Potential Football Manager 2022 Wonderkids & Next Generation Talents Born 2005-2006

Potential Football Manager 2022 Wonderkids

With the announcement of Football Manager 2022 right around the corner, it’s time to speculate around the potential Football Manager 2022 wonderkids that we believe YOU NEED TO KNOW at FM22 release!

To build upon the success of last years potential wonderkids list, and to help you be better prepared for scouting for wonderkids at Football Manager 2022 release, we look ahead at the next generation of talents – those wonderkids and best young talents that were too young to be included in Football Manager 2021.

Today I’m ready to reveal my list of the potential FM22 Wonderkids and the ones to watch in Football Manager 2022 aged 16 or younger! Here you’ll meet the next generation of talents born in late 2004, 2005 or 2006 that’s currently emerging at Under-18 level or below.

You can use my review of the potential wonderkids for Football Manager 2022 to get a better insight to the best young talents in FM22 pre-release, and get our recommendations of talents to scout and sign in FM22.

In this year’s potential wonderkids list we have identified 10 talents we believe will have the highest potential score in FM22. We will update this list with more potential FM22 wonderkids in the weeks leading up to FM22 release.

Featured along with our review of potential FM22 Wonderkids you will find the Passion4FM NextGen talents database that let you discover the potential wonderkids of Football Manager 2022 in FM21 ‘before’ anyone else! Put them up on your shortlist and get ready for FM22 release.

EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE FM22 WONDERKIDS IN FM21

Download Passion4FM’s brand new Football Manager 2022 NextGen Database – your source to the potential FM22 / FM23 wonderkids as we let you discover the next generation of football talents in Football Manager!

If you got any personal favorites and recommendations of FM22 wonderkids to watch, feel free to include your own list of the under-16 talents in your spotlight in the comments section below or send us a message in our Discord channel.


Top 10 Potential FM22 Wonderkids to Watch

Ângelo Gabriel /16/ Santos

The Brazilian wonderkid conveyer belt is producing the next generation of talents in a lightning fast ratio. Last year we identified Savió as one of the new wonderkids in FM21 with the highest potential. This year, it’s Santos’ Ângelo Gabriel which grabs my attention.

Santos FC is no stranger to producing attacking players with flair and technical brilliance. Neymar, Robinho, Rodrygo and latest prodigee Kaio Jorge has all gone through the Peixe Academy. In the last year they got a new wonderkid emerging.

Born in Brasília on December 21, 2004, Ângelo Gabriel Borges Damaceno is a versatile winger with stunning skills and huge potential. He can play both as a right midfielder, inside forward, left inverted winger, or central forward.

He received his first-team debut on October 25th, 2020, at the tender age of 15 and 10 months – becoming the youngest ever player for Santos, an achievement previously held by Yuri Alberto. In the 2020 Brazilian Serie A season he managed to get 151 minutes of play over 9 appearances while this season has a total of 24 appearances spread between Serie A, Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil.

The current Brazilian Under-16 international’s greatest achievement came in the Copa Libertadores third qualification round match against San Lorenzo as Santos was chasing an equalizer. By tapping in a goal from close range, Ângelo Gabriel becomes the youngest ever goalscorer in Copa Libertadores history! A feat held for 60 years until Gabriel popped up!

So far Gabriel has racked up 1 goal and an assist in 33 appearances something that has surpassed Neymar’s level at a similar age. Speaking of Neymar, Ângelo possesses some of the same skills and traits as him. Tending to cut inside and take on opponents with great speed, he uses his incredible close control and change of directions to dribble past opponents has made Real Madrid and Liverpool desperate to secure the talent of the next Brazilian wonderkid!

Bagged with flair and the ability to the extraordinary, acceleration and pace to get by his marker and the technical brilliance and trickery to draw opponent’s out of their zone makes me want to describe him as the next Neymar! Here at Passion4FM HQ expectations are high for this FM22 wonderkid!

