Signing and developing young full backs has never been so important, with both left and right backs becoming crucial positions at both ends of the pitch in modern football. Equally as important as finding the next generation of great full backs, however, is doing so without breaking the bank. To help you build your backline for the future, we’ve collated the most promising and affordable left backs in Career Mode so that you can play with the best that world football has to offer.
Choosing FIFA 22 Career Mode’s best cheap left backs (LB & LWB) with high potential
This article focuses upon the highest potential and comparatively cheapest left back prospects in the game with Valentín Barco, Luca Netz, and Alejandro Gómez being among the best in FIFA 22.
We have ranked these prospects based on their potential rating, the fact that they have a transfer value of less than £5 million, and their favoured position is either at left back or left wing back.
At the bottom of the article, you’ll find a full list of all of the best cheap young left backs (LB and LWB) with high potential in FIFA 22.
Luca Netz (68 OVR – 85 POT)
Team: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Age: 18
Wage: £3,000 p/w
Value: £2.5 million
Best Attributes: 79 Sprint Speed, 75 Acceleration, 72 Standing Tackle
Luca Netz’s 85 potential makes him one of the Germany’s most celebrated young assets, and his 68 overall ensures his development will be one to watch in your save.
79 sprint speed and 75 acceleration underpins Netz’s physical gifts, and the youngster will only get quicker as the save progresses. 72 standing tackle and 68 sliding tackle ensures that the 18-year-old can fulfil his all-important defensive duties too.
£3.6 million was all that it took for Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin to sell the second-youngest Bundesliga player in their history and it appears Borussia Mönchengladbach have pulled off a seriously good bit of business in securing his services. Netz has an in-game release clause of £5.8 million, so if you need a budget, high potential left back, Netz is your man.
Valentín Barco (63 OVR – 83 POT)
Team: Boca Juniors
Age: 16
Wage: £430 p/w
Value: £1.1 million
Best Attributes: 75 Balance, 66 Dribbling, 66 Acceleration
He may only be a current 63 overall in 2021, but Valentín Barco’s 83 potential is more than good enough to play a substantial role for both his national side and your club for years to come.
Despite not having the strongest of in-game attributes, the Argentine’s well-rounded fullback profiles makes him worth scouting in your Career Mode save. He will develop at a very fast rate, which is ideal as his 66 dribbling, 65 ball control, and 65 sliding tackle will mean that he is equally as effective at both ends of the pitch.
At the tender age of 16, Barco has barely played for Boca Juniors but he has turned out for their reserve side where he will continue to hone his skills. Given time, Barco may be one of the best left backs in world football, so keep tabs on him or you might miss out on a great prospect.
Alejandro Gómez (63 OVR – 83 POT)
Team: Club Atlas
Age: 19
Wage: £860 p/w
Value: £1.1 million
Best Attributes: 69 Stamina, 67 Sprint Speed, 66 Standing Tackle
Mexico appear to have their future left back for the foreseeable future, with the talented Gómez having a current 63 overall but a far more impressive 83 potential.
With defensive attributes like 66 standing tackle, 64 sliding tackle, and 63 heading accuracy and standing at 6’1 Gómez is very capable as a defensive left back, but is also capable as a makeshift centre half.
After spending time on loan in Portugal with Boavista, the 19-year-old returns to Club Atlas off the back of a campaign during which he only played seven league games. However, the Mexican stopper has an in-game release clause of only £3 million, so if you have the budget, it’d be well worth capitalising on Gómez’s very high potential in Career Mode.
Fran García (72 OVR – 83 POT)
Team: Rayo Vallecano
Age: 21
Wage: £9,000 p/w
Value: £4.3 million
Best Attributes: 91 Balance, 90 Sprint Speed, 89 Acceleration
Fran García’s 83 potential is high enough to play a role for club football’s elite sides, and his 72 rating makes him a usable option immediately.
His usability derives from his outstanding raw pace, which FIFA rates at 90 sprint speed and 89 acceleration. His high attacking work rate and 70 crossing also stands him in good stead as he looks to create chances for forwards in and around the box.
Rayo Vallecano nabbed García from Real Madrid in the summer in a cut-price deal worth £1.8 million after he spent a very promising season on loan with Vallecano in their promotion-winning campaign. 37 appearances, four assists, and a goal later, and García is now carving out a career in La Liga; a career which shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Felix Agu (70 OVR – 83 POT)
Team: Werder Bremen
Age: 21
Wage: £4,000 p/w
Value: £3.3 million
Best Attributes: 90 Acceleration, 89 Agility, 85 Balance
Werder Bremen will be delighted that they have a player of Agu’s calibre on their books, as the left back with a 70 overall rating and 83 potential attempts to nail down a place in Germany’s backline sooner rather than later.
A player who can be effective in either full back position, and even left wing, the right-footed Agu is a nippy defender with 90 acceleration and a preference for dribbling, as outlined by his 75 dribbling rating – his highest technical attribute.
Agu was one of the few positives to emanate from Bremen last season, when they were sadly relegated from Germany’s top tier. Osnabrück was the town of Agu’s birth, and also the club where he made his name as a precocious and versatile defender who now seems on course to exceed the high expectations his former club placed upon him.
