Best Young Attacking Midfielders to Sign in EA FC 26 Career Mode

A young, talented No. 10 can make all the difference to your side.

Kenan Yıldız has sky-high potential. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

In soccer, having a great attacking midfielder—a true No. 10—is one of the most coveted assets on the pitch.

Typically blessed with pace, creativity, vision, and a lethal shot, these are the players who can change a game in an instant—winning matches single-handedly through moments of magic.

In EA FC 26 Career Mode, it’s no different. A great No. 10 can be the difference between winning and losing, between lifting trophies and falling short.

With that in mind, here are the top 10 young central attacking midfielders (aged 20 or under and valued under £40 million) to sign for your Career Mode team—players who can make an impact right now and grow into world-beaters for years to come.

---

10. Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven)

Paul Wanner joined PSV in the summer. / Getty/Soccrates

Value: £4.9 million
Age: 19
Rating: 72
Potential: 86

PSV’s Paul Wanner comes with a clear mix of positives and drawbacks.

On the bright side, he’s a bargain signing who can also play out wide, boasts solid PlayStyles, and already has decent pace and dribbling—both of which will only improve with time.

The downsides? A two-star weak foot and underwhelming physical and passing stats. If you want to turn him into a star, you’ll need patience—and the right development plan.

---

9. Claudio Echeverri (Bayer Leverkusen)

Claudio Echeverri is on loan at Bayer. / IMAGO/DeFodi Images

Value: £9 million
Age: 19
Rating: 74
Potential: 86

Claudio Echeverri perfectly fits the mould of a classic No. 10—diminutive, quick, and a truly elite dribbler who’s almost impossible for defenders to stop.

Work on his passing and physical attributes, and you’ll have a genuine star on your hands. Better yet, he’s easy to snap up from Manchester City once his loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen ends.

---

8. Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig)

Assan Ouédraogo. / Getty/Maja Hitij

Value: £3.7 million
Age: 19
Rating: 70
Potential: 86

Assan Ouédraogo starts relatively low-rated, but he’s an absolute bargain and packed with potential. He already boasts four-star skill moves, a couple of strong PlayStyles, and tons of room to grow.

Focus on improving his passing and stamina, and he’ll quickly develop into a top-class attacking midfielder.

---

7. Kees Smit (AZ Alkmaar)

Kees Smit is a star in the making. / Getty/Pim Waslander

Value: £4.9 million
Age: 19
Rating: 72
Potential: 87

Kees Smit is an absolute steal. For just around £4.9 million (or even less if you negotiate well), you’ll land a future superstar with four-star skill moves and a four-star weak foot.

He’s got great PlayStyles and impressively well-rounded stats, meaning you can comfortably deploy him anywhere in midfield—defensive, central, or attacking.

That said, his solid dribbling and passing make him best suited to a more advanced role.

---

6. Georgiy Sudakov (Benfica)

Georgiy Sudakov. / IMAGO/Buzzi

Value: £37.9 million
Age: 22
Rating: 80
Potential: 89

Georgiy Sudakov is one of the pricier names on this list—and you won’t even be able to sign him until his loan spell at Benfica from Shakhtar Donetsk ends—but if you’ve got the funds, he may just be worth every penny.

Already boasting excellent pace, passing, dribbling, vision, and stamina, the Ukrainian playmaker has all the tools to develop into a truly world-class No. 10 in Career Mode.

---

5. Fermin Lopez (FC Barcelona)

Fermín López. / Pedro Salado/Getty Images

Value: £37.9 million
Age: 22
Rating: 80
Potential: 87

Fermín López is identical to Sudakov in terms of rating, potential, price, and age—but he’s a very different type of player.

The diminutive Spaniard is extremely versatile, able to operate in central midfield, out wide, or even up front. However, unlike Sudakov’s all-round profile, López leans into the archetypal Spanish attacking midfielder mold—boasting elite dribbling, agility, and flair.

Be warned, though: prying him away from Barcelona won’t be easy unless you’re willing to trigger his hefty £72.5 million release clause.

---

4. Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)

Franco Mastantuono joined Real Madrid in the summer. / Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Value: £19.1 million
Age: 17
Rating: 77
Potential: 88

Interestingly, Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono feels like the perfect blend of Sudakov and Fermin—combining the well-rounded attributes of the Ukrainian with the agility and positional versatility of the Spaniard.

Where he arguably surpasses both, though, as a Career Mode signing is that he's significantly cheaper and comes with even higher potential, making him one of the smartest long-term investments you can make.

---

3. Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto)

Rodrigo Mora is a star in the making. / IMAGO/Gribaudi

Value: £15.4 million
Age: 18
Rating: 76
Potential: 89

If you’re after a classic No. 10, FC Porto’s Rodrigo Mora is perhaps the best young attacking midfielder you can sign in the game.

There’s hardly anything to fault: the nimble playmaker boasts elite agility, strong pace, crisp passing, and superb vision. He’s got four-star skill moves and a four-star weak foot, a host of top-tier PlayStyles, the joint-highest potential of any player in his position, and he’s affordable to boot.

Oh, and, perhaps surprisingly given he's not a household name, he even comes with a proper face scan—if the aesthetics matter to you.

---

2. Nico Paz (Como)

Nico Paz is the reigning Serie A Young Player of the Year. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Value: £34.1 million
Age: 20
Rating: 79
Potential: 89

Standing at 6’1”, Como’s Nico Paz may not have the balance or burst of pace to glide past defenders like Mora can, but he more than makes up for it with his exceptional passing ability.

His superb passing stats combined with the coveted Incisive Pass PlayStyle, make him a creative force capable of slicing defenses wide open with a single, perfectly weighted ball.

---

1. Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)

Kenan Yildiz. / IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Value: £34.1 million
Age: 20
Rating: 79
Potential: 89

Simply put, if you’ve got the funds to lure him away from Juventus—which won’t be easy—Kenan Yıldız is a must-have for your Career Mode squad.

Boasting four-star skill moves, a five-star weak foot, elite pace and dribbling, and coveted PlayStyles like Incisive Pass and Whipped Pass, plus a Controlled Lengthy Acceleration Type and a real face scan, he’s the complete package—truly a generational talent in every sense.

---

Best Young Attacking Midfielders in EA FC 26 Career Mode

Player	Club	Age	Value	Rating	Potential
Kenan Yıldız	Juventus	20	£34.1m	79	89
Nico Paz	Como	20	£34.1m	79	89
Rodrigo Mora	FC Porto	18	£15.4m	76	89
Franco Mastantuono	Real Madrid	17	£19.1m	77	88
Fermín López	FC Barcelona	22	£37.9m	80	87
Georgiy Sudakov	Benfica	22	£37.9m	80	87
Kees Smit	AZ Alkmaar	19	£4.9m	72	87
Assan Ouédraogo	RB Leipzig	19	£3.7m	70	86
Claudio Echeverri	Bayer Leverkusen	19	£9m	74	86
Paul Wanner	PSV Eindhoven	19	£4.9m	72	86

---

READ THE LATEST EA FC 26 NEWS AND UPDATES

manual