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Five Stars

Arthur Wenderroscky /15/ Fluminense

On the topic of Brazilian Wonderkids you need to know in FM22, we got the next gem from Brazil – the attacking midfielder Arthur Wenderroscky of Fluminense. Born on February 24th, 2005, the hot prospect has already signed a professional contract with Fluminense that extends until February 2026.

He debuted for the Brazilian Under-16 international team at the age of 14 and has since then scored 1 goal in 7 appearances. He has represented the different age groups of Brazil’s national teams up to Under-17 level until the pandemic put a stall to international youth competitions. So far his record stands at 3 goals in 10 apps but with his amazing potential, we’re looking at a player who can at least triple those numbers.

In March 2021, he became the youngest ever player for Fluminense when coming on in the 2021 Campeonato Carioca group stage match against Resende. Arthur was a significant member of the team who won the Campeonato Brasileiro Under-17 2020 championship, playing alongside Kayke and Jefté, scoring one goal in Fluminense’s way to lifting the trophy.

Arthur Wenderroscky stands out for his playmaking abilities and abilities to thread passes between the channels and through the opponent’s lines. It’s not only his magnificent passing range and vision that draw my attention. Here’s a future number 8 who immediately draws similarities to Andres Iniesta – highly creative and possessing flair and dribbling abilities to come out victorious in one on one situations. His agility and ability to quickly change direction and tempo make him a difficult player to come up against.

Apart from being a great candidate for the number 8 role in a 4-3-3 formation, he got the abilities to play as both central, wide or attacking midfielder – either as a box to box midfielder, mezzala or a wide playmaker – mostly due to his abilities to quickly assess the situation and make the right decisions fast, but also due to his physical pace and positional sense.

The Brazilian wonderkid does not only got great skills with the ball at his feet, but history has shown that he’s also a dangerous asset in front of the goal – either he’s finishing off the attacks with a powerful placed shot or a spectacular chip over the goalkeeper.

Passion4FM PA Rating Four and half Stars

Kevin Zefi /16/ Inter Milan

Age: 11.02.2005
Position: AMRLC/ST
Characteristics: Agility, Flair, Dribbling, Determination

Achievements: Youngest ever goalscorer in SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Four Stars

Amourricho van Axel Dongen /16/ AFC Ajax

Sportpark De Toekomst has seen a great number of great players coming through. Like Santos, they have produced a long-range of technically brilliant players. The latest talent coming through the AFC Ajax Academy is the highly-rated Amourricho van Axel Dongen.

Born in Almere in September 2004, it was expected that he was included in FM21, but instead, we needed to wait for FM22 to enjoy this incredible talent.

So far he has managed to record an overall of 8 goals in 15 appearances – U17, U18 and Under-21 combined. In the two last matches of the Keuken Kampion Divisie 2020/21 he achieved to assist Kenneth Taylor before scoring his first goal on that level in the next match against Telstar.

Featuring in the Ajax Under-21 squad as the youngest player in the ranks is nothing strange to him. He has gone through the development ranks and acquired his experience at Ajax by playing with and against players up to four years older than him.

The left winger, who joined Ajax from OSV Amsterdam, is a quick player who excels in one on one situations. Featuring great technical abilities to keep control of the ball despite being put under pressure, composure and eye for the goal, often making sublime movements to break free from the defensive offside trap and calmly place the ball into the net. With a decent dribbling repertoire and aggression to come out victorious in the battle of possession, he possesses the necessary determination to reach the next level – always showing a great attitude on the pitch.

While the pandemic has put a huge impact on the number of appearances and his chances to develop by playing consecutive matches, van Axel Dongen is definitely a player to watch in FM22.

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Four Stars

Wisdom Amey /15/ Bologna

For some, the pandemic has become an opportunity to showcase themselves. The many competitive matches due to the tight fixture list and the bad economical situation some clubs have found themselves in, meaning they have been forced to look to their youth to rotate their squad has benefitted some.

