FIFA 23 Career Mode: Best Young Centre Backs (CB) to Sign

You can find the predicted best young centre backs to sign for your FIFA 23 Career Mode right here.

Leading from the back is the centre back’s mantra, and we’ve got the best young players at this key position to sign for your Career Mode in FIFA 23.

Choosing FIFA 23 Career Mode’s best young centre backs (CB)

In this article, we will be looking at the best young, up-and-coming talent in the centre back position, featuring players like Joules Koundé, Matthijs de Ligt, and Éder Militão.

All of the players featured have been selected because of their predicted overall rating, as well as the fact that their primary position is centre back, and that they are all 24 years of age or younger.

At the foot of the article, you’ll find the full list of all of the predicted best CB in FIFA 23.

Matthijs de Ligt (85 OVR – 90 POT)

Team: Bayern München
Age: 23
Wage: £69,000
Value: £64.5 million
Best Attributes: 93 Jumping, 93 Strength, 85 Sliding Tackle

Matthijs de Ligt is the starting centre back for Bayern Munich, and boasts an impressive 85 overall rating on FIFA 23 with a predicted potential rating of 90.

The aerial threat of De Ligt is mammoth, with 93 jumping, 93 strength, and 85 heading accuracy in last year’s game. His 85 standing tackle and 85 sliding tackle, to go along with 84 reactions, help to make him a world-class defender.

The Dutchman moved from Ajax to Juventus for £76.95 million in 2019 – a huge fee for a 19-year-old. Since then, De Ligt has grown to be one of the finest young centre backs, having played 117 games for Juventus over the course of three seasons and scoring eight goals.

In the summer of 2022, he secured a big €67m move to Bayern Munich, a move that made him one of the most expensive Bundesliga signings of all time. He has already made six league appearances as at the time of writing and has registered a goal.

On the international front, Euro 2020 was De Ligt’s first international tournament. After missing the first game with a groin strain, he played the following three, including the Netherlands’ loss to the Czech Republic in the Round of 16, giving him valuable experience at the international level. He now has 38 appearances for his national side and will add to that tally at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Alessandro Bastoni (84 OVR – 89 POT)

Team: Inter Milan
Age: 23
Wage: £66,000
Value: £38 million
Best Attributes: 84 Standing Tackle, 83 Interceptions, 81 Stamina

Bastoni’s current overall rating of 84 has seen an increase over last year’s game and a potential of 89 means that he could be a great player going forward.

With an 84 standing tackle, 80 marking, and 80 sliding tackle, Bastoni is also a good short-term option, and his 89 potential will see those defensive ratings ultimately reach the upper-echelon of players in his position. The Italian is also strong in the air with 81 heading accuracy.

Inter Milan paid €31.10m for Bastoni before loaning him out to Atalanta and Parma. Since his return to Milan in 2019, the 22-year-old has cemented a first-team position at centre back.

In the 2021/22 season, he enjoyed his best individual campaign with the Nerazzurri, scoring once and assisting three times in 31 Serie A games. In the current campaign, he already has seven appearances across all competitions, including two in the Champions League.

Still only 23, he has his best years ahead of him and already boasts a massive potential to be a top name in coming seasons.

Éder Militão (84 OVR – 89 POT)

Team: Real Madrid
Age: 24
Wage: £115,000
Value: £48.5 million
Best Attributes: 86 Jumping, 85 Stamina, 84 Sprint Speed

Stellar performances for Spanish giants Real Madrid have earned Éder Militão an 84 rating on FIFA 23, with an 89 potential rating suggesting that he still has plenty of room for improvement.

Militão is going to be physical presence on FIFA 23 with 86 jumping, 85 stamina, and 84 sprint speed. As expected, he also excels defensively with 84 interceptions, 83 marking, 83 standing tackle, and 82 sliding tackle.

A single season for FC Porto was enough for Real Madrid to swoop on the Brazilian in 2019. Since a €50m move to Spain, he has struggled to earn himself a starting spot, but with Sergio Ramos now gone, things are looking positive for the Brazilian star.

