Having a strong midfield is extremely important in football. The players in the middle of the park provide cohesion between the defence and attackers, making a player who can help out defensively and be offensively capable a real asset.
Finding a CM wonderkid in Career Mode who can be a long-term player at your club is very helpful, especially if you are building a promotion candidate into a first division title contender.
To help you build your midfield of the future, on this page, you’ll find all of the best central midfield wonderkids of FIFA 21.
Choosing FIFA 21 Career Mode’s best wonderkid central midfielders (CM)
All of the players in this FIFA 21 wonderkids list are 21-years-old or younger and have a minimum potential rating of 80. Central midfielders who are on-loan for the 2020/21 season above have been included.
The type of wonderkid that you’ll want to bring in is a ball-playing midfielder who has great stamina and can provide defensive cover.
For a full list of all of the best wonderkid central midfielders (CM), please look at the table towards the end of the page.
Federico Valverde (OVR 83 – POT 90)
Team: Real Madrid
Best Position: CM
Age: 22
Overall/Potential: 83 OVR / 90 POT
Value (Release Clause): £66M (£148.5M)
Wage: £125K a week
Best Attributes: 89 Sprint Speed, 86 Stamina, 85 Short Pass
The highest-rated wonderkid available at the central midfield position is Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan has been on the Los Blancos books since 2017, and a stint with the Castilla and Deportivo La Caruña has been beneficial for his development.
Last season was Valverde’s breakout campaign, making 33 appearances in La Liga and playing a key role alongside the likes of Casemiro and Toni Kroos to control the midfield.
Valverde is excellently rated, boasting 89 sprint speed as well as durability, as his 86 stamina indicates. Add in the Montevideo-native’s ability to keep possession (86 short pass) and you can see that he has all of the tangibles needed to forge a top CM.
The main issue in Career Mode may be his affordability. With a release clause of £148.5 million, only teams with incredibly high transfer budgets can to afford his services.
Jude Bellingham (OVR 69 – POT 88)
Team: Borussia Dortmund
Best Position: CM
Age: 17
Overall/Potential: 69 OVR / 88 POT
Value: £3.1M
Wage: £2.5K a week
Best Attributes: 78 Acceleration, 77 Sprint Speed, 74 Agility
There was a lot of hype around English midfielder Jude Bellingham prior to this season. After a strong campaign with Birmingham City in the EFL Championship, he made the move to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham has started every game this season for Dortmund in the Bundesliga, at the time of writing, and has adjusted well to life in Germany.
The Englishman has the lowest starting rating in our top five, but that shouldn’t deter you. His development would suggest that Bellingham will improve on his already quick 78 acceleration, 74 sprint speed, and 74 agility.
Since Bellingham has only just moved to Dortmund, making a deal at the start of your Career Mode will be tricky. However, he should be available after a season and could prove to be a bargain buy.
Eduardo Camavinga (OVR 76 – POT 88)
Team: Stade Rennais FC
Best Position: CM
Age: 17
Overall/Potential: 76 OVR / 88 POT
Value: £15.5M
Wage: £4.8K a week
Best Attributes: 79 Stamina, 79 Composure, 79 Short Pass
Eduardo Camavinga is one of the more highly touted wonderkids in world football. The 17-year-old product of Stade Rennais became the first player to debut for the club in the 2000s and hasn’t looked out of place.
Camavinga made his Ligue 1 debut as a 15-year-old: since then, he has made 49 appearances in all competitions. Last season, the Frenchman showed off his excellent passing, attempting 41.4 passes per 90 minutes at a completion rate of 87 per cent.
The starting point for Camavinga is strong – 79 stamina, 79 composure, 79 short passing – with him being durable, confident in big games, and an excellent user of the ball.
The expectation is that the wage bill demanded will increase if you sign him straight away. His contract runs out in 2022, meaning that you’ll most likely be paying upwards of his market value. He could be worth the punt, though, as he has so much upside with his 88 POT.
Riqui Puig (OVR 75 – POT 88)
Team: FC Barcelona
Best Position: CM
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 75 OVR / 88 POT
Value: £12M
Wage: £69K a week
Best Attributes: 85 Balance, 83 Ball Control, 82 Vision
Riqui Puig was considered part of the future for Barcelona as they entered into a period of uncertainty. The Spanish midfielder made his debut for Barça back in the 2018/19 season but found himself in a more prominent role in midfield when Quique Setién was made head coach.
However, the situation seems to have changed under Ronald Koeman, with Puig only making it onto the bench in the early season. In 11 appearances last season, he averaged a pass completion rate of 90.5 per cent.
Puig’s strong passing ability is replicated in his FIFA 21 ratings: 85 balance, 83 ball control, and 82 vision. These numbers are the hallmark of a player pulling the strings in possession.
His wage bill is high, but he is out of contract at the end of the first season. If Barcelona are willing to sell, you might get Puig for cheaper. If not, a loan deal would be a viable choice.