That is the case for Wisdom Amey, a tall central defender playing for Bologna, who got his first team debut on May 12th 2021 in the match against Genoa. Whilst he only received a minute of action along with another potential FM22 wonderkid Kacper Urbanski

It was enough to surpass Pietro Pellegri as the youngest ever Serie A player at 15 years and 274 days.

The highly-rated central defender of Togolese descent stands out for his physical power, athleticism, technique and concentration making him a viable candidate for the current Bologna manager, and former legendary defender, Sinisa Mihajlovic, who knows everything about what it needs to be done to reach the top level of football.

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Four and half Stars

Zion Atta – Crystal Palace

Age: 13.10.2005
Position: AMLC
Characteristics: Flair, Dribbling, Technique, Long shots

After signing a deal with agent Mino Raiola, Zion Atta has raised his ambitions and refused to sign a professional contract with Crystal Palace. This has alerted the attention of the big clubs around Europe with AFC Ajax, Liverpool, Juventus, Roma, Man city and Nice to monitor his situation.

Where he’ll end up by the release of FM22 we don’t know but what we know is that we will see a whole lot more to the technical brilliant inside forward.

Passion4FM PA Rating: Four and half Stars

Noah Mbamba /15/ Club Brugge

Last year we highlighted Pierre Dwomoh as one of the Belgian talents we felt you needed to be aware of. This year our attention switch from the KRC Genk Academy to Club Brugge and Noah Mbamba. In fact, he transferred from KRC Genk in the summer of 2020 for a small fee.

Promoted from the Club Brugge NXT to the first team in March 2021, Noah Mbamba who is born in January 2005 has started to make a name for himself. His first-team debut on the 8th of January 2021 made him to the youngest ever player in KRC Genk’s history.

With 2 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League, he has impressed with his reading of the game, positioning and ability to regain possession in a clean manner. Using timed tackles, physic and anticipation to get ahead of the opponent forward he provides security in the defensive phase.

The Belgian teenager does not only stand out for his skills when out of possession but also possesses great abilities in possession as required of modern defenders. Able to play both as a single holding defensive midfielder or half-back, his passing and technique are remarkable – often threading passes that bylines opponent’s lines in the same manner as Gerard Pique does.

Passion4FM PA Rating: Four and half Stars

Arijon Ibrahimovic – Bayern Munich

Age: 11.12.2005
Position: AMC
Characteristics: Playing between the lines, passing, vision

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Four Stars

Dário Essugo /16/ Sporting Lisbon

It’s been a fair share of Portuguese starlets coming through the Sporting CP Academy. One of the latest graduates is Lisbon-born central midfielder Dário Essugo. The Portuguese wonderkid became the youngest ever Portuguese player in the history of the Liga Portugal when entering the pitch in the 84th minute against Vitória Guimarães SC. It was just icing on the cake for Essugo, who signed a professional contract that keeps him at Sporting until end of June 2025, a few days before.

The Portuguese Under-18 international player got the ability to play both as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder who looks to win the battle of possession in the centre of the park. His energic playing style and strength make him a difficult player to come up against.

The debut for Portugal U18 came against Norway in June 2021 playing along with Herculano Nabian, Rodrigo Gomes, Matchoi Djalo and Diogo Abreu.

The player has represented the different age groups of Portugal since April 2019 – moving quickly from Portugal Under-15 level to U16 before the pandemic arrived. The result; 14 appearances for the different youth national teams.

With great natural fitness and physic, he protects the space in front of the center backs. By using aggression and timed tackles he’s able to regain possession in a clean manner. In possession of the ball, he’s capable of thread passes between the lines or retain possession if necessary. When he’s not looking to make through balls and penetrating passes, he’s no stranger to getting forward with the ball to gain ground. If closed down or put under pressure, he got the technique and balance to hold onto it and delay tempo to create the necessary space for picking out passes.

Passion4FM PA Rating: Four and half Stars

Julian Rijkhoff /16/ Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund has taken the role of the prime example of a youth development club in recent years. In this case, we’re not merely talking about German homegrown players, but how the club has turned to youth in their transfer policy. Last year, Reinier, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Jude Bellingham were amongst a few wonderkids that looked to Die Schwarzgelben to make their breakthrough at the highest playing level.

