FIFA 21 Career Mode: Top Lower League Gems

There are plenty of wonderkids to buy in FIFA 21, with several of them will coming at a very high price and equally high wages. However, not all of the best young players in Career Mode require massive transfer fees to sign.

As has been the case in the past, one of the best ways to get around hefty fees for as-yet unproven players is to sign them from lower league clubs.

On this page, you’ll find the top lower league gems of FIFA 21 Career Mode, all of which boast high potential ratings while playing for teams in non-elite divisions.

On this page: hide

1. Advantages of buying lower league gems
2. Thiago Almada (73 OVR – 89 POT)
3. Agustín Urzi (73 OVR – 88 POT)
4. Maarten Vandevoordt (68 OVR – 87 POT)
5. Ismaïla Sarr (78 OVR – 87 POT)
6. Aster Vranckx (66 OVR – 86 POT)
7. All of the best lower league gems on FIFA 21

Advantages of buying lower league gems

One of the best ways to go about signing great young players in Career Mode is to identify the talents at lower league clubs as they’ll tend to be much cheaper than the highest-rated young players.

As the FIFA 21 lower league gems haven’t been signed by the top clubs, their values are lower, but their potential ratings are still high.

Plus, even those with higher values are easier to acquire if you play the game as a top club – due to the player’s placement at a lower league team.

All of the lower league gems on this page are on the books of clubs that aren’t in the elite domestic divisions of world football, boasting potential ratings of at least 85 POT.

Thiago Almada (73 OVR – 89 POT)

Team: Vélez Sarsfield
Age: 19
Best Position: CM, CAM, LW
Overall/Potential: 73 OVR / 89 POT
Wage: £7,200
Release Clause: £15.3 million
Best Attributes: 95 Balance, 93 Agility, 88 Acceleration

Playing on either wing, in attacking midfield, and occasionally up front, Thiago Almada impressed enough through several stints on the pitch to earn a place as a regular starter for Vélez Sarsfield.

As a teenager, the Argentine amassed five goals and two assists through his 25 games last season, which also helped him to earn a couple more caps for the Argentina under-20s.

Based on his potential rating, Almada is the best high potential young player in FIFA 21: it just so happens that he hasn’t yet moved to a big-money club.

Still on the books at Vélez Sarsfield, the FIFA 21 lower league gem carries lofty ratings of 93 agility, 84 sprint speed, 88 acceleration, 81 curve, 78 dribbling, and 80 composure.

Agustín Urzi (73 OVR – 88 POT)

Team: CA Banfield
Age: 20
Best Position: CM, LM, RM
Overall/Potential: 73 OVR / 88 POT
Wage: £8,600
Release Clause: £14.3 million
Best Attributes: 89 Sprint Speed, 85 Acceleration, 78 Balance

Still only 20-years-old, Agustín Urzi broke into the CA Banfield first-team towards the end of the 2018/19 Superliga campaign, scoring twice in his ten league games.

Last season, the diminutive Argentine continued to be given starting XI appearances, playing in the middle of the park but predominantly on the left wing. However, in 19 games, Urzi could only muster one assist.

With a high attacking work rate, four-star skill moves, 85 acceleration, and 89 sprint speed, Urzi presents himself as one of the top lower league gems to sign in Career Mode.

Based on Urzi’s favourable 77 crossing, 77 dribbling, 73 ball control, 72 positioning, 76 stamina, 78 balance, and 77 agility, the 20-year-old is already worthy of first-team play.

Maarten Vandevoordt (68 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: KRC Genk
Age: 18
Best Position: GK
Overall/Potential: 68 OVR / 87 POT
Wage: £500
Release Clause: £5.2 million
Best Attributes: 72 Goalkeeper Diving, 71 Goalkeeper Reflexes, 67 Goalkeeper Handling

After being given a start in the Champions League and a run of four starts in the Jupiler Pro League – before requiring surgery – in 2019/20, Maarten Vandevoordt now stands as KRC Genk’s back-up goalie.

Playing behind 35-year-old Danny Vukovic, the 18-year-old Belgian was given a couple of starts when the veteran was out, conceding twice in a draw with KV Oostende and once in a tie against Waasland-Beveren.

While his 68 overall rating means that Vandevoordt likely can’t play as your first-choice goalkeeper from the start of Career Mode, his 87 POT indicates that you’ll want to play the shot-stopper regularly to allow him to grow into his decent potential.

The lower league gem can be snapped up for a mere £5.2 million from KRC Genk, with the 6’2’’ goalkeeper coming in with some decent base ratings, as shown by his 63 reactions, 72 goalkeeper diving, and 67 goalkeeper handling.

