Football Manager 2021 Wonderkids: Best Young French Players to Sign

France have rarely turned up to the major tournaments with a weak squad, but team chemistry and coaching decisions have often hampered Les Bleus. Now, however, that looks to be a thing of the past.

The nation is flying with a relatively young World Cup-winning squad that has plenty of players competing for a place. In fact, the most recent 25-man roster had an average age of 27-years-old, with only six players in their 30s.

Now, we look to the best young French players in Football Manager 2021 who could, should they be trained well, continue the nation’s success to establish an in-game international dynasty.

On this page, you’ll find all of FM 21’s top French wonderkids, ranked by their potential ability ratings.

Choosing the best French wonderkids of FM 21

To be classed as one of the best French wonderkids in Football Manager 2021, each player had to meet a set of three criteria. The players have to be 21-year-old or younger at the start of the game, have France down as their nation of choice, and have one of the best potential ability (PA) ratings among young Frenchmen.

PA is the most important value to consider for French wonderkids, with the minimum potential ability to make it onto this list being 140 PA or -85 PA. Negative PA reflects a potential ability range that the chosen player can load with in any save, as follows: -10 (170-200), -95 (160-190), -9 (150-180), and -85 (140-170).

As those with a negative PA can load with a potential ability rating of any number within their given range, we rank them according to their lowest possible PA. Still, one of these negative PA players can end up ranking among the very best French wonderkids in FM 21.

Below, you’ll find the best young players from France in the game, with all of the best French wonderkids listed in the table at the base of the article.

Kylian Mbappé (181 CA / 196 PA)

Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 21
Best Positions: AML, ST, AMR
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 181 CA / 196 PA
Value: £83 million
Wages: £403,088
Best Attributes: 20 Acceleration, 20 Pace, 18 Dribbling

Following what once seen as an obscene £130.5 million, Kylian Mbappé has proven himself to be worth every penny, and he’ll only turn 22-years-old this season. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, the young Frenchman has hit the 100-goal mark, eclipsed 50 assists, and won every piece of domestic silverware available multiple times.

Scoring the goal that put France 4-1 up with around half-an-hour to go in the World Cup Final, Mbappé cemented himself as a national hero. Since then, he’s continued to be Les Bleus’ go-to right winger or striker, leading to him tallying 16 goals and 13 assists before playing his 40^th game the nation.

In FM 21, Mbappé’s 181 CA stands him as one of the best players in the game. The Parisian’s 196 PA also ranks him as the game’s best ST wonderkid, the best AMR wonderkid to sign, and also the top French wonderkid. If he reaches that almighty 196 PA, his CA would be greater than Cristiano Ronaldo’s or Lionel Messi’s at the start of the new title.

It’s not difficult to utilise Mbappé, provided that you play him on either wing or as a striker, with his 17 finishing, 18 dribbling, 20 acceleration, and 20 pace making him nearly unstoppable. Unless you start the games as PSG, however, you’ll struggle to get the best young Frenchman of FM 21, with his estimated cost climbing as high as £311 million.

Jean-Clair Todibo (134 CA / 173 PA)

Team: Barcelona (on-loan to Benfica)
Age: 20
Best Positions: DC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 134 CA / 173 PA
Value: £7.25 million
Wages: £21,978
Best Attributes: 17 Pace, 16 Jumping Reach, 16 Tackling

Born in French Guiana, Jean-Clair Todibo switched from amateur side FC Les Lilas to the Toulouse youth system at 16-years-old, debuting for the French outfit at the start of the 2018/19 season. Partway through, Barcelona snapped up the 6’2’’ centre back, giving him a couple of starts in the same campaign.

For 2019/20, Todibo was sent out on-loan to FC Schalke 04, but could only feature in 13 games. An ankle, groin, leg, and pinched nerve injury held back the young defender. So, Barça opted to loan the Cayenne-born centre back to Benfica for two seasons, but he’s yet to play due to an Achilles tendon and thigh injury.

When he is fit, Todibo has been able to impress, even earning a Player of the Month award with Schalke. Football Manager 2021 sees him as having a tremendous about of potential, too, gifting him a 173 PA to rank him as one of the best French wonderkids in the game.

Also ranking among the best DC wonderkids of FM 21, the 20-year-old carries a fairly reliable 13 natural fitness, which is bolstered by other hefty physical attributes. Todibo’s 17 pace, 16 jumping reach, 16 tackling, and 15 strength make him a formidable centre back for any forward to try to get past.