Before this season, BVB has continued this philosophy by securing the signing of first and foremost Donyell Malen, (16), the two talents coming from PSG; Soumaïla Coulibaly and Abdoulaye Kamara on a free transfer, as well as the highly-talented forward Julian Rijkhoff who came from AFC Ajax.

Julian Rijkhoff was considered as one of the brightest talents in the Ajax Academy and the belief was high in the striker labeled as the next Patrick Kluivert.

The Dutch striker, who has gone all the grades in the AFC Ajax Academy, is now 16 years old (born 25.01.2005) and stands at 183cm tall and can be described as a complete forward in the making.

His goalscoring records have always been a huge contribution to his game. In the months before the European lockdown, Julian Rijkhoff’s abilities came to light as he scored 9 goals in 4 appearances. Meanwhile, for the Dutch Under-15 international team he has managed to score 7 goals in 5 appearances with the two goals against Spain U15 – a game where Holland trashed Spain 6-1, as one of his best achievements to date.

The next Dutch gem features the physic and quickness to both create goals for himself as well as finishing off attacks. Like all players coming through the Ajax Academy, he got great technical abilities and ball control. While he tends to drop deep and offer passing options, he’s also great at attacking the space behind the backline in a similar fashion to teammate Erling Haaland who could become a great role model for him as both are equally hungry for goals.

Apart from his technical brilliance to finish off the attacks, he’s got great movement and quickness to break free from his marker. If coming up against the opponent in one on one situations he got the first touch and ball control to either hold up the ball or make a quick change of direction to get the necessary space to break free.

Rijkhoff’s finishing is unordinary for such a young age. With a tendency to finish by first-time shots, often hitting the ball with a volley shot, he also got the composure needed to place the ball in the far corner of the net or chip the ball over the goalkeeper. His eye-to-ball coordination and smart movements are really remarkable.

Passion4FM PA Rating: Four and half Stars

El Chadaille Bitshiabu /16/ Paris SG

El Chadaille Bitshiabu‘s rise to the top level of football has gone quick. In under two years, the towering central defender has gone from playing at Under-15 level to be training with the pro’s at Paris SG. The 196cm tall central defender has always made a remark and was given a professional contract until June 2024 a week ago.

Only days before signing the contract, he represented the first team in the pre-season match against Sevilla, alongside PSG’s other new teenage sensation; Ismael Gharbi.

El Chadaille Bitshiabu looks like a very mature player who got great calmness in possession of the ball as well as great ball control. The ball playing defender has the ability to play out from the back, aiding the team to retain possession and advance play into the attacking third with a range of penetrating passes to attackers breaking forward by using his vision and technical brilliance.

In defensive actions, he got great positioning and composure, and if he’s out of position he uses his long limbs to get back quickly in position. His strength, aerial reach and ability to cover large distances make him into a physical beast it’s hard to get around. Aided by his great intelligence, it’s not often he has to resort to using his physical assets. When we know he’s only 16 years old, we can expect the player to improve his body mass and strength even further in the years to come.

Passion4FM PA Rating

Four Stars

Chaka Traore /16/ Parma

After financial troubles and bankruptcy have Parma fought their way back to Serie A but was relegated to Serie B ahead of this season. That means the perfect development environment for one of the greatest talents within the Parma Academy in years; Chaka Traore.

Born in December 2004, Chaka Traore is a technically gifted winger with great pace. He alerted my attention after receiving a few minutes of action over 3 appearances for the first team, at the end of last season. The teenager of Ivorian descent has put in some brilliant performances for Parma Primavera. The result is 11 goals, 5 assists in 18 appearances at U17 level whilst at U18 level he scored 9 goals and assists in 15 appearances.

The Inside Forward possesses some of the same qualities as Shola Shoretire – magnificent technique, brilliant close control, great acceleration and agility as well as being a great dribbler. His body feints, quick change of directions, ball control as he moves the ball from left to right foot to trick the opposite marker makes you struck in awe.

