GAMING

FIFA 18 BEST YOUNG PLAYERS: CAREER MODE’S TOP STRIKERS, MIDFIELDERS, DEFENDERS AND GOALKEEPERS

Harry Sherlock

29/09/2017 SHARE

Getty composite

Goal takes a look at the potential abilities of some of the world's best wonderkids on the upcoming game

Everyone loves a wonderkid! From Freddy Adu (remember him?) to Cristiano Ronaldo, all the way up to Kylian Mbappe, nothing captures a football fan's imagination quite like a highly talented prodigy.

And that's exactly what makes FIFA career mode so great. There is nothing more satisfying than rooting out a diamond in the rough, paying peanuts, and turning him into a world-beating superstar.

RE-LIVE RONALDO'S FIFA EVOLUTION

BET9JACASH OUT AVAILABLE!NO MORE SPOILED TICKETS | T&Cs apply

JOIN NOW

This year promises to be no different and, with FIFA 18 launching this week, we've put together a list of the best players in their positions under the age of 20 to help you on your way. Get that shortlist out!

PO. = Position(s)

CR = Current Rating

PR = Potential Rating

VA. = Value

---

FIFA 18: BEST YOUNG GOALKEEPERS

---

NAME	AGE	CLUB	CR	PR	VA.
G Donnarumma	18	AC Milan	82	94	£25m
A Lafont	18	Toulouse	77	89	£10.1m
A Meret	20	Ferrara (loan)	74	88	£9.2m
W Farinez	19	Unattached	73	87	£0m
C Fructhl	17	Bayern	65	86	£0.8m
B Dragowski	19	Fiorentina	71	86	£3.6m
G Poussin	18	Bordeaux	62	83	£0.5m
M Svilar	17	Benfica	63	83	£0.5m
A Plizzari	17	Ternana (LOAN)	62	82	£0.4m

Gianluigi Donnarumma is widely regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers to emerge in world football in recent years, and that is reflected in his rating on FIFA 18, as he has the potential to be the joint highest-rated player in the game, along with PSG's brilliant teenager, Kylian Mbappe.

Alban Lafont is just 18 but he has played over 60 times for Toulouse, and could reach an 89 rating.

Amazingly, you can pick up a quite fantastic prospect, Wuilker Farinez, for nothing on career mode... and he could reach an 87 rating!

---

FIFA 18: BEST YOUNG DEFENDERS

---

NAME	AGE	CLUB	PO.	CR	PR	VA.
M De Ligt	18	Ajax	CB	76	89	£10.1m
T Fosu-Mensah	19	Crystal Palace (loan)	CB, RB	76	88	£10.5m
M Sarr	18	Nice	CB, LB	75	88	£9.2m
I Diop	20	Toulouse	CB	76	87	£10.1m
K Amian Adou	19	Toulouse	RB	73	86	£5.7m
R Sessegnon	17	Fulham	LB, LW	67	86	£1.1m
J Foyth	19	Spurs	CB	68	86	£1.4m
D Upamecano	18	RB Leipzig	CB, CDM	69	86	£1.7m
B Henrichs	20	Bayer L'kusen	RB, LB	76	86	£9.6m
C Carter-Vickers	19	Shef. Utd (loan)	CB	68	85	£1.4m
M Saracchi	19	River Plate	LB, LWB	70	85	£3m
Jorge Saenz	20	CD Tenerife	CB, RB	71	85	£4.1m
T Alexander-Arnold	18	Liverpool	RB, RM, CM	69	85	£1.6m
Cucurella	18	Barca B	LB	67	85	£1.2m
Vallejo	20	Real Madrid	CB	77	85	£10m

Every great team is built on a solid defence, and there could be some absolute monsters in FIFA 18!

Ajax youngster Matthijs De Ligt leads the way, with a potential ability of 89, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who is on loan at Crystal Palace from Manchester United, could become one of the very best defenders in England.

Elsewhere, Ryan Sessegnon looks like a potential career mode bargain, starting out with a value of just over £1 million at Fulham, with a potential rating of 86, while Tottenham could have a central defensive partnership for the ages, with Juan Foyth and Cameron Carter-Vickers potentially reaching 86 and 85 respectively.

---

FIFA 18: BEST YOUNG MIDFIELDERS

---

NAME	AGE	CLUB	PO.	CR	PR	VA.
Y Tielemans	20	Monaco	CM, CAM	80	90	£20.6m
D Ceballos	20	Real Madrid	CM, LM, CDM, CAM	78	88	£14.5m
Alena	19	Barca B	CM, CAM, RM	71	87	£4.4m
L Tousart	20	Lyon	CDM, CM	78	87	£12.3m
A Diawara	19	Napoli	CDM, CM	77	87	£10.5m
F Kessie	20	AC Milan	CM, CDM	76	86	£11m
R Neves	20	Wolves	CDM, CM	77	86	£10.5m
T Ndombele	20	Lyon	CDM, CM	74	86	£8m
S Ascacibar	20	Stuttgart	CDM	73	86	£6m
R Sanches	19	Swansea City (loan)	CM	76	86	£10.5m
M Locatelli	19	AC Milan	CDM	74	86	£7.5m
J Onomah	19	Aston Villa (loan)	CAM, RM, CM	72	86	£6m
D Zakaria	20	Gladbach	CM, CDM	72	86	£6m
W Ndidi	20	Leicester City	CDM, CM	77	86	£10.5m
N Barella	20	Cagliari	CM	70	86	£3.4m

