FIFA 23 Career Mode: Best Young Defensive Midfielders (CDM) to Sign

Often the unsung heroes of the team, the holding midfielder is vital to success in modern day football. Shielding the defence whilst distributing the ball to more creative players and maintaining possession is a staple of this role.

With the likes of N’Golo Kanté and Joshua Kimmich being the poster boys for this role, this article will provide you with all of the best young CDM in FIFA 23’s Career Mode.

Choosing FIFA 23 Career Mode’s best wonderkid defensive midfielders (CDM)

This article will list all of the brightest up-and-coming stars who play the defensive midfield role, with Declan Rice, Xaver Schlager, and Boubacar Kamara predicted to feature among the top spots.

To make this list, the players in question must be at most 24-years-old and play the CDM role in FIFA 23. From here, we choose them based on which ones have the predicted highest overall rating.

At the bottom of the article, you will find a full, detailed list of all of the predicted best defensive midfielders (CDM) in FIFA 23.

Declan Rice (82 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: West Ham United
Age: 23
Wage: £60,000 p/w
Value: £37 million
Best Attributes: 84 Stamina, 83 Interceptions, 83 Stand Tackle

A key player in the West Ham United midfield, Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 team, and potentially his FIFA World Cup squad, Declan Rice finds himself with an 82 overall and 87 potential rating prediction in FIFA 23.

With all of the attributes needed to be a successful CDM in FIFA 23, Rice has 83 interceptions, 83 standing tackle and 82 aggression on the current game. These help to make Rice a formidable opponent in the middle of the park and mean that he’s tough to get past.

Off of the back of consistent performances for West Ham in the Premier League, Rice became the top choice in midfield for the London side, making over 150 appearances since his debut in 2017. The stalwart midfielder has worked hard to make himself one of the main contenders to be in the international side, having already been capped 32 times at the time of writing.

Last season, Declan Rice made 50 appearances for the Hammers, scoring five goals and providing four assists as he put up strong performances throughout the year.

His ability has attracted strong interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in particular. It will be no surprise if he leaves The Hammers at the end of the season.

Boubacar Kamara (80 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: Aston Villa
Age: 22
Wage: £26,000 p/w
Value: £27 million
Best Attributes: 83 Aggression, 83 Interceptions, 81 Composure

Coming through the ranks at Marseille, Boubacar Kamara has gone from strength to strength since making his professional debut in 2016. In FIFA 23, Kamara is hot property, and with a predicted potential ability of 86, it doesn’t come as a surprise that top clubs are battling it out to secure his signature.

In his five seasons on the French side’s first team, the Marseille-native made 170 appearances for his boyhood club and was an important player for the Ligue 1 team. With 83 aggression, 83 interceptions, 81 standing tackle, and 80 slide tackle, the young Frenchman is a perfect fit for the CDM role.

Kamara’s final season at Olympique Marseille saw the young Frenchman put up commanding midfield displays where he played 48 times and scored once for his hometown club. 

His talents were recognized by several big clubs on the continent but it was Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa that moved the fastest, signing the Frenchman on a free transfer in the summer of 2022. He has already made eight appearances for the Villans and has become a regular feature in the early part of the season.

Xaver Schlager (80 OVR – 84 POT)

Team: RB Leipzig
Age: 24
Wage: £45,500 p/w
Value: £23.5 million
Best Attributes: 85 Stamina, 85 Aggression, 83 Interceptions

Bringing a more old-school approach to the defensive midfielder role, Xaver Schlager is a true anchor in front of the Leipzig defence, excelling at mopping up possession and distributing to more creative players.

With 82 stamina, 85 aggression, 83 interceptions, and 81 reactions in last year’s edition, the young Austrian makes life difficult for the opposition when they try to break through the midfield. Possessing good passing ratings is also a good trait to have in a defensive midfield role, and Schlager will have this in abundance in FIFA 23. This young holding midfielder would be a wise investment as he approaches his predicted 84 potential rating.

In his final season at Wolfsburg, Schlager suffered an ACL tear which ruled him out for several months but he recovered before the end of the campaign and managed to make 15 appearances in all competitions. He moved to RB Leipzig for a fee of £11 million in the summer of 2022 and has so far made five appearances for his new club in all competitions, starting four games.

Bruno Guimarães (79 OVR – 84 POT)

Team: Newcastle United
Age: 24
Wage: £44,500 p/w
Value: £21 million
Best Attributes: 84 Stamina, 84 Short Passing, 82 Vision

Signed by Lyon in January 2020 for £18 million, Bruno Guimarães had impressed in the Brazilian First Division after helping Atlético Paranaense to the Copa Sudamericana in the 2017/18 season. Two years later, the French Club made twice the amount they bought him for as Newcastle paid £40 million to acquire his services in January 2021. Guimarães is a creative player in the CDM role.