While he’s adept in one on one situations, he’s also composed and skilled inside the box. His finishing and movement have managed him to become a goalscoring threat. This is often helped by his flair but also his acceleration and pace – being able to move into open space before the opposite marker notices him.

Whether he will still be part of Parma at FM22 release is a major if right now since the player declined to sign a professional contract with Parma. AC Milan, Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen are reportedly keen on attracting his services, so it’s possible he won’t be one of the cheapest wonderkid bargains in FM22.

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Four Stars

Luka Romero /16/ Lazio

Receiving his debut at a professional level at the age of 15 is unusual. Receiving it against Real Madrid in a competitive match is highly remarkable as it adds immense pressure. Coming on as a late substitute in the 2-0 loss against Real Madrid, RCD Mallorca’s Luka Romero became the youngest La Liga player ever at the age of 15 and 219 days. Luka Romero was born in Mexico on November 18th, 2004, while his dad Diego, a nomadic footballer played for Alacranes. A technically gifted playmaker, who is natural at attacking midfield and wide positions, came to RCD Mallorca in 2015, despite major interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid. A few years earlier he even had a trial with Barcelona, but due to FIFA regulations of signing minors, the transfer never went through, due to the family’s reluctance of moving to Catalonia.

Labeled the ‘Mexican Messi’ due to the similarities in playing style and the unusual feat of being both a creator and main goalscorer, Luka Romero got the chance to train with the first team after impressing in the youth ranks.

On June 16th, 2020, he got called up for the Villarreal match squad something that required special authorization from the RFEF due to being under the age of 16 and not holding a professional contract. Even though he managed to get 7 minutes of action against Real Madrid, it’s been limited playtime thereafter.

The left-footed playmaker draws similarities to both David Silva, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. The Argentinian wonderkid features a similar low center of gravity, agility, and flair as Messi. His quick feet excel in one on one situations – often using trickery and flair, body feints, and smart movements to get past his opponents as he looks to get a shot on goal, through ball delivered, or just opening up space for others to thrive. Dictating play between the lines with his sublime technical gifts and vision makes him stand out on the pitch.

According to ESPN, Luka Romero has managed the outstanding performance of recording 230 goals in 108 youth matches!

Taken into account that a number of his finest goals are scored from free-kicks and placed shots from the edge of the penalty box, the comparison to Messi is valid. His tendency to cut inside from wide or gets the ball in deep positions before darting forward with lightning pace and sublime close control has caught my attention. At a number of times, he has attracted three or more markers and managed to lure him with his dribbling and agility – quickly shifting pace and directions in his movements. Comping up in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper it is not unusual to see a lovely chip over the goalkeeper or rounding him before easily put the ball into the back of the net from close.

The immense potential of Luka Romero makes him a certain one to watch for FM22! Remember the name!

Passion4FM’s Potential Rating: Four and half Stars

David Kalokoh /16/ AFC Ajax

Another future star who is emerging at the Ajax Academy at the moment is David Kalokoh. Born in Sierra Leone on the 23rd of April 2005, he came to Ajax from VVV Venlo at the age of 13 , and impressed immediately at Ajax U14.

The lanky inside forward is currently part of the Under-17 team but it won’t be long before this special talent will debut in the UEFA Youth League, or progress to higher levels.

The playing style and skills of David Kalokoh is in fact quite similar to Shola Shoretire. Here’s a player with massive flair, brilliant technique, and some amazing dribbles. His close control and ability to keep possession of the ball whilst under pressure is remarkable. His agility, balance and technique give him the body control that helps him beat his marker in one on one situations.

As he cuts inside he’s no stranger to finishing off the attacks making him a goalscoring threat. Scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances in the 2019/2020 season, he was the top goalscorer of all the Ajax teams, playing for Ajax U15. In 2020, he got the award as the best player of the MTU Cup – an indoor international competition won by FC Barcelona.

