Football Manager 2021 Wonderkids: Best Young Spanish Players to Sign

Spain boasts one of the most impressive international dynasties in modern footballing history.

Not only did the Spanish national team win two European Championships and a World Cup in the space of four years, but they also changed the way that the sport is played at the highest level.

While the national team has experienced a lull since the 2012 Euros triumph, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the nation’s up-and-coming stars.

Here, we’re seeing which Spanish wonderkids have been given the highest potential ability ratings in Football Manager 2021.

Choosing the best Spanish wonderkids of FM 21

Every player on this page is 21-years-old or younger, has Spain listed as their nation, and has one of the highest potential ability (PA) ratings of all of the young Spanish players in FM 21.

In the game, there’re two forms of potential ability: a solid PA rating and a negative PA. The solid PA is a number from one to 200, indicating the eventual current ability (CA) that the player could reach.

Negative PA produces a different PA rating with each save, with the negative PA value (from -10 down to -1) translating to a set range. On this page, the players with a negative PA have the following ranges: -95 (160 to 190), -9 (150 to 180), and -85 (140-170).

Below, you’ll find all of the best young Spanish players in FM 21 arranged by their potential ability, with negative PA wonderkids being ranked per their lowest possible PA in any given save.

Ferran Torres (149 CA / 165 PA)

Team: Manchester City
Age: 20
Best Positions: AMR, MR
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 149 CA / 165 PA
Value: £33.5 million
Wages: £60,000
Best Attributes: 17 Acceleration, 15 Flair, 15 Pace

While his record of nine goals and 12 assists in 97 games for Valencia CF wasn’t overly impressive, the way in which coaches lauded Ferran Torres as a top-class talent certainly intrigued Europe’s elite. A move to Manchester City was finalised over the summer, with Pep Guardiola seeing his new Spanish star score six goals in just 16 matches.

A month after City reeled-in the young winger for an advantageous £20.7 million, Torres was given his national team debut. Since Luis Enrique played him for a full match against Germany in September 2020, Torres has been a mainstay for Spain, scoring four goals in his opening seven contests.

Torres stands as the joint-best Spanish wonderkid in FM 21, having the highest solid PA of 165 in each load of the game. Having just moved to the Etihad Stadium, however, you’ll have a tough time signing the top young player in your first season.

Should you start as City or manage to buy the Foios-native, you’ll have one of the best young right wingers in FM 21. From the first season, your team will reap the benefits of Torres’ 17 acceleration, 15 pace, 15 agility, 15 flair, 15 dribbling, and 14 finishing.

Eric García (135 CA / 165 PA)

Team: Manchester City
Age: 19
Best Positions: DC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 135 CA / 165 PA
Value: £18.75 million
Wages: £12,000
Best Attributes: 17 Determination, 16 Composure, 15 Concentration

After a bunch of appearances in cup competitions, Eric García was granted a more regular role in Manchester City’s starting XI last season, playing 20 first-team games in 2019/20. This season, the defender born in Barcelona has been given more opportunities to impress, starting in the Champions League and Premier League prior to his leg injury.

Still only 19-years-old, García has already tallied four caps for Spain. Set to be one of the future pieces of the team that Luis Enrique is tasked with rebuilding, the City centre back has helped keep three clean sheets so far.

García boasts the same 165 PA as Ferran Torres, ranking just below his teammate as one of the best Spanish wonderkids in FM 21 due to his lower 135 CA. Working in his favour, from the stance of a potential suitor, the teenager currently only has wages of £12,000, and the club may sell him for between £43.5 million and £86 million.

The 135 CA would imply that García isn’t quite ready for regular first-team football, but his hefty ratings in key areas would suggest otherwise. His 13 heading, 13 marking, 13 tackling, 16 composure, 15 concentration, 17 determination, 15 positioning, and 15 work rate make him a viable option as a starting DC for many teams.

