FM22 Spanish Wonderkids: Top 10 List

FM 22 Best Spanish Wonderkids! Top 10! Highest Potential Talents

The golden generation of the Spanish national team, led by stars like Xavi, Sergio Ramos, and Andrés Iniesta, ruled world football with an iron fist for four years between 2008 and 2012. However, most of these players are past their prime (some retired, some even managers now), and La Furia Roja has never quite reached that same level again.

After winning the European Championship in 2012, Spain managed to reach the round of 16 in two of the next three tournaments, and the group stage in one. But it looks like a new golden generation may be brewing under Luis Enrique's guidance. Being eliminated in the semifinal at Euro 2020 with the fifth-youngest squad is a glimpse of bigger successes to come...

When it comes to the Football Manager series, it's always stood out that clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao regularly produce incredibly talented youngsters, and Spain has always been a wonderkid paradise. Looking back through FM's history, if we go far enough back we can still remember gems like Gerard Deulofeu, Bojan Krkic, or Luis Enrique. (and many more...)

In FM22, the Iberian Peninsula also appears to have no shortage of high-potential players. We've put together a list of what we think are the ten brightest young stars, any of whom could be the next Fernando Torres or Gerard Pique, and in doing so we had to leave out plenty of other players!

FM 22 Spanish Wonderkids - Top 10

10. Gavi (Barcelona)

We start with a familiar name, and probably one of the most beloved young midfielders in FM22.

There's been a ton of hype around Gavi since he broke into Barça's first team at just 16 years old earlier this season. Beyond what the numbers show, and fully deserving of his current spot, this exciting playmaker has contributed two goals and four assists in 24 matches.

From a Football Manager perspective, Gavi is a highly developed player with skills far beyond his years. His technique, vision, dribbling, and flair make him a dynamic player who can be the heartbeat of a team and orchestrate many of its attacks.

He's already fairly close to his full potential, so there's very little risk involved. If you sign him, he's guaranteed to give you what you're paying for. But to get him you'll need to pay Barcelona somewhere between £12.5 - 38 million, which isn't exactly pocket change for a player who's barely out of high school.

However, if you're patient and a little lucky, you might be able to get him for free. His contract with the Catalans expires in the summer of 2023, meaning you could agree a deal with him as early as January. Be prepared for very stiff competition, though!

9. Bruno Iglesias (Real Madrid)

Going from Barcelona to Real Madrid, this is probably where most of you expected this list to go. But Bruno Iglesias isn't quite a household name like Gavi.

That's probably because, despite being two years older than Gavi, Iglesias hasn't broken into Real's first team yet. But don't let that discourage you, because he's been widely touted as a future star by both the media and scouts. After being spotted at his local club Santa Marta, he had to fend off interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to sign for Madrid's academy.

Mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder or winger, Iglesias's main strengths are flair, determination, fitness, and dribbling. His finished product isn't quite there yet, so he probably won't bring you a ton of goals for a few years, but if you train him right, he can be a disruptive force around the opposition's penalty area, drawing attention and creating positions for his teammates.

Despite being quite advanced for his age and being a Real Madrid player, his price hasn't skyrocketed on FM22 yet. Right now he's in the £5 - 15 million range, which is peanuts compared to some other players in his position.

8. Julen Jon Guerrero (Real Madrid)

We're staying at the Santiago Bernabeu to look at another star from Real Madrid's youth team.

If the name sounds a bit too familiar, it's because there was a former player named Julen Guerrero who made 372 league appearances and scored 103 goals for Athletic Bilbao. Julen Jon is his son.

Because of his father's legendary status at San Mamés, there are constant rumors linking him to the Basque club, but he doesn't seem eager to leave Madrid anytime soon.

At just 17 years old, he's a midfielder with a triple threat who can keep possession, pass, or create space for himself. Some may remember his hat-trick against Türkiye on his debut for Spain U18. On top of his excellent touch and flair, he's also very hard-working and well-suited to set pieces!

This unique combination of traits makes him dangerous all over the pitch, so he's probably best deployed in a free role of some kind, whether as a mezzala, a playmaker, or a trequartista. You can comfortably train him in any of these positions.

Because he's still raw and underdeveloped, his valuation is still very low. In fact, with an estimated price of £1.2 - 3.5 million, he's the cheapest player on this list.

7. Unai Vencedor (Athletic Bilbao)

Moving from one Basque team to another, we're with Vencedor, who runs the midfield for Athletic Bilbao. Despite being just 20 at the start of the season, this is actually Vencedor's third year in the first team.

During that time he's made 54 appearances in total and hasn't managed a goal or assist yet. Given the position and style he plays, you shouldn't really expect those kinds of contributions from him anyway. His hard-working nature as a team-oriented midfielder, whether playing at the six or the eight, should be judged by whether he has the ability and strength to run the entire midfield by himself.

As well as being tough and physical, he's excellent at reading the game and positioning himself in the right areas. He also has the technical skills to allow him to push forward and create for his teammates.

A truly complete midfielder in every sense, Vencedor fits seamlessly into any tactic or formation. That's why he falls into the category of an absolute must-have for any manager. That kind of quality will cost you a fairly high price.

He's currently priced between £23 - 68 million.

6. Nico (Barcelona)

Continuing with defensive midfielders, we move on to someone with a slightly different style than his predecessor on this list.

Nico is another exciting product of La Masia who has started earning a lot of minutes in the first team since Xavi took charge of the club in place of Ronald Koeman. The 19-year-old has made 24 appearances, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist. He's usually deployed at the base of a midfield three, and we've even seen him play at centre-back alongside Pique at times, showing off his remarkable versatility.

