FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Backs (CB) to sign in Career Mode

Contents

1 Matthijs de Ligt (OVR 85 – POT 92)
2 Dayot Upamecano (OVR 79 – POT 90)
3 Edmond Tapsoba (OVR 78 – POT 88)
4 Ibrahima Konaté (OVR 78 – POT 88)
5 William Saliba (OVR 74 – POT 87)
6 All of the best young wonderkid centre backs (CB) in FIFA 21

Centre backs are often the difference between victory and defeat, with Sir Alex Ferguson saying: “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” Though this may have been an oversimplification, it isn’t a coincidence that the best teams in the world are well-stocked with top-class central defenders.

So, how should you go about assembling your defensive line in Career Mode? Perhaps the most important metric to consider in FIFA 21 is a player’s potential overall rating, particularly if you are looking to build a side for the future.

As such, these are the centre backs with the highest potential ratings for you to sign in Career Mode.

Choosing the best wonderkid centre backs (CB) on FIFA 21

In this article, you will find the five centre backs under the age of 21 with the highest overall potential rating. At the foot of the article, you will find a full list of all of the best wonderkid centre backs (CB) on FIFA 21 including those currently on-loan and have the potential to reach an overall rating of at least 81.

Matthijs de Ligt (OVR 85 – POT 92)

FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Back Matthijs de Ligt

Team: Piemonte Calcio (Juventus)
Best Position: CB
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 85 OVR / 92 POT
Value (Release Clause): £89M (£164.4M)
Wage: £72K a week
Best Attributes: 88 Strength, 86 Heading Accuracy, 86 Defensive Awareness

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt is the centre back with the highest potential on FIFA 21. The Dutchman joined Juventus last season after enjoying a stellar 2018/19 campaign with Ajax, who he helped get into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

De Ligt’s first season in Turin was not an unmitigated success, but the 21-year-old surely picked up some valuable experience, making 29 appearances in Serie A as Juventus claimed an eighth-consecutive league title and 36^th overall.

De Ligt has everything that you could want in a defender, as his stats illustrate. The highlights are his 88 strength, 86 heading accuracy, and 86 defensive awareness, with his heading accuracy making him a useful option for attacking set-pieces.

Unsurprisingly, getting a deal for the Dutchman done will be difficult. With the exception of clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, who have nearly endless financial reserves, his release clause will be difficult to meet.

Dayot Upamecano (OVR 79 – POT 90)

FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Back Dayot Upamecano

Team: RB Leipzig
Best Position: CB
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 79 OVR / 90 POT
Value (Release Clause): £33M (£62.7M)
Wage: £32K a week
Best Attributes: 90 Strength, 88 Jumping, 84 Sprint Speed

The French national team have a wealth of riches in almost every position at the moment, including a host of young stars. One of the leading lights is Dayot Upamecano, who currently plays his football for RB Leipzig in the German top-flight.

He is now entering his fourth year in Leipzig and played 28 times for Julian Nagelsmann in the Bundesliga last season, with his side finishing in third place. RB Leipzig also reached their first Champions League semi-final, with Upamecano a vital cog in the team.

Upamecano’s best attributes are his 90 strength, 88 jumping, and 84 sprint speed, with the Frenchman being a big and powerful defender, not unlike his Bayern Munich counterpart, Niklas Süle.

Arsenal previously expressed an interest in bringing Upamecano to London, but the centre back has since signed a new deal with RB Leipzig that runs until 2023. As a result, obtaining his services will require deep pockets.

Edmond Tapsoba (OVR 78 – POT 88)

FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Back Edmond Tapsoba

Team: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Best Position: CB
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 88 POT
Value (Release Clause): £26.5M (No Release Clause)
Wage: £34K a week
Best Attributes: 82 Aggression, 81 Stand Tackle, 80 Short Pass

Edmond Tapsoba burst onto the seen after a stellar second half of the season with Bayer Leverkusen, having joined Die Werkself in January from Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães for around £16 million. The Burkina Faso international made 14 appearances for Peter Bosz’s side, including 12 as a starter.

His contributions saw Bayer Leverkusen finish in fifth place in the Bundesliga, guaranteeing them a place in the Europa League. Comfortable on the ball and aggressive in the tackle, Tapsoba is a well-rounded centre back, with his best attributes being his 82 aggression, 81 standing tackle, and 80 short passing.