Ansu Fati (148 CA / 160-190 PA)

Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 17
Best Positions: AML, ST, AMR
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 148 CA / -95 (160-190) PA
Value: £54 million
Wages: £70,294
Best Attributes: 19 Flair, 17 Agility, 16 Dribbling

Born in Guinea-Bissau, playing for the Spanish national team, Ansu Fati switched from the Sevilla youth set-up to La Masia at ten-years-old. Skipping the B team altogether, he made his debut for FC Barcelona at 16-years-old, already tallying 13 goals and five assists in his first 43 contests.

Also given his national team debut by Luis Enrique, Fati was becoming a regular feature for Spain in 2020. However, in November, a series left knee injury to the internal meniscus commenced a long road to recovery for the highly-rated young star.

Thanks to his negative PA of -95, Fati could be given a potential ability rating as low as 160 or as high as 190. So, in some FM 21 saves, the Spanish wonderkid will have the chance to develop into one of the best young strikers in the game.

Capable of playing to the best of his ability anywhere across the front line, the star youngster has several very useful attribute ratings as a 17-year-old. Among the highlights for Fati from the get-go are his 16 dribbling, 16 technique, 19 flair, 16 off the ball, 16 acceleration, and 17 agility.

Pedri (138 CA / 160-190 PA)

Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 17
Best Positions: MC, AMC, AML, AMR
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 138 CA / -95 (160-190) PA
Value: £11 million
Wages: £35,146
Best Attributes: 18 Flair, 17 Dribbling, 16 Passing

Making his debut at 16-years-old for Las Palmas in La Liga 2, and impressing in doing so, it wasn’t going to be long before one of the big clubs came knocking for Pedri. That club turned out to be FC Barcelona, less than one month after his first-team debut, who loaned him back out to Las Palmas for the campaign.

Still a mere 17-year-old, Pedri has been able to break into the Barça starting XI. He’s played in the Champions League and La Liga, being deployed on the left, right, and in attacking midfield to tally two goals in his first 17 matches.

The midfielder from Tegueste is in a similar boat to Ansu Fati, standing as one of the best Spanish wonderkids of FM 21 while potentially being the very best young Spaniard in the game. Pedri’s -95 PA means that he could hit an ability ceiling of 160 CA, or push all the way to 190 CA in any given save.

There’s a lot of development needed on areas such as work rate, strength, balance, positioning, and tackling, but Pedri can already be useful in the final third. The Spaniard’s 16 technique, 16 passing, 16 first touch, 17 dribbling, 16 vision, and 18 flair make him a potent playmaker from the start of the game.

Ilaix Moriba (120 CA / 160-190 PA)

Team: FC Barcelona
Age: 17
Best Positions: MC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 120 CA / -95 (160-190) PA
Value: £1.6 million
Wages: £11,570
Best Attributes: 17 Flair, 16 Technique, 15 First Touch

Rounding off the set of the top-five best wonderkids from Spain in FM 21 is yet another Barcelona prospect, Ilaix Moriba. The central midfielder is yet to play for Barcelona’s first-team in any capacity, but continues to be a regular feature for Barça B in Segunda División B.

The powerful midfielder hails from the Guinea capital, Conakry, but has selected Spain as his national team at the youth level. To date, Moriba has tallied two goals and two assists for Spain’s under-17s, and has also been given some game time for the under-18s side.

Given that he’s 17-years-old, playing for the B team, and valued at just £1.6 million, Moriba stands as one of the best young Spanish players in FM 21 as well as a high potential hidden gem. Predominantly an MC in the game, he can load into a save with a PA rating between 160 and 190.

As is often the case with hidden gems, Moriba requires a fair bit of polish to make him ready for some first-team action. That said, his 120 CA is bolstered by some excellent ratings, such as the Guinea-Spaniard’s 15 first touch, 16 technique, 15 determination, 17 flair, and 15 natural fitness.

All the best Spanish wonderkids in FM 21

In the table below, you can see all of the best young Spaniards in FM 21 sorted by their potential ability ratings, with negative PA players ranked according to the lowest PA of their respective ranges.

If you want to develop one of Spain’s future stars, be sure to sign one of the FM 21 wonderkids listed above.