Ismaïla Sarr (78 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: Watford
Age: 22
Best Position: RM, ST
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 87 POT
Wage: £17,000
Release Clause: £56.7 million
Best Attributes: 95 Acceleration, 94 Sprint Speed, 84 Shot Power

The club may have been relegated at the end of last season, but one of the bright spots of Watford’s last Premier League campaign was Ismaïla Sarr and his blistering pace.

Predominantly from the right wing, the Senegalese speedster – who had just signed from Stade Rennais – scored five goals and six assists in the English top-flight, and has been a first-team regular in the Championship.

Sarr is certainly one of the best players that you can find at a lower league club, especially in FIFA 21, due to his 95 acceleration, 78 agility, 94 sprint speed, and 83 dribbling.

Still only 22-years-old with a 78 overall rating, Sarr is already worthy of playing in most starting XIs simply due to his pace, with his 87 potential rating giving you even more reason to start the winger regularly.

Aster Vranckx (66 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: KV Mechelen
Age: 17
Best Position: CDM, CM
Overall/Potential: 66 OVR / 86 POT
Wage: £500
Release Clause: £5.2 million
Best Attributes: 73 Strength, 72 Stamina, 72 Aggression

Aster Vranckx may only be 18-years-old now, but towards the end of last season, the central midfielder seemingly cemented himself as a starter in the Jupiler Pro League.

This season, given a starting role from the opening match, Vranckx has rewarded KV Mechelen with classy performances from the middle of the pitch, scoring three times in seven games.

In FIFA 21, the young Belgian is one of the best lower league gems to sign, with his five-star weak foot, £5.2 million release clause, and 86 POT making him an essential buy even if you have a hefty budget.

A Career Mode darling in the making, Vranckx already has decent ratings in all of the right attributes, including his 72 aggression, 71 short passing, 66 long passing, 71 ball control, 71 acceleration, 71 sprint speed, 71 agility, 73 strength, and 72 stamina.

All of the best lower league gems on FIFA 21

In the table below, you can find all of the highest potential players that you can sign as lower league gems on Career Mode.

Name	Age	Overall	Potential	Position	Wage	Release Clause	Team
Thiago Almada	19	73	89	CM, CAM, LW	£7,200	£15.3 million	Vélez Sarsfield
Augustín Urzi	20	73	88	CM, LM, RM	£8,600	£14.3 million	CA Banfield
Ismaïla Sarr	22	78	87	RM, ST	£17,000	£56.7 million	Watford
Maarten Vandevoordt	18	68	87	GK	£500	£5.2 million	KRC Genk
Aster Vranckx	17	66	86	CDM, CM	£500	£5.2 million	KV Mechelen
Nicolás de la Cruz	23	77	86	CM, CAM, LW	£14,000	£33.8 million	River Plate
Deiber Caicedo	20	68	86	RM	£900	£5.7 million	Deportivo Cali
Bright Arrey-Mbi	17	60	86	CB, LB	£450	£2.1 million	Bayern Munich II
Sebastian Esposito	17	66	86	ST	£2,000	£5.8 million	SPAL
Gustavo Assunção	20	74	86	CDM	£6,000	£19.2 million	Famalicão
Josha Vagnoman	19	69	85	RB, LB, LM	£4,000	£7 million	Hamburger SV
Yari Verschaeren	18	72	85	CAM, RW, LW	£5,000	£10.5 million	RSC Anderlecht
Adrià Pedrosa	22	75	85	LB, LWB	£7,000	£18.4 million	RCD Espanyol
Mohammed Daramy	18	67	85	RM, LM, ST	£2,000	£4.5 million	FC København
Gonzalo Montiel	23	78	85	RB, RWB	£14,000	£38.9 million	River Plate
Bryan Mbeumo	20	74	85	RW, ST	£28,000	£18 million	Brentford
Leonardo Fernández	21	76	85	CAM	£28,000	£27.5 million	Tigres UANL
Alan Velasco	17	65	85	LM	£550	£4.3 million	Independiente
Pedro de la Vega	19	71	85	RW, LW	£7,000	£8.4 million	Club Atlético Lanús
Santiago Rodríguez	20	72	85	CAM, RW, LW	£650	£14 million	Nacional de Montevideo
Anderson Talisca	26	82	85	CAM, RW	£32,000	£60.3 million	Guangzhou Evergrande
Ezequiel Barco	21	74	85	LM, CF	£5,000	£14.5 million	Atlanta United