He made his debut in August, filling in for Sergio Busquets, and he seems well-suited to eventually replace him, since Busquets is someone Nico is very reminiscent of. Tall and strong, he can be a controlling presence in the middle of the pitch. He has enough quality on the ball and passing ability to relieve pressure and create the right positions for his team.

He's also mature beyond his years, and we can easily picture him wearing the captain's armband in the future. That said, there's still significant room for him to develop, but if he keeps improving he could easily become one of the best midfielders in Football Manager 2022.

You'll probably need to be very persuasive to get Nico to join, and before that, there's still Barcelona's side of things to deal with too...

You'll need to be willing to spend between £13 - 38 million to get Nico into your colors!

5. Miguel Gutiérrez (Real Madrid)

To close out the first half of this list, we have one more Real Madrid player. Spoiler alert: he's also the last one.

Miguel Gutiérrez is a 19-year-old left-back who has only made three appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season, but his standing in Football Manager makes him worth his weight in gold. He can play both as a left-back in a back four and as a left wing-back in a back three, and his versatility lets him fit into any team.

Miguel doesn't really have an obvious weakness on either side of the ball, defensively or in attack.

While he's a solid two-way player, it's much better to use him as an attacking weapon. Because it would be a shame to hold him back all the time :)

As with most Real Madrid players, his value will be inflated, but given how thin the quality is at left-back, it doesn't seem too far-fetched that he could leave the Bernabeu. At the start of negotiations, his price is estimated at £12 - 36 million, which is great value, especially compared to alternatives like Theo Hernandez or Alphonso Davies.

4. Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)

Longtime Football Manager players will certainly remember Iñaki Williams, who was a wonderkid in his own right a few years back. Iñaki, now 27, is already an established player, but his brother Nico has only just started showing off his talent on the big stage.

He's being gradually integrated into the first team by manager Marcelino, and has made 26 appearances this season, 6 of them as a starter.

A quick winger with a silky first touch, Williams has huge potential and could easily become a world-class player, especially given how rare that kind of position is. He can play close to the touchline or cut inside as an inverted winger, and either way he can cause chaos, forcing any opposing full-back to stay alert and keep their eyes on him.

Since he's still quite raw and inconsistent right now, there's still plenty of room to improve the technical side of his game. But he has great foundations to build on to become a very productive player. If you want him on your team, he'll cost significantly less than the next three players on this list, so he could be a great pick if you're managing a mid-table club looking to break into the top.

£21 - 64 million is a price worth considering for a player with his kind of star potential.

3. Pedri (Barcelona)

As we get into the top three, prices start climbing into nine-figure territory, but the talent is there to justify it.

Barcelona's midfield maestro sits third on this list, which shows you just how tough the competition is. It's hard to believe Pedri is only 18, having already established himself in Barça's first team and won eleven international trophies. Xavi describes him as the most talented player of his generation, and he's not far wrong. Having gotten the chance to see him up close and be amazed in matches against Galatasaray, there's nothing standing in Pedri's way from becoming one of the best midfielders of the future...

He's probably the biggest brain on this list... Pedri is already a player you can build any team around, and all you have to do is put him on the pitch. Naturally in form, mentally developed far beyond his years, and seemingly glued to the ball, he has no real weakness in the attacking phase of the game.

He's used best in the number 10 role but can also play as an advanced playmaker in midfield or out wide. So whatever formation you use, you can find a spot for Pedri in it. Put another way, he's the kind of player you build your team around.

But that comes at a cost, so even if you convince him to leave the Camp Nou, you'll need to spend somewhere around £50 - 140 million, so you probably shouldn't plan on bringing in anyone else in the same window.

2. Yeremy Pino (Villarreal)

We finally break away from the Barcelona-Madrid-Bilbao trio to look at a Villarreal player.

In the end it was a coin flip between Pedri and Pino for the second and third spots on the list, but Pino edged to the top for a number of reasons. One of them is definitely the price. While far from cheap, at £34 - 103 million he's still not in the same bracket as Pedri.

That's a significant chunk of most clubs' budgets, but it's an investment well worth it. Pino's FM attributes seem almost scientifically designed to produce a top-tier forward. Or at least they will in a few years, but even at this early stage of his career, his potential is clear to see.

Technically gifted and mentally solid, Pino is one of those FM wingers who can play both out wide and in the box, and who can create something out of nothing exactly when you need it most. The only thing holding his value back is that his off-the-ball movement isn't quite as good as his on-the-ball ability, so you should think twice before pairing him with another ball-dominant player. But put him behind a target man or a poacher, and you'll see the goals and assists come thick and fast.

1. Ansu Fati (Barcelona)

Was there ever any doubt about who'd top this list?

There aren't many young players in world football as exciting as Barcelona's 18-year-old Guinea-Bissau-born phenomenon. He's at least potentially the closest thing to a new generation's version of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fati is an extraordinary talent with a genuine shot at being the best player in the world, both in reality and, even more so, in Football Manager. If you have the money to spend, he should be at or near the top of your transfer list.

There are players who can't match his stats throughout their entire careers — someone who combines silky-smooth dribbling with velvet ankles, off-the-ball movement, and explosive ability with lethal finishing.

Barring any injury issues (touch wood), signing Fati means locking down one of your forward positions for about ten and a half years, or at least until an even more exciting replacement comes along.

For an investment like that, you'll probably need to take on a burden of around £42 - 126 million.