Despite the position implying that the main task of a right back is to defend, far more is expected of the modern role, with passing, crossing, and speed being just as important as sliding tackles, headers, and marking.
To ensure that your DR or WBR position is cemented by a world-class talent for years to come, we’ve compiled the very best right back wonderkids in FM22.
Choosing the best right back (DR & WBR) on FM22
Our selection of the best right backs wonderkids on FM22 is stacked with talent, including the likes of Reece James, Max Aarons, and Jeremie Frimpong.
To qualify as one of these top young players, they had to have at least a 19 rating for DR or WBR, be 21-years-old or younger, and have a potential ability (PA) or PA Range of at least 145 or 140-170.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find the full list of all of the best young right backs (DR & WBR) in FM22.
1. Reece James (151 CA / 168 PA)
Team: Chelsea
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 151 CA / 168 PA
Wage: £60,000 p/w
Value: £252 million – £277 million
Best Positions: DR
Best Attributes: 18 Strength, 17 Determination, 16 Crossing
Already one of the best right backs in FM22 with a 151 CA, Reece James can quickly develop further, with a 168 PA being his ceiling.
Standing as the best young right back in FM22, James’ 16 crossing, 14 first touch, 13 tackling, 18 strength, and 15 stamina make him a real menace down the flank already. Add in his 15 work rate and 14 teamwork, and you know he’ll become a superstar.
Still only 21-years-old, Reece will reach his 100th game for Chelsea this season. By his 96th appearance, the versatile Englishman had already notched seven goals and 12 assists.
2. Tariq Lamptey (140 CA / 165 PA)
Team: Brighton & Hove Albion
Age: 20
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 140 CA / 165 PA
Wage: £43,000 p/w
Value: £51 million – £60 million
Best Positions: DR, WBR
Best Attributes: 20 Acceleration, 16 Pace, 16 Agility
Certainly one of the more attack-minded players here, Tariq Lamptey’s 165 PA at 20-years-old lands him very high up this list of the best right back wonderkids in FM22.
If you can keep him fit – with his ten natural fitness attempting to get in the way – you should be happy to give the 140 CA full-back the whole right side. His 20 acceleration, 16 agility, 16 pace, and 14 stamina allow him to go all-out down the wing, even if his end product (11 crossing, 11 tackling) isn’t always top-notch yet.
Lamptey enjoyed an explosive start to life with Brighton & Hove Albion, performing well to finish the 2019/20 season and looking like one of the best full-backs in the Premier League at the start of last season. However, injuries continue to hold him back, so manager Graham Potter is being more cautious with the youngster.
3. Pedro Porro (146 CA / 164 PA)
Team: Manchester City
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 146 CA / 164 PA
Wage: £30,000 p/w
Value: £177 million – £193 million
Best Positions: DR, WBR
Best Attributes: 18 Determination, 17 Natural Fitness, 17 Flair
Pedro Porro is a classy right back already, boasting a 146 CA, but it’s his hefty 164 PA that makes him one of FM22’s best DR or WBR wonderkids to sign.
Starting the game on-loan to Sporting CP from Manchester City, Porro’s attributes page is littered with the coveted green ratings. The 21-year-old Spaniard already features 16 dribbling, 18 determination, 17 flair, 16 off the ball, 16 acceleration, 16 agility, and 17 natural fitness.
Born in Don Benito, Porro is presently in the second half of his two-season loan stint at the Estádio José Alvalade XXI, and continues to be a key part of the starting XI. This season, Sporting CP have deployed him primarily on the right side, ahead of a back-three.
4. Jeremie Frimpong (136 CA / 160 PA)
Team: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Age: 20
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 136 CA / 160 PA
Wage: £24,595 p/w
Value: £40 million – £58 million
Best Positions: DR, WBR
Best Attributes: 17 Pace, 17 Acceleration, 15 Agility
Jeremie Frimpong has been a top wonderkid to target in Football Manager for a couple of years now, and in FM22, his 160 PA retains his place among the best young right backs.
The greatest strength of the Amsterdam-native is his speed on the ball. Frimpong starts the game with 17 acceleration, 17 pace, 15 agility, and 14 dribbling. He can pose a real problem going forward, but his 12 tackling, 11 marking, and 11 strength need some development.
After working his way through the Manchester City youth ranks, Frimpong moved to Celtic in 2019, impressing in 51 appearances to force Bayer 04 Leverkusen to bid £10 million. He featured several times after the January 2021 switch, and has now become Die Werkself’s starting right back.
5. Max Aarons (135 CA / 160 PA)
Team: Norwich City
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 135 CA / 160 PA
Wage: £40,000 p/w
Value: £57 million – £67 million
Best Positions: DR
Best Attributes: 17 Determination, 16 Composure, 15 Pace
Norwich City youth product Max Aarons lands on this list of the best young right backs in FM22 by virtue of his 160 PA, and he’s already of a good standard, thanks to his 135 CA.
Aarons has a lot to offer a top-tier starting XI, with his 16 composure, 17 determination, 13 marking, 14 tackling, and 14 dribbling being his best attributes. He also has a great foundation in the physical column, with a 15 for his acceleration, agility, balance, natural fitness, pace, and stamina.