The teenager has made 1 goal in 4 appearances for Netherlands U15 and if it wasn’t for the pandemic, I’m sure he would have been a significant member of the Netherlands Under-17 squad that would have normally participated in the UEFA Under-17 European Championship that was due to be held in May 2021.

Passion4FM PA Rating:

Five Stars

Other under-16 talents in FM22 you need to be aware of

  • Kaide Gordon – 20.10.2004 – Liverpool – Winger
  • Gabriel Osei Misehouy – 18.07.2005 – AFC Ajax – Attacking Midfielder
  • Tom Bischof – 28.06.2005 – Hoffenheim – Central / Attacking Midfielder
  • Zidan Sertdemir – 04.02.2005 – Bayer Leverkusen – Central Midfielder – Read More at FMVeteran
  • Kacper Urbanski – 07.09.2004 – Bologna – Attacking Midfielder
  • Mario Stroeykens – 29.09.2004 – Anderlecht – Attacking Midfielder
  • Jobe Bellingham – 23.09.2005 – Birmingham – Winger
  • Emre Tezgel – 19.09.2005 – Stoke – Central Forward
  • Leo Castledine – 20.08.2005 – Chelsea – Central / Attacking Midfielder
  • Ussumane Djaló – 06.01.2005 – SL Benfica – Central / Attacking Midfielder
  • Antonio Nusa – 17.04.2005 – Club Brugge – Winger
  • Divin Mubama – 25.10.2004 – West Ham – Forward
  • Mike Kleijn – 09.02.2005 – Feyenoord – Central Midfielder
  • Ussumane Djaló – 06.10.2005 – Benfica – Central Midfielder
  • Stanis Idumbo – 29.06.2005 – AFC Ajax – Attacking Midfielder
  • Yoram Boerhout – 05.04.2005 – AFC Ajax – Central Forward
  • Adam Arvelo – 31.05.2005 – Real Madrid – Winger
  • Arda Güler – 25.02.2005 – Fenerbahce – Attacking Midfielder
  • Mathys Tel – 27.04.2005 – Rennes – Centre Forward
  • Iker Bravo – 13.01.2005 – Bayer 04 Leverkusen – Centre Forward
  • Roger Fernandes – 21.11.2005 – Braga – Wide Midfielder
  • Sidney Raebiger – 17.04.2005 – RB Leipzig – Central Midfielder
  • Kyriani Sabbe – 26.01.2005 – Club Brugge – Wingback
  • Felipe Valencia – 01.03.2005 – Fort Lauderdale – Winger
  • Julius Beck – 27.04.2005 – Spezia – Central Midfielder
  • Marcel Szymanski – 23.02.2005 – Arka Gdynia – Centre Forward
  • Joaquín Lavega – 03.02.2005 – River Plate (URU) – Winger
  • Theo Sander – 08.01.2005 – Aalborg – Goalkeeper
  • Enrique Herrero García – 28.01.2005 – Eintracht Frankfurt – Central Forward
  • João Mendes – 22.02.2005 – Cruzeiro – Central forward
  • Rocco Zikovic – 21.01.2005 – RB Salzburg – Central Defender
  • Amilton – 02.02.2005 – Cruzeiro – Central Midfielder
  • Justin Bengui Joao – 09.07.2005 – Lyon – Goalkeeper
  • Noha Lemina – 17.06.2005 – Paris SG – Central/Attacking Midfielder/Winger
  • Kobbie Mainoo – 19.04.2005 – Man Utd – Attacking Midfielder/winger
  • Nico O’Reilly – 21.03.2005 – Man City – Attacking Midfielder
  • Cristo Muñoz – 01.02.2005 – Barcelona – Attacking Midfielder
  • Chris Popov – 26.10.2004 – Leicester – Forward
  • Adam Berry – 09.01.2006 – Man Utd – Winger
  • Momodou Jaiteh – 27.11.2004 – Basel – Central Forward
  • Elton Krasniqi – 27.02.2005 – Hannover – Winger
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