Dayot Upamecano (139 CA / 172 PA)

Team: RB Leipzig
Age: 21
Best Positions: DC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 139 CA / 172 PA
Value: £14.5 million
Wages: £42,177
Best Attributes: 18 Pace, 17 Strength, 17 Tackling

Having impressed for the sister club, RB Salzburg of the Austrian top-flight, Dayot Upamecano earned a £9 million switch to RB Leipzig of the Bundesliga in January 2017. After switching one Red Bull club for another, the Frenchman quickly worked his way into a starting role again, cementing his place at the back for the club in former East Germany.

With 128 games for Die Roten Bullen to date, the 22-year-old continues to draw the attention of Europe’s elite. Further adding to his value, Upamecano made his international debut in September 2020, scoring in a statement 4-2 triumph over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League – which was only his second game for France.

Only trailing the oft-injured Jean-Clair Todibo by one PA point, Upamecano stands among the best French wonderkids in FM 21. His 139 CA makes him a serviceable add now, as do the Évreux-native’s impressive defensive attribute ratings.

Starting the game as a 21-year-old, the French centre back comes in with 17 strength, 16 marking, 17 tackling, 12 heading, 16 bravery, 16 aggression, and an absurd 18 pace. With this as Upamecano’s base, it’s clear that the top young Frenchman will develop into one of the best centre backs in FM 21.

Eduardo Camavinga (136 CA / 170-200 PA)

Team: Stade Rennais FC
Age: 17
Best Positions: DM, MC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 136 CA / -10 (170-200) PA
Value: £20 million
Wages: £18,914
Best Attributes: 15 Anticipation, 15 Tackling, 15 Positioning

 Eduardo Camavinga joined the Stade Rennais system at 11-years-old, proving himself worthy of a professional contract a mere five years later. Breaking records across the board as the now-youngest player, he’s become an invaluable piece of the Rennais team, being key to their unprecedented run into the Champions League qualification places last season.

Still only 18-years-old, the Angola-born midfielder was gifted his France debut in September 2020, with his surge to prominence being so rapid that he had only clocked one game in the youth ranks prior. In his second game for the national team, the defence-first Frenchman scored in the 7-1 triumph over Ukraine.

He’s the best MC wonderkid in FM 21, and the highest-rated young DM to sign, so it only makes sense that Camavinga would rank among the best French wonderkids in the game. His -10 PA range means that even with his lowest PA, he’ll still rank among the game’s top young players.

Some lucky saves of FM 21 will be able to reap the benefits of Camavinga having a 200 PA, which exceeds that of Ronaldo, Messi, and Mbappé. Of course, even if his -10 PA lands somewhere in the middle, the French wonderkid will still be around the 185 PA mark. In any case, he’s a must-buy if you can afford the £47.5 million-plus estimated cost.

 Jules Koundé (148 CA / 168 PA)

Team: Sevilla
Age: 21
Best Positions: DC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 148 CA / 168 PA
Value: £20 million
Wages: £73,223
Best Attributes: 16 Heading, 16 Determination, 16 Balance

Establishing himself as a trustworthy centre back for Girondins Bordeaux, despite being so young, Jules Koundé earned the attention of several big-money clubs across the rest of Europe. In the summer of 2019, he ended up joining Sevilla for the hefty fee of £22.5 million, almost immediately claiming a starting role.

Koundé’s already established himself as one of Los Nervionenses’ go-to centre backs, often playing alongside Diego Carlos. Despite missing some time in the early phases of the season, the French wonderkid was a mainstay in the club’s Champions League and La Liga starting XIs.

Landing as the third centre back of the five best young French players in FM 21, Koundé ranks well in terms of his very strong 148 CA and mighty 168 PA. However, his hefty CA at just 21-years-old may make the Parisian more expensive to acquire than either of the wonderkid French centre backs with better potential abilities.

The benefits of landing Koundé as your French wonderkid of choice is that he’s first-team ready, and will only continue to improve. His 16 balance, 16 heading, 16 determination, 14 positioning, 15 marking, 15 tackling, 14 strength, and 15 jumping reach make him a superb stay-at-home defender from the very start.

All the best French wonderkids in FM 21

To take your pick from all of the best young Frenchman in FM 21, consult the table below. You’ll find the French wonderkids with the highest PA ratings at the top, with players given a negative PA ranked by their lowest possible potential ability rating.

If you want one of France’s star performers of the future, sign one of the best FM 21 French wonderkids, as shown in the table above.