In the 2021/22 season, he was a regular for the Spanish giants, featuring 50 times and playing a key role as Real Madrid claimed the La Liga title. In the current campaign, he has already made five appearances for Los Blancos and will surely make more in the course of the season.

Joules Koundé (83 OVR – 89 POT)

Team: Barcelona
Age: 23
Wage: £73,000
Value: £45.5 million
Best Attributes: 88 Jumping, 86 Interceptions, 85 Reactions

Joules Koundé has recently thrown his hat into the ring as France’s future centre back, and with a predicted overall rating of 83 with a potential of 89 on FIFA 23, it’s easy to see why.

Koundé excels at defending with 86 interceptions, 85 marking, 85 standing tackle, 85 reactions, and 83 sliding tackle. His 81 acceleration and 81 sprint speed help him to stand out amongst centre backs.

A key part of Sevilla’s 2020 Europa League win, Koundé has settled well in Spain since moving from Girondins Bordeaux in 2019. It was his work in Spain which helped him to earn him his first international cap this summer with France in the summer of 2021. Koundé has played 11 times for his country, including a game in Euro 2020 in the final group match against Portugal.

The France international was subject of a transfer tussle between Chelsea and Barcelona but opted to go with the Catalan giants, having joined them in a €50m deal in the summer of 2022. He already has three assists from five appearances for the La Liga club.

Cristian Romero (82 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 24
Wage: £44,000
Value: £37.5 million
Best Attributes: 89 Aggression, 86 Jumping, 84 Standing Tackle

Cristian Romero has a predicted 83 overall rating on FIFA 23 with a potential overall rating of 87, making him one of the best young centre backs in the game.

The Atalanta loanee has 89 aggression on last years’ game, along with 84 standing tackle, 83 marking, and 83 sliding tackle – all numbers which highlight his defensive prowess. His 86 jumping and 83 heading accuracy also make him a viable aerial threat.

Romero’s high aggression on FIFA is reflective of his tendency to accumulate yellow cards over his career. Last season, he picked up ten of them in 30 games, earning him three suspensions throughout the campaign.

In his debut season at Tottenham, he made 30 appearances across all competitions for the North London club and with six games played in the current campaign, he is already proving to be a key man under Antonio Conte.

Since making his debut for Argentina in 2021, he has made 11 appearances for his national side, scoring once in that time.

Dayot Upamecano (81 OVR – 89 POT)

Team: Bayern München
Age: 23
Wage: £60,000
Value: £55 million
Best Attributes: 90 Sprint Speed, 90 Sliding Tackle, 88 Strength

The big-money move to Bayern Munich in the 2021 summer transfer window has earned Upamecano an 81 rating on FIFA 23, with a huge predicted potential overall rating of 89.

Though Upamecano only has 70 acceleration on last year’s game, his 90 sprint speed is what separates him from the pack. Partner that speed with a 90 sliding tackle and he’s adept at tracking back and making a tackle. His 88 strength, 87 jumping, and 83 aggression all demonstrate that he is a great physical defender.

Upamecano took his form at Red Bull Salzburg, where he won two consecutive league titles, to RB Leipzig in 2017, helping to propel the side into Europe for the first time in their history.

After moving to Bayern Munich for a €42.50m fee in the summer of 2021, he enjoyed his best season with the Bundesliga giants, scoring once and assisting six times in 28 league appearances, as the Bavarians claimed yet another league title. In the current season, he has already made 10 appearances for the club under Julian Nagelsmann.

After making his debut for France in 2020 and playing six games, injuries have prevented the talented defender from playing further minutes in the national team. That said, at just 23 years of age, he still has plenty of time to make an impact for his country.

Edmond Tapsoba (81 OVR – 88 POT)

Team: Bayer Leverkusen
Age: 23
Wage: £42,000
Value: £42 million
Best Attributes: 84 Standing Tackle, 83 Interceptions, 82 Heading Accuracy

Edmond Tapsoba finds his way onto this list courtesy of an 81 overall rating and an impressive 88 potential overall rating.

The Burkina Faso international is an aerial threat, standing at 6’4”, boasting a Power Header trait, and 82 heading accuracy. His 84 stand tackle, 83 interceptions, and 82 marking can only get better with his 88 potential.

