FM 27 Best Scouts: Pecini, Braund and Marta

The FM 27 best scouts shortlist is led for pure judgement by Riccardo Pecini (20/20), with Peter Braund as a balanced option and Roberto Marta or José Mayorga when you need multi-market work. The table uses Launch Preview attributes.

Launch Preview data, 29 October 2026. Names, ages, clubs, Judging Player Ability (JPA), Judging Player Potential (JPP), Adaptability and current weekly wages come from the FM Blog FM27 scouts shortlist. Wages are current contracts. Unemployed/no club does not prove free agency. Full release: 10 November 2026.

FM 27 best scouts: top 20

Ordering follows the FM Blog shortlist. JPA/JPP cover player reading; Adaptability covers assignments in new environments. Nationality flags are not a knowledge map — check scouting knowledge in-game.

#	Staff	Age	Club	Judging Ability	Judging Potential	Adaptability	Wage p/w
1	Riccardo Pecini	48	Unemployed	20	20	11	Unknown
2	Hans-Martin Kleitsch	74	Hoffenheim	19	20	2	£1.3k
3	Peter Braund	59	Ipswich Town	19	19	16	£1.2k
4	Juarez Fischer	65	Palmeiras	19	19	13	£3.7k
5	Barry Hunter	57	Liverpool (chief)	19	19	12	£10k
6	Roberto Marta	55	Atalanta	18.8	18.8	19	£5.2k
7	Laurent Busser	56	Dortmund (chief)	18.8	18.8	10	£12.4k
8	Giuseppe Giavardi	73	Inter	18.8	18.8	7	£3.3k
9	Daniele Bernazzani	63	Inter	18.4	19.4	11	£3.2k
10	José Mayorga	49	Ipswich Town	19.2	18.2	20	£3.3k
11	Simon Wells	49	Unemployed	18.2	19.2	18	Unknown
12	João Amaral	39	Barcelona (chief)	18	20	20	£3.4k
13	Juan Carlos Pérez Rojo	66	Barcelona	18	20	16	£1.2k
14	Lluís Lainz	72	Barcelona	20	18	12	£1.2k
15	Pep Boada	64	Unemployed (chief)	18	19	15	Unknown
16	Michael Collins	45	Man City	17.8	17.8	19	£900
17	Juni Calafat	53	Real Madrid (chief)	17.2	18	12	£13.8k
18	Giuseppe Baresi	68	Inter	17	18	20	£3k
19	Paulo Araújo	56	Porto (chief)	17.4	16.4	19	£4.7k
20	Victor de los Santos	62	Celaya (chief)	17	17	8	£87

Source: FM Blog FM27 Best Scouts, 29 October 2026. "(chief)" marks a chief scout role.

Scout picks by assignment

• Riccardo Pecini: JPA/JPP 20. Best pure evaluator here; Adaptability 11 suits familiar markets first.
• Peter Braund (Ipswich): 19/19/16. Balanced England/Germany-oriented option at about £1.2k p/w.
• Roberto Marta (Atalanta): 18.8/18.8 with Adaptability 19 for multi-market plans; about £5.2k p/w.
• José Mayorga (Ipswich): Adaptability 20 and JPA 19.2 for Europe–South America recruitment bridges.
• Simon Wells: JPP 19.2 and Adaptability 18 for Nordic youth networks.
• João Amaral (Barcelona chief): JPP 20 and Adaptability 20 for wealthy prospect hunting.
• Victor de los Santos (Celaya): 17/17 at about £87 p/w for small-budget regional work.

What to check before you hire

• JPA: ready first-team targets.
• JPP: wonderkids and long-term bets.
• Adaptability: new countries; it does not replace knowledge lists.
• Role label: Scout and Chief Scout are not automatic swaps; confirm interest.

Write down the markets you need covered, shortlist two or three names against your current staff, then approach. Wage filters may hide unknown wages — reset to any wage if you want them back.

SI's 9 October 2026 deep dive notes Tactical Effectiveness also appears in scout reports, so strong JPA/JPP scouts help you read tactical fit notes more clearly — the final call is still yours.

How to use the shortlist in your save

Search the listed names under Staff Recruitment → Staff Shortlist and paste the full name, accents included. If a person is missing, check your database selection and filters — Launch Preview and full release staff can differ.

Build around one senior scout or chief scout for JPA/JPP first, then add a high-Adaptability second name for new markets. Keep low current-wage names such as Victor de los Santos for comparison only until you see the actual demand.

For centre-back recruitment targets those scouts might bring you, see our FM 27 best centre backs list.

When two scouts share similar JPA and JPP, prefer the one whose knowledge list matches the leagues you actually open. A 19/19 scout with Complete knowledge of your target nation usually beats a slightly higher Adaptability score in an empty knowledge map. After the 10 November full release, re-check wages and roles because Launch Preview contracts can move.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best scout in FM 27?

For raw JPA/JPP, Riccardo Pecini leads at 20/20. For adaptability-heavy jobs, prefer Mayorga or Marta.

Does high Adaptability mean worldwide knowledge?

No. Check scouting knowledge in the profile. Adaptability is separate.

Are wages salary demands?

No. They are current weekly contracts.

Is the list final?

No. It is Launch Preview data from 29 October 2026.