Liberato Cacace (72 OVR – 83 POT)
Team: Sint-Truidense VV
Age: 20
Wage: £7,000 p/w
Value: £4.2 million
Best Attributes: 85 Stamina, 83 Sprint Speed, 80 Acceleration
As one of Oceania’s brightest prospects, the 72-rated Liberato Cacace has been impressing scouts in Belgium and further afield enough to see him rewarded with an 83 potential in FIFA 22.
Cacace is perhaps the most complete left back on this list: he’s rapid as his 83 sprint speed suggests, he has a great understanding of the game as shown by his 72 interceptions, and as his 85 stamina reveals he will maintain full effort for the full 90 minutes.
Having already been capped by New Zealand on three occasions, Cacace is now making a name for himself in Europe after he left Wellington Phoenix for £1 million in 2020. Now plying his trade in Belgium, Sint-Truiden’s young star looks as though he may soon outgrow the club, potentially signing for your club in Career Mode if you splash out on his £7 million release clause.
Álex Balde (66 OVR – 82 POT)
Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 17
Wage: £860 p/w
Value: £1.7 million
Best Attributes: 78 Sprint Speed, 74 Acceleration, 69 Ball Control
Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy appear to have unearthed another gem in Balde: an attacking 66 overall left back with the potential to achieve an 82 rating in Career Mode.
Like any promising modern full back, Balde is fairly pacey with 78 sprint speed and 74 acceleration, but it’s the Spaniard’s 69 ball control, 68 dribbling, and 67 crossing which truly highlight his attacking strengths.
It is very early in Balde’s professional career and as a result he has only made very brief appearances off the bench for the Catalan giants. The 17-year-old has, however, played for Spain’s U16, U17, U18, and U19 sides in the last couple of years and it may just be a matter of time before we see him making his full national debut.
All of the best cheap highest potential left back (LB & LWB) on FIFA 22 Career Mode
In the table below you’ll find all the most promising and affordable LBs and LWBs in FIFA 22, sorted by their potential rating.
| Name | Overall | Potential | Age | Position | Team | BP | Value | Wage |
| Luca Netz | 68 | 85 | 18 | LB, LM | Borussia Mönchengladbach | LB | £2.5M | £3K |
| Valentín Barco | 63 | 83 | 16 | LB | Boca Juniors | LB | £1.1M | £430 |
| Alejandro Gómez | 63 | 83 | 19 | LB, CB | Club Atlas | LB | £1.1M | £860 |
| Fran García | 72 | 83 | 21 | LB, LM | Rayo Vallecano | LB | £4.3M | £9K |
| Felix Agu | 70 | 83 | 21 | LB, RB, LW | SV Werder Bremen | LB | £3.3M | £4K |
| Liberato Cacace | 72 | 83 | 20 | LWB, LB, LM | Sint-Truidense VV | LWB | £4.2M | £7K |
| Álex Balde | 66 | 82 | 17 | LB, LM | FC Barcelona | LWB | £1.7M | £860 |
| Daouda Guindo | 64 | 82 | 18 | LB | FC Red Bull Salzburg | LB | £1.2M | £2K |
| Viktor Korniienko | 71 | 82 | 22 | LB | Shakhtar Donetsk | LB | £3.4M | £430 |
| Mario Mitaj | 66 | 82 | 17 | LB, CB | AEK Athens | LB | £1.7M | £430 |
| Julián Aude | 65 | 82 | 18 | LM, CDM | Club Atlético Lanús | LM | £1.5M | £860 |
| Melvin Bard | 72 | 82 | 20 | LB | OGC Nice | LWB | £4.2M | £12K |
| Aaron Hickey | 69 | 82 | 19 | LB, RB | Bologna | LB | £2.8M | £6K |
| Ian Maatsen | 64 | 82 | 19 | LWB, LB | Coventry City | LWB | £1.3M | £3K |
| Alexandro Bernabei | 70 | 82 | 20 | LB, LW, LM | Club Atlético Lanús | LM | £3.2M | £5K |
| Noah Katterbach | 70 | 82 | 20 | LB | 1. FC Köln | LWB | £3.2M | £9K |
| David Čolina | 69 | 81 | 20 | LB | Hajduk Split | LB | £2.8M | £430 |
| Miguel | 66 | 81 | 19 | LB | Real Madrid | LB | £1.6M | £13K |
| Hugo Bueno | 59 | 81 | 18 | LWB | Wolverhampton Wanderers | LWB | £602K | £3K |
| Kerim Çalhanoğlu | 64 | 81 | 18 | LB, LM | FC Schalke 04 | LM | £1.2M | £688 |
| Riccardo Calafiori | 68 | 81 | 19 | LB, LM | Roma | LB | £2.3M | £8K |
| Luke Thomas | 71 | 81 | 20 | LWB, LB | Leicester City | LWB | £3.4M | £28K |
| Rıdvan Yılmaz | 70 | 81 | 20 | LB | Beşiktaş JK | LB | £2.8M | £12K |
If you want the best and most inexpensive LBs or LWBs to improve your FIFA 22 Career Mode save, look no further than the table provided above.