Since joining Bayer Leverkusen in a €20.20m deal back in January 2020, Tapsoba has established himself in the first team, playing over 99 games. The man from Ouagadougou made his international debut for Burkina Faso at just 17 years of age, but a ligament tear has prevented him from playing for club and country since July.

All of the best young centre backs (CB) on FIFA 23

In the table below, you will find a list of all of the best young centre backs in FIFA 23 sorted by their overall ratings.

Name Predicted Overall Predicted Potential Age Position Team Value Wage
Matthijs de Ligt 85 90 23 CB FC Bayern München £64.5M £70K
Alessandro Bastoni 84 89 23 CB Inter £38.3M £66K
Éder Militão  84 89 24 CB Real Madrid £48.6M £112K
Jules Koundé 83 89 23 CB FC Barcelona £45.6M £28K
Cristian Romero 82 87 24 CB Tottenham Hotspur £37.5M £44k
Dayot Upamecano  81 89 23 CB FC Bayern München £55M £60K
Edmond Tapsoba  81 88 23 CB Bayer 04 Leverkusen £41.7M £42K
Sven Botman 79 85 22 CB Newcastle United £21.9M £23K
Maxence Lacroix 79 86 22 CB VfL Wolfsburg £28.4M £36K
Lisandro Martínez 79 85 24 CB, LB, CDM Manchester United £21.5M £14K
Fikayo Tomori 79 85 24 CB AC Milan £21.5M £30K
Gabriel  79 84 24 CB Arsenal £20.6M £56K
Wesley Fofana 78 86 21 CB Chelsea £24.9M £49K
Dan-Axel Zagadou 78 84 23 CB Borussia Dortmund £17.6M £36K
Ibrahima Konaté 78 86 23 CB Liverpool £25.4M £63K
Ezri Konsa 78 84 24 CB, RB Aston Villa £17.2M £43K
Ronald Araujo  77 86 23 CB FC Barcelona £18.9M £74K
Ibañez  77 85 23 CB Roma £18.9M £32K
Eric García  77 86 21 CB FC Barcelona £18.5M £61K
Evan N’Dicka 77 84 23 CB, LB Eintracht Frankfurt £17.2M £16K
Axel Disasi  77 82 24 CB AS Monaco £12.5M £32K
Ben Godfrey 77 85 24 CB, LB Everton £18.9M £48K
Gonçalo Inácio  76 86 21 CB Sporting CP £12.9M £6K
Jean-Clair Todibo  76 84 22 CB OGC Nice £13.3M £17K
Mohamed Salisu  76 84 23 CB Southampton £13.3M £33K
Sebastiaan Bornauw 76 82 23 CB VfL Wolfsburg £9.5M £34K
Benoît Badiashile 76 84 21 CB AS Monaco £13.3M £25K
Nikola Milenković 76 83 24 CB, RB Fiorentina £12M £31K
Ben White 76 85 24 CB, CM Arsenal £13.3M £45K
Olivier Boscagli    76 81 24 CB, LB, CDM PSV £8.6M £12K
Mingueza   75 83 23 CB, RB RC Celta de Vigo £10.3M £65K
Attila Szalai 75 83 24 CB, LB Fenerbahçe SK £9.9M £28K
Jurriën Timber   75 86 21 CB, RB Ajax £9.9M £9K
Joško Gvardiol 75 87 20 CB, LB RB Leipzig £10.8M £23K
Dávid Hancko 75 85 24 CB, LB Feyenoord £9.9M £731
Mohamed Simakan 75 85 22 CB, RB RB Leipzig £10.3M £31K
Juan Foyth 75 83 24 CB, RB, CDM Villarreal CF £9.9M £19K
Facundo Medina 75 80 23 CB Racing Club de Lens £6.9M £18K
Takehiro Tomiyasu   75 85 23 CB, RB Arsenal £10.3M £42K
Harold Moukoudi 75 80 24 CB AS Saint-Étienne £6.5M £20K
Kristoffer Ajer  75 83 24 CB Brentford £9.9M £28K

Found any other gems? Let the Outsider Gaming team know in the comments.

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