Maxence Caqueret (OVR 75 – POT 87)
Team: Olympique Lyonnais
Best Position: CM
Age: 20
Overall/Potential: 75 OVR / 87 POT
Value: £12M
Wage: £33K a week
Best Attributes: 84 Balance, 83 Agility, 80 Aggression
The last player to feature in our featured section is the very talented French midfielder Maxence Caqueret. A native of Vénissieux, Caqueret joined Lyon in 2011 as an 11-year-old and has played a pivotal role for their academy teams.
Caqueret saw first team action last season, making eight appearances for Lyon. On his Ligue 1 debut, he assisted the game-winning goal as a late substitute. Caqueret started this season as a regular feature for Lyon.
The French CM has excellent off the ball skills from the start of a Career Mode. An excellent combination of 84 balance, 83 agility, and 80 aggression enables Caqueret to be the perfect partner to a more attacking central midfielder.
Caqueret is someone worth trying to sign in FIFA 21. He’s contracted until 2023, but is certainly one of the more affordable CM wonderkid options if you have the budget.
All of the best young wonderkid central midfielders (CM) on FIFA 21
Here’s the complete list of all of the best wonderkid central midfielders in FIFA 21 Career Mode.
| Name | Position | Age | Overall | Potential | Team | Value | Wage |
| Federico Valverde | CM | 21 | 83 | 90 | Real Madrid | £66M | £125K |
| Jude Bellingham | CM, LM, RM | 17 | 69 | 88 | Borussia Dortmund | £3.1M | £2.5K |
| Eduardo Camavinga | CM | 17 | 76 | 88 | Stade Rennais FC | £15.5M | £4.8K |
| Riqui Puig | CM, CAM | 21 | 75 | 88 | FC Barcelona | £12M | £69K |
| Maxence Caqueret | CM, CDM | 20 | 75 | 87 | Olympique Lyonnais | £12M | £33K |
| Ryan Gravenberch | CM, CDM | 18 | 71 | 87 | Ajax | £4.3M | £3K |
| Aster Vranckx | CM, CDM | 17 | 66 | 86 | KV Mechelen | £1.2M | £540 |
| Billy Gilmour | CM, CAM | 19 | 71 | 86 | Chelsea | £4.5M | £23K |
| Exequiel Palacios | CM, RM, CAM | 21 | 77 | 86 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | £12.2M | £36K |
| Marcos Antonio | CM | 20 | 72 | 85 | Shakhtar Donetsk | £5.4M | £450 |
| Xavi Simons | CM | 17 | 65 | 85 | Paris Saint-Germain | £990K | £2K |
| Matthew Longstaff | CM, CDM | 20 | 72 | 85 | Newcastle United | £5.4M | £18K |
| Kenneth Taylor | CM | 18 | 64 | 84 | Ajax | £833K | £1K |
| Joris Chotard | CM | 18 | 69 | 84 | Montpellier HSC | £1.9M | £4K |
| Matías Palacios | CM, CAM | 18 | 65 | 84 | San Lorenzo de Almagro | £990K | £2K |
| Imran Louza | CM, CAM, CDM | 21 | 74 | 84 | FC Nantes | £8.1M | £15K |
| Curtis Jones | CM, CAM, LM | 19 | 64 | 84 | Liverpool | £855K | £8K |
| Fausto Vera | CM, CDM | 20 | 67 | 84 | Argentinos Juniors | £1.5M | £3K |
| Eljif Elmas | CM | 20 | 72 | 84 | Napoli | £5M | £25K |
| Weston McKennie | CM, CDM, CB | 21 | 75 | 84 | Juventus | £9M | £39K |
| Arne Maier | CM, CDM | 21 | 74 | 84 | Hertha BSC | £8.1M | £23K |
| Gedson Fernandes | CM, RM | 21 | 75 | 84 | Tottenham Hotspur | £9M | £45K |
| Vítor Ferreira | CM | 20 | 66 | 83 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £1.3M | £13K |
| Joey Veerman | CM, CAM | 21 | 75 | 83 | SC Heerenveen | £9M | £7K |
| Ante Palaversa | CM, CDM, CAM | 20 | 71 | 83 | Getafe CF | £3.8M | £11K |
| Han-Noah Massengo | CM, CDM | 18 | 66 | 83 | Bristol City | £1.2M | £4K |
| Mykola Shaparenko | CM, CAM | 21 | 72 | 83 | Dynamo Kyiv | £5M | £450 |
| Albert-Mboyo Sambi Lokonga | CM, CDM | 20 | 72 | 83 | RSC Anderlecht | £5M | £11K |
| Ludovit Reis | CM, CDM | 20 | 70 | 83 | FC Barcelona | £3.1M | £40K |
| Fran Beltrán | CM, CDM, CAM | 21 | 75 | 83 | RC Celta | £9M | £14K |
| Riccardo Ladinetti | CM | 19 | 64 | 82 | Cagliari | £855K | £4K |
| Kays Ruiz-Atil | CM, CAM, LW | 17 | 62 | 82 | Paris Saint-Germain | £540K | £1K |
| Thomas Doyle | CM | 18 | 60 | 82 | Manchester City | £428K | £5K |
| Hichem Boudaoui | CM, RM | 20 | 72 | 82 | OGC Nice | £4.5M | £15K |
| Lucien Agoume | CM | 18 | 63 | 82 | Spezia | £675K | £450 |
| Marcel Ruiz | CM | 19 | 72 | 82 | Club Tijuana | £4.3M | £8K |
| Nicolas Raskin | CM, CDM | 19 | 68 | 82 | Standard de Liège | £1.7M | £3K |
| Jakub Moder | CM, CDM | 21 | 69 | 82 | Lech Poznań | £1.8M | £4K |
| Mickaël Cuisance | CM | 20 | 71 | 82 | FC Bayern München | £3.6M | £24K |