With impressive 84 short passing, 82 vision, 82 long passing, 80 ball control, and 90 composure, the young Brazilian has the right attributes to be a key cog in your midfield.

Having already represented his country eight times, the Brazilian is proving to be a real contender to be Selecao’s number-one man in midfield for years to come. In FIFA 23, the Olympic gold medallist will play very smoothly, and with a potential overall of 84, he would be a solid signing for your team in Career Mode.

In the 2021/22 season, Bruno Guimarães made a combined 42 appearances for Lyon and Newcastle United, scoring five goals and assisting a further seven across English and French competitions. 

This season, he has made four appearances for the Magpies and will expect to make a lot more as the season progresses under Eddie Howe.

Teun Koopmeiners (79 OVR – 84 POT)

Team: Bergamo Calcio
Age: 24
Wage: £35,500 p/w
Value: £21 million
Best Attributes: 85 Penalties, 84 Stamina, 83 Long Pass

After joining Atalanta, known as Bergamo Calcio in FIFA 23, Teun Koopmeiners ranks as one of the best young defensive midfielders in FIFA 23 thanks to his predicted 79 overall rating.

With 83 long pass, 82 short pass, and 76 vision, this youngster is not only a great passer of the ball – with 75 standing and sliding tackle stats – but the left-footed midfielder also has the stats to immediately improve your squad in Career Mode.

After Frank de Boer handed Koopmeiners his first senior cap in October 2020, the Castricum-native has gone from strength to strength, with a lot of expectation on the Dutchman’s shoulders. He has gone on to make nine appearances for the Dutch national side at the time of writing.

In the 2021/22 season, Koopmeiners played 43 times for the Italian side and had four assists and scored four goals for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. He has played six times for Atalanta in the current campaign but has already notched four goals with one assist.

Boubakary Soumaré (78 OVR – 85 POT)

Team: Leicester City
Age: 23
Wage: £59,000 p/w
Value: £23 million
Best Attributes: 83 Stamina, 81 Strength, 79 Ball Control

After playing a key role in Lille’s historic Ligue 1 victory in the 2020/21 season, Soumaré arrived at the King Power Stadium as a well known youngster with bags of potential.

With 83 stamina, 81 strength, and 77 aggression in last year’s game, Soumaré is the work horse that your team needs. Capable of playing the ball using his 79 short pass and 78 long pass, or using his physicality, this young Frenchman would be a fantastic signing in FIFA 23.

The Frenchman made 30 appearances for Leicester City in the 2021/22 season but only started 18 of those games, playing as an understudy to a more experienced Wilfred Ndidi. In the current campaign, he will look to cement his place in the starting squad for the Foxes’ midfield and progress his career.

Ibrahim Sangaré (77 OVR – 84 POT)

Team: PSV Eindhoven
Age: 24
Wage: £12,500 p/w
Value: £17 million
Best Attributes: 90 Strength, 82 Stamina, 81 Interceptions

The Ivorian international, Ibrahim Sangaré, finishes off the list of very best young CDM players in FIFA 23. The youngster, who plays his football in the Eredivisie for PSV Eindhoven, could be the rock in your midfield that you need.

With a whopping 90 strength, weighing 170lbs and standing at 6’3”, Sangaré will add some much needed security to your defensive line. His 81 interceptions, 76 defensive awareness, and 72 reactions will add to your FIFA 23 team in a way that not many others can.

Having made his international debut at just 17 years of age, the Abidjan-native joined PSV from Toulouse in 2020. Sangaré has gone on to become a key component in PSV’s side.

The Ivory Coast international made 49 club appearances in all competitions and had an impressive campaign for PSV in the 2021/22 season, scoring four goals and assisting four more from midfield. 

After being linked to clubs like Manchester United in the summer, Sangare signed a new five year contract in August 2022, committing his future to the Dutch outfit until 2027. So far this season, he has three goals from 10 games for PSV and is expected to build on that tally over the coming months.

All the best young defensive midfielders (CDM) in FIFA 23 Career Mode

Below is a table that has been created for you to easily find the best CDMs in FIFA 23 Career Mode, sorted in order of their overall rating.

Above is the list of all of the best young defensive midfielders in FIFA 23 Career Mode, so be sure to use it to secure your long-term holding midfielder.

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