What is it with French football and wonderkids? Youri Tielemans, formerly of Anderlecht, is a young midfielder with bags of potential, as evidenced by this very list. He won't come cheap in career mode, with a base value of just over £20m, but any outlay will be worth it - he could reach a rating of 90.

Dani Ceballos and Alena could soon have a rivalry of the ilk of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in Spanish Clasicos, as they can reach ratings of 88 and 87 respectively.

A number of players in English football could reach the level of 86. Ruben Neves, amazingly of Wolverhampton Wanderers, is one of the highest-rated players in Europe, while Renato Sanches will spend the season on loan at Swansea City from Bayern Munich. Josh Onomah - an English talent - is on loan at Aston Villa from Tottenham, while Wilfred Ndidi could become a star at Leicester City.

---

FIFA 18: BEST YOUNG FORWARDS

---

NAME	AGE	CLUB	PO.	CR	PR	VA.
K Mbappe	18	Monaco	ST	83	94	£36.5m
G Jesus	20	Man City	ST	81	92	£27.3m
O Dembele	20	Barca	RW, LW, CAM	83	92	£35.2m
A Gomes	16	Man Utd	CAM, LW, RW, CM	64	90	£0.8m
L Martinez	19	Racing	ST, CAM, RM	72	88	£5.7m
K Dolberg	19	Ajax	ST, CAM	78	88	£14.5m
B Embolo	20	Schalke	ST, RW	76	88	£12.3m
Malcom	20	Bordeaux	RW, RM	81	87	£21.5m
A Ndiaye Diedhio	20	Getafe	ST, LM, CAM	74	87	£9.6m
J Sancho	17	B. Dortmund	LW, RW	63	86	£0.7m
J Kluivert	18	Ajax	RW, LW	73	86	£6m
Han Kwang Song	18	Perugia	ST	67	86	£1.4m
K Iheanacho	20	Leicester City	ST	75	86	£10m
T Abraham	19	Swansea City (loan)	ST	73	86	£6.6m
M Odegaard	18	Heerenveen (loan)	RW, CAM	74	86	£8.3m

This won't have been a hard one to predict.

Superstar France striker Mbappe has the world at his feet after joining PSG on loan - ahead of a massive transfer next year - and has the joint-highest potential rating in the game, along with Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City's Brazilian sensation, is another fantastic attacking prospect, while Ousmane Dembele could well turn out to be the best possible successor to Neymar, who headed to PSG before Mbappe.

Manchester United's Angel Gomes, at the age of 16, is the youngest player on the list, and could become one of the best Premier League players in the game.

Further down the line, Jadon Sancho - formerly of Manchester City - is a superb prospect, along with Tammy Abraham, a member of Chelsea's loan army.

EA SPORTS releases FIFA 18 worldwide on September 29. To order your copy, head to:https://www.easports.com/uk/fifa/buy/united-kingdom

You can also RE-LIVE RONALDO'S FIFA EVOLUTION.

EX-CHELSEA STAR OSCAR HINTS AT EUROPE RETURN AFTER SNUBBING ATLETICO AND JUVE

06/10/2017 SHARE

Getty Images

The Brazilian has confirmed that he opted against possible moves to Spain or Italy in order to make a lucrative switch to China with Shanghai SIPG

Former Chelsea forward Oscar admits he could have a future in Europe despite having turned down Atletico Madrid and Juventus to head for China.

The Brazilian departed Stamford Bridge in January, with a lucrative £51 million deal taking him to Shanghai SIPG.

Eyebrows were raised at a 26-year-old talent opting to join the Chinese Super League ranks in the supposed peak years of his career.

CHELSEA DEALT ANOTHER INJURY BLOW AS KANTE SUFFERS HAMSTRING PROBLEM

13:32 SHARE

Getty Images

The Blues lost Alvaro Morata to a muscle problem against Manchester City and could now find themselves without their key midfielder

Chelsea have been dealt another potential injury blow with the withdrawal of N'Golo Kante during France's match against Bulgaria on Saturday.

The central midfielder appeared to be suffering from a hamstring problem as was taken off just 34 minutes into the key World Cup qualifier, raising fears he could be sidelined for Chelsea after the international break.

WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS: WHAT SCOTLAND,WALES, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND NEED IN FINAL MATCH

Oli Platt

17:36 SHARE

Getty Images

As many as three countries from the British Isles can still join England in booking their place for Russia - here is now...

At least one team from the British Isles is guaranteed to be making the trip to Russia, and four more are still in the running. 

Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are dreaming of joining England at the finals, although with one game left in UEFA's first qualifying phase the fight for places is heating up intensely. 

With the Dragons and the Boys in Green meeting on the final day, however, a maximum of three of the Home Nations can make Russia.

BET9JACASH OUT AVAILABLE!NO MORE SPOILED TICKETS | T&Cs apply

JOIN NOW

What does each team need to do not only to claim at least a second-place finish, but also make sure they reach the all-important play-off phase? The guide below should answer all of your questions.

---

HOW WALES CAN QUALIFY

---

Wales vs Republic of Ireland 
Monday, October 9 (19:45 BST)

Win: Wales can guarantee a play-off place with a win. They could also still win their group with a victory if Serbia fail to beat Georgia at home.

Draw: If Wales draw, they will be at the mercy of other results.

If Serbia lose to Georgia by two goals or more, Wales can win the group with a draw - but if Serbia match Wales' result or even just lose by one, they win the group and qualify.

A draw will be enough to ensure Wales finish at least second in the group, but they could still be at risk of being the worst second-place team and missing out on the play-offs.

The results to watch out for in that regard will be in Group F and Group I, whereScotland and Croatia currently sit second but still have work to do.

If Greece fail to beat Gibraltar then Group H could also come into play because Bosnia & Herzegovina, who would not be able to catch Wales in the runners-up table, could jump into second place, but that's unlikely.

Lose:  If Wales lose, their World Cup dream is over.

Ireland will rise above Chris Coleman's men, leaving them in third place.

---

HOW IRELAND CAN QUALIFY

---

Wales vs Republic of Ireland 
Monday, October 9 (19:45 BST)

Win:  Only a win will suffice in Cardiff to keep Martin O'Neill's men's World Cupdreams alive. Three points would be guaranteed to clinch Ireland at least a second-placed finish, given that Wales currently lie ahead of them one point clear in second. 

If Serbia additionally lose to Georgia, Ireland could even grab first place in Group D. A draw would see the top spot decided on goal difference - Serbia currently edge that tie-breaker with nine goals in favour, compared to five for the Boys in Green.

Draw/Loss: Failure to take maximum points eliminates Ireland from the World Cup.

---

HOW SCOTLAND CAN QUALIFY FOR THE PLAY-OFFS

---

Slovenia vs Scotland 
Sunday, October 8, (17:00 BST)

Win: While first place in Group F is now out of reach, Scotland would cement their runners-up status behind England with three points in their final group game. Currently ninth and outside the play-offs, victory would also go a long way to lifting them into a play-off position by taking the Tartan Army to a total of 14 points in that ranking - overtaking Greece, to name just one, who currently lie in second in their group but who cannot add to their total as they face bottom-placed Gibraltar.

Draw:  A share of the points would be enough to grab second in Group F only if Slovakia failed to defeat Malta, who have managed just a single point this campaign. But it would be insufficient to grab a play-off spot, as two of eitherWales or Republic and Ireland and Croatia or Ukraine will finish with more second-placed points.

Loss:  Losing would see either Slovenia or Slovakia claim second, depending on the latter's result against Malta, with the Tartan Army eliminated.

---

HOW NORTHERN IRELAND CAN QUALIFY FOR THE PLAY-OFFS

---

Norway vs Northern Ireland 
Sunday, October 8, (19:45 BST)

Win:  Second place is assured for Northern Ireland going into the last game, and three points against Norway would see them claim an unassailable advantage over those below to clinch a play-off spot.

Draw:  A draw would also be enough to take a play-off place, since even if Croatia, Scotland and Wales win to overtake Northern Ireland in the play-off table neither Greece nor Bosnia & Herzegovina can push them into ninth.

Loss:  If Northern Ireland lose by more than one goal the side will fall behind Greece in the standings, meaning possible elimination should the results detailed above take place. 

---

THE PLAY-OFF SPOTS AS THEY STAND

---

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Portugal (PO*)	7	6	0	1	22	4	+18	18
2	Italy (PO)	7	4	2	1	11	8	+3	14
3	Sweden	7	4	1	2	17	7	+10	13
4	Denmark	7	4	1	2	12	5	+7	13
5	Northern Ireland	7	4	1	2	10	5	+5	13
6	Greece	8	3	4	1	9	5	+4	13
7	Wales	7	2	5	0	7	5	+2	11
8	Croatia	7	3	2	2	6	4	+2	11
9	Scotland	7	3	2	2	8	9	-1	11

(PO) = qualified for play-off
(PO*) = play-off guaranteed but could still win group

Above is the ranking of second-place teams as it stands.

Italy are the only team we know will definitely play in the play-offs so far. Portugal are guaranteed at least a place in the play-offs but could still qualify by winning their group.

There are a number of groups where the second-place team is far from certain - such as in Greece, Sweden and Croatia's cases - which then has a knock-on effect in terms of the second-place rankings.

Article continues below

---

HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?

---

All three relevant games can be watched live on television in the UK on Sky Sports Football and by stream via Sky Go.