| Magnus Andersen | CM | 21 | 70 | 82 | FC Nordsjælland | £2.8M | £5K |
| Zaydou Youssouf | CM, RM | 20 | 71 | 82 | AS Saint-Étienne | £3.6M | £13K |
| Ivan Oblyakov | CM, LM | 21 | 72 | 82 | PFC CSKA Moscow | £4.5M | £19K |
| David Turnbull | CM, CAM | 20 | 69 | 82 | Celtic | £1.8M | £15K |
| Mattias Svanberg | CM, RM | 21 | 68 | 82 | Bologna | £1.7M | £8K |
| Luka Sučić | CM, CAM | 17 | 62 | 81 | FC Red Bull Salzburg | £540K | £540 |
| Francho Serrano | CM | 18 | 60 | 81 | Real Zaragoza | £428K | £540 |
| Daniel Leyva | CM | 17 | 56 | 81 | Seattle Sounders FC | £180K | £450 |
| Federico Navarro | CM, CDM | 20 | 64 | 81 | Club Atlético Talleres | £878K | £2K |
| Dylan Levitt | CM, CDM, CAM | 19 | 63 | 81 | Charlton Athletic | £698K | £1K |
| Manu Morlanes | CM, CDM | 21 | 72 | 81 | UD Almería | £4.3M | £5K |
| Cristian Ferreira | CM, CAM | 20 | 70 | 81 | River Plate | £2.7M | £6K |
| Davide Frattesi | CM, CAM | 20 | 69 | 81 | AC Monza | £1.7M | £2K |
| Pelenda Dasilva | CM, CDM | 21 | 72 | 81 | Brentford | £4.3M | £20K |
| Ibra Pérez | CM | 18 | 62 | 80 | CD Tenerife | £563K | £630 |
| Aimen Moueffek | CM, RB | 19 | 62 | 80 | AS Saint-Étienne | £585K | £3K |
| Samuele Ricci | CM, CDM | 18 | 62 | 80 | Empoli | £563K | £450 |
| Jofre | CM, CAM | 19 | 60 | 80 | Girona FC | £405K | £855 |
| Koba Koindredi | CM | 18 | 63 | 80 | Valencia CF | £675K | £2K |
| Armin Gigović | CM, CDM | 18 | 61 | 80 | Helsingborgs IF | £473K | £450 |
| Kouadio Koné | CM | 19 | 66 | 80 | Toulouse Football Club | £1.3M | £1K |
Looking for wonderkids?
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Centre Backs (CB) to sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Right Backs (RB) to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Left Backs (LB) to sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Goalkeepers (GK) to sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Attacking Midfielders (CAM) to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkid Wingers: Best Left Wingers (LW & LM) to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkid Wingers: Best Right Wingers (RW & RM) to sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Strikers (ST & CF) to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Brazilian Players to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young French Players to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young English Players to Sign in Career Mode
Looking for bargains?
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Contract Expiry Signings Ending in 2021 (First Season)
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Centre Backs (CB) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Strikers (ST & CF) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Right Backs (RB & RWB) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Left Backs (LB & LWB) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Centre Midfielders (CM) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Goalkeepers (GK) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Right Wingers (RW & RM) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Left Wingers (LW & LM) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Attacking Midfielders (CAM) with High Potential to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Cheap Defensive Midfielders (CDM) with High Potential to Sign
Looking for the best young players?
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Centre Backs (CB) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Strikers & Centre Forwards (ST & CF) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young LBs to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Right Backs (RB & RWB) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Central Midfielders (CM) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Defensive Midfielders (CDM) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Attacking Midfielders (CAM) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Goalkeepers (GK) to Sign
FIFA 21 Career Mode: Best Young Right Wingers (RW & RM) to Sign
Looking for the fastest players?
FIFA 21 Defenders: Fastest Centre Backs (CB) to Sign in Career Mode
FIFA 21: Fastest Strikers (ST and CF)
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