	Chelsea	85	85
Theo Hernandez	23	Milan	84	90
Marcos Acuna	29	Sevilla	84	84
Jose Maria Gimenez	26	Atletico Madrid	84	88
Ricardo Pereira	27	Leicester	84	84

FIFA 22's Most Potential Centre-Backs

With some of the most established defenders at their peak or on the decline, the next generation of players is coming in like a storm — get ready!

Player Name	Age	Club	OVR	POT
Trent Alexander-Arnold	22	Liverpool	87	92
Ruben Dias	24	Man City	87	91
Matthijs de Ligt	21	Juventus	85	90
Theo Hernandez	23	Milan	84	90
Dayot Upamecano	22	Bayern	82	90
Marquinhos	27	PSG	87	90
Jules Kounde	22	Sevilla	83	89
Pau Torres	24	Villarreal	82	89
Eder Militao	23	Real Madrid	82	89
Alessandro Bastoni	22	Inter	80	89
Alphonso Davies	20	Bayern	82	89
Nuno Mendes	19	PSG	78	88
Edmond Tapsoba	22	Leverkusen	81	88
Achraf Hakimi	22	PSG	85	88
Milan Skriniar	26	Inter	86	88
Joe Gomez	24	Liverpool	82	88
Jose Maria Gimenez	26	Atletico Madrid	84	88
Josko Gvardiol	19	RB Leipzig	75	87
Marc Cucurella	22	Brighton	81	87
Cristian Romero	23	Spurs	82	87
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	23	Man Utd	83	87
Niklas Sule	25	Bayern	82	87
Goncalo Inacio	19	Sporting	76	86
Ronald Araujo	22	Barcelona	77	86
Jurrien Timber	20	Ajax	75	86

The Best FIFA 22 Centre-Backs to Sign in the First Season of Career Mode

Lucas Veríssimo - Benfica - £23 million Value - 26: At 26 and threatening to be the next big defender to leave Liga NOS, Lucas Verissimo is an option you might have overlooked, with great physical stats including 80+ Pace. What's more, his key defensive stats are also around 80, so with potential to reach 84, a defense-focused training program could quickly turn him into an absolute monster.

Lucas Klostermann - RB Leipzig - £26.5 million Value - 25: Despite the high-profile departures of Upamecano and Konate, Leipzig still have plenty of talented centre-backs coming through for the starting eleven. Lucas Klostermann can play centre-back or on the right of a back three or five, with great pace and defensive stats plus enough stamina to play 90 minutes midweek and at the weekend. He also has better-than-average short passing when you need to play him as an anchor, and with +4 potential growth he can develop even further.

Maxence Lacroix - Wolfsburg - £33 million Value - 21: Already a candidate to become a nightmare for FUT players worldwide for clubs with the budget to afford him, Maxence Lacroix looks like an incredibly powerful centre-back. With 93 sprint speed, 83 strength and a towering height, only the fastest or tallest strikers can get near the ball against Lacroix. His raw tackling stats aren't the best, but that's easily fixed with a good defensive training program and +7 potential growth.

Jeremiah St. Juste - Mainz - £9.5 million Value - 24: Without Lacroix's price tag, Jeremiah St. Juste is incredibly fast, with enough strength, defending and height to back it up. With an overall of 76 or lower and a release clause, St. Juste is more accessible for clubs with more modest budgets. He still has +4 potential growth to improve his tackling and strength through training.

Becir Omeragic - Zurich - £2.5 million Value - 19: If you're working with a smaller budget or want a younger backup for an already-established pairing, Becir Omeragic has good physicals and decent defensive stats for his 67 overall. Keep an eye on training to unlock his 83 potential at a cheap price.

Leonidas Stergiou - FC St. Gallen - £2.5 million Value - 19: Another cheap option with room to grow is Leonidas Stergiou from the Swiss league. His stats aren't the best to start with, but with an 86 starting potential he's a candidate to grow quickly!