Throughout Norwich’s promotion to the Premier League, relegation to the Championship, and return to the top-flight, Aarons has been an ever-present in the side. Still only 21-years-old, bigger clubs have been watching his development intently, so he may not remain relegated with the Canaries – should they carry on as is this season.
6. Pierre Kalulu (133 CA / 159 PA)
Team: AC Milan
Age: 21
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 133 CA / 159 PA
Wage: £14,995 p/w
Value: £10.5 million – £15.5 million
Best Positions: DR, DC
Best Attributes: 16 Pace, 15 Anticipation, 15 Determination
French full-back Pierre Kalulu has quite suddenly emerged onto the radars of wonderkid-seeking teams in Football Manager, coming into FM22 with a 159 PA.
The first reasonably valued right back wonderkid on this list at up to £15.5 million – despite being contracted to the San Siro co-residents – Kalulu offers the ideal mix of high potential ability and affordability. Right now, his best attributes are his 16 pace, 15 anticipation, 15 natural fitness, 15 anticipation, and 14 strength.
In September 2020, Kalulu switched from the Olympique Lyonnais B team to AC Milan without playing a single game for the first-team. Last season, the Lyon-native was offered a fair few starts here and there, and continues to be deployed across the backline in 2021/22.
7. Wilfried Singo (131 CA / 157 PA)
Team: Torino
Age: 20
Current Ability / Potential Ability: 131 CA / 157 PA
Wage: £6,083 p/w
Value: £15.5 million – £19.5 million
Best Positions: DR, WBR, MR
Best Attributes: 17 Determination, 16 Acceleration, 16 Pace
Capable of playing to the best of his ability at DR, WBR, and MR, Wilfried Singo’s best-suited to right back, landing him among the best young players in the position in FM22.
Also quite reasonably valued, at between £15.5 million and £19.5 million, Singo certainly falls under the banner of attack-minded full-backs. The Ivorian enters the game with 16 pace, 16 acceleration, 17 determination, 14 dribbling, and 15 work rate.
Born in Odienné, Singo made his first-team debut for Torino in August 2019 – the same year that he came to Italy from AS Denguélé. Now 50 games into his career for il Toro, he’s a regular feature, often starting in right midfield.
All of the best young right back (DR & WBR) wonderkids on FM22
Below you’ll find all of the best right back wonderkids to sign for your team in FM22, with the table being sorted by their potential ability ratings.
| Name | PA (Range) | CA | Age | Wages (p/w) | Value | Team |
| Reece James | 168 | 151 | 21 | £60,000 | £252 million – £277 million | Chelsea |
| Tariq Lamptey | 165 | 140 | 20 | £43,000 | £51 million – £60 million | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Pedro Porro | 164 | 146 | 21 | £30,000 | £177 million – £193 million | Manchester City |
| Jeremie Frimpong | 160 | 136 | 20 | £24,595 | £20 million – £30 million | Bayer 04 Leverkusen |
| Max Aarons | 160 | 135 | 21 | £40,000 | £57 million – £67 million | Norwich City |
| Pierre Kalulu | 159 | 133 | 21 | £14,995 | £10.5 million – £15.5 million | AC Milan |
| Wilfried Singo | 157 | 131 | 20 | £6,083 | £15.5 million – £19.5 million | Torino |
| Gabriele Zappa | 157 | 127 | 21 | £9,125 | £300,000 – £6.4 million | Cagliari |
| Sergiño Dest | 155 | 139 | 20 | £65,770 | £26 million – £32 million | FC Barcelona |
| Andrea Cambiaso | 153 | 124 | 21 | £3,650 | £5 million – £6.2 million | Genoa CFC |
| Calegari | 152 | 130 | 19 | £8,750 | £11.5 million – £16 million | FLU |
| Vanderson | 152 | 125 | 20 | £6,750 | £12.5 million – £18.5 million | GRE |
| Guille Rosas | 150 | 125 | 21 | £9,000 | £4.8 million – £8.8 million | Sporting Gijón |
| Jurriën Timber | 150-180 | 138 | 20 | £23,940 | £13.5 million – £20 million | Ajax |
| Tino Livramento | 150-180 | 128 | 18 | £10,000 | £50 million – £59 million | Southampton |
| Felix Agu | 145 | 126 | 21 | £7,695 | £600,000 | SV Werder Bremen |
| Mateu Morey | 145 | 129 | 21 | £16,386 | £400,000 – £6.8 million | Borussia Dortmund |
| Jayden Bogle | 145 | 126 | 21 | £16,500 | £15 million – £19 million | Sheffield United |
| Louis Beyer | 145 | 126 | 21 | £3,847 | £350,000 – £6 million | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| Ismael Casas | 145 | 121 | 20 | £2,565 | £3.9 million – £7.2 million | Málaga |
| Juan Cáceres | 145 | 123 | 21 | £1,500 | £3.5 million – £6.8 million | RC Avellaneda |
| Josha Vagnoman | 140-170 | 122 | 20 | £6,558 | £5.8 million – £6.8 million | Hamburger SV |
| Alejandro Francés | 140-170 | 120 | 19 | £5,250 | £3.8 million – £5.8 million | Zaragoza |
| Gonçalo Esteves | 140-170 | 90 | 17 | £90 | £350,000 – £3.6 million | Sporting |
Those are the best wonderkid DRs and WBRs in FM22, but who will you sign for your team?