Any potential deal for the 21-year-old will be complicated by the lack of a release clause in his contract, with Leverkusen unlikely to be eager to sell such a recent acquisition. Still, Tapsoba is certainly a player who you should be looking to add to your team.

Ibrahima Konaté (OVR 78 – POT 88)

FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Back Ibrahima Konaté

Team: RB Leipzig
Best Position: CB
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 88 POT
Value (Release Clause): £26.5M (£50.3M)
Wage: £29K a week
Best Attributes: 85 Stand Tackle, 83 Strength, 79 Sprint Speed

The second player from RB Leipzig to make this list is another Frenchman, Ibrahima Konaté. Like Upamecano, Konaté has spent the last three seasons with the East German side, where he has made 74 appearances in all competitions.

The French under-21 international missed a significant period last season due to a muscle tear, only featuring in eight Bundesliga games as a result. The future remains bright for Konaté, though, especially as he’s yet to celebrate his 22^nd birthday.

The comparisons with his Leipzig teammate, Upamecano, are obvious, with both men being physically imposing defenders. The highlights on Konaté’s ratings sheet are his 85 standing tackle, 83 strength, and 79 sprint speed.

His £50.3 million release clause is a steep price to pay for a player with a 78 OVR, but there is plenty of scope for consistent development with Konaté, meaning that he is likely to prove himself worthy of the initial investment.

William Saliba (OVR 74 – POT 87)

FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best Young Centre Back William Saliba

Team: Arsenal FC
Best Position: CB
Age: 19
Overall/Potential: 74 OVR / 87 POT
Value (Release Clause): £8.5M (N/A)
Wage: £25K a week
Best Attributes: 80 Strength, 77 Interceptions, 75 Jumping

There are high expectations for the 19-year old William Saliba, who will be looking to break into the Arsenal first-team soon. He joined the Gunners last summer but was loaned straight back to his former employers, Saint Étienne, to continue his development.

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, the 2019/20 season did not go quite to plan. Saliba made only 12 appearances in the league after suffering a hamstring injury early in the season, which was followed by a metatarsal fracture.

If he can put his injuries behind him, he should prove himself an excellent centre back in the years to come. The 19-year-old is agile, strong, and good at reading the play, as evidenced by his 77 interceptions, 80 strength, and 75 jumping.

Saliba’s 74 OVR perhaps means that he’s not yet ready to start for title-chasing sides, but there is a lot of upside for the French teenager.

All of the best young wonderkid centre backs (CB) in FIFA 21

Here’s the complete list of all of the best wonderkid centre backs in FIFA 21 Career Mode.

Name	Position	Age	Overall	Potential	Team	Value	Wage
Matthijs de Ligt	CB	20	85	92	Juventus	£44.6M	£72K
Dayot Upamecano	CB	21	79	90	RB Leipzig	£18M	£32K
Edmond Tapsoba	CB	21	78	88	Bayer 04 Leverkusen	£14M	£34K
Ibrahima Konaté	CB	21	78	88	RB Leipzig	£14M	£29K
William Saliba	CB	19	74	87	Arsenal	£9M	£25K
Ozan Kabak	CB	20	77	87	FC Schalke 04	£11.7M	£17K
Bright Arrey-Mbi	CB, LB	17	60	86	Bayern München II	£383K	£450
Eduardo Quaresma	CB	18	72	86	Sporting CP	£5.4M	£2K
Joško Gvardiol	CB, LB	18	69	86	Dinamo Zagreb	£1.8M	£450
Leonidas Stergiou	CB	18	67	86	FC St. Gallen	£1.4M	£1K
Jean-Clair Todibo	CB	20	75	86	FC Barcelona	£9.5M	£61K
Jules Koundé	CB	21	79	86	Sevilla FC	£14.4M	£18K
Dan-Axel Zagadou	CB	21	79	86	Borussia Dortmund	£14.4M	£34K
Omar Rekik	CB	18	63	85	Hertha BSC	£698K	£2K
Tanguy Kouassi	CB, CDM	18	71	85	FC Bayern München	£4.1M	£9K
Marco Kana	CB, CDM, CM	17	65	85	RSC Anderlecht	£900K	£450
Marash Kumbulla	CB	20	75	85	Roma	£9M	£450
Eric García	CB	19	72	85	Manchester City	£5M	£28K
Nehuén Pérez	CB	20	75	85	Atlético Madrid	£9M	£24K
Chadi Riad	CB	17	59	84	CE Sabadell FC	£293K	£450
Lorenzo Pirola	CB	18	63	84	Inter	£698K	£4K
Denys Popov	CB	21	73	84	Dynamo Kyiv	£5.9M	£450
Mohamed Salisu	CB	21	76	84	Southampton	£9.5M	£28K
Perr Schuurs	CB	20	75	84	Ajax	£8.6M	£9K
Zinho Vanheusden	CB	20	73	84	Standard de Liège	£5.9M	£8K
Evan N’Dicka	CB, LB	20	74	84	Eintracht Frankfurt	£7.7M	£14K
Ethan Ampadu	CB, CDM	19	67	84	Sheffield United	£1.4M	£5K
Bruno Fuchs	CB	21	72	83	PFC CSKA Moscow	£4.4M	£17K
Teden Mengi	CB	18	65	83	Manchester United	£900K	£5K
Tiago Djaló	CB	20	68	83	LOSC Lille	£1.6M	£7K
David Carmo	CB	20	71	83	SC Braga	£3.5M	£5K
Chris Richards	CB, RB	20	66	83	Bayern München II	£1.2M	£2K
Nicolò Armini	CB	19	65	83	Lazio	£990K	£5K
Wesley Fofana	CB	19	71	83	AS Saint-Étienne	£3.4M	£8K
Hugo Guillamón	CB, CDM	20	69	83	Valencia CF	£2M	£8K
Sebastiaan Bornauw	CB	21	75	83	1. FC Köln	£8.1M	£15K
Alessandro Bastoni	CB	21	75	83	Inter	£8.1M	£41K
Japhet Tanganga	CB, RB, LB	21	71	83	Tottenham Hotspur	£3.5M	£26K
Victor Nelsson	CB	21	74	83	FC København	£7.2M	£11K
Rolando Ortíz	CB	17	62	82	Estudiantes de La Plata	£495K	£450
Boško Šutalo	CB	20	71	82	Atalanta	£3.4M	£17K
Strahinja Pavlović	CB	19	64	82	AS Monaco	£810K	£4K
Vitao	CB	20	69	82	Shakhtar Donetsk	£1.7M	£450
Taylor Harwood-Bellis	CB	18	61	82	Manchester City	£473K	£4K
Jarrad Branthwaite	CB	18	60	82	Everton	£405K	£2K
Armel Bella-Kotchap	CB	18	62	82	VfL Bochum 1848	£518K	£810
Igor Diveev	CB	20	69	82	PFC CSKA Moscow	£1.7M	£11K
Johan Vásquez	CB, LB	21	68	82	U.N.A.M.	£1.6M	£3K
Mohamed Simakan	CB, RB	20	71	82	RC Strasbourg Alsace	£3.4M	£10K
Sepp van den Berg	CB	18	65	82	Liverpool	£900K	£4K
Dario Maresic	CB	20	70	82	Stade de Reims	£2.6M	£8K
Panagiotis Retsos	CB, RB, LB	21	74	82	Bayer 04 Leverkusen	£6.8M	£26K
Diogo Leite	CB	21	71	82	FC Porto	£3.4M	£5K
Isaak Touré	CB	17	57	81	Le Havre AC	£189K	£450
Victor Guzmán	CB	18	61	81	Club Tijuana	£428K	£855
Tomás Ribeiro	CB	21	69	81	Os Belenenses	£1.5M	£2K
Ronald Araujo	CB	21	67	81	FC Barcelona	£1.4M	£21K
Nathan Collins	CB	19	62	81	Stoke City	£540K	£2K
Daniel Hoyo-Kowalski	CB	16	59	81	Wisła Kraków	£293K	£450
Odilon Kossounou	CB, RB	19	67	81	Club Brugge KV	£1.4M	£4K

If you want to sign one of the best young defenders to dominate at the back for years to come, buy one of the top CB wonderkids of FIFA 21’s Career Mode.

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