Updated version: Possible Wonderkids of Football Manager 2027
Welcome to the Football Manager 2019 Ones to Watch series. Here we aim to introduce the young players who, as well as being able to go straight into our starting eleven, may have the most room to improve in the game, helping our virtual managers reach new heights.
Matthijs de Ligt, 19 anos (AFC Ajax)
With the world's big teams increasingly wanting to play attractive, high pressing football focused on keeping possession, you need to start building from the back, and that is what AFC Ajax have done since the days of Johan Cruyff and Total Football.
At the club since he was 9, and a passionate Ajax fan, Matthijs de Ligt is possibly the Amsterdam side's greatest gem. Having played above his age group all his life, the jump to professional football was nothing strange for de Ligt, who was only 16 at the time, even scoring on his first team debut and becoming the second youngest player to score for the club, beaten only by the legendary Clarence Seedorf. That same season he won his first senior cap, in a game that ended with the Netherlands losing 2-0 to Bulgaria and the subsequent sacking of Danny Blind, Guus Hiddink's former assistant and successor in charge of the Oranje.
Now, still in his teens, the Dutchman is already one of Ajax's captains, having played 6 league games this season, all with the armband, with the team conceding only 1 goal and scoring 16; but the most impressive of all his performances this season was the one against Bayern Munich, with Ajax leaving the Allianz Arena with a 1-1 draw.
Tall (1.88 metres) and with a good physical presence (89 kilos), de Ligt plays well with both feet, able to bring the ball out and distribute it from the back, even getting into the opposition box, creating central overlaps and confusion in opposing defences. His build is also key to Ajax's aerial game, scoring several times from corners and wide free kicks.
De Ligt's biggest problem is that he still makes some childish mistakes, something that should be overcome with time and under the tutelage of the incredible Erik ten Hag. The young Dutchman is also held back by his acceleration, a problem partly solved by the centre back's good reading of the game.
Panagiotis Retsos, 20 anos (Bayer Leverkusen)
"The greatest talent ever to come out of Greek football" is how a scout described Panagiotis Retsos, who was then playing for Olympiakos and being watched by the big names in European football. Olympiakos aren't exactly known for backing young players, but Retsos is a different case. In the Greek club's academy since 2008, Retsos reached the first team in 2016 aged just 18, playing a total of 34 games in all competitions that season. He won his first cap in August 2017, against Estonia, and has since won 4 more.
After a good season in the Greek league, Retsos was signed by Bayer Leverkusen to fill the gap left by Ömer Toprak, then the German club's best defender, and with that move the young Greek became the most expensive player ever to leave Greece, with Leverkusen spending around 22 million euros for his services.
Very versatile and good on the ball, the Greek can play anywhere across the back line, having already played for Leverkusen at full back and centre back, but it is in direct duels that he stands out, whether in the air or one on one against an attacker, with his build (1.85 metres and 81 kilos) a key factor in those moments. His athleticism is also worth highlighting; although he isn't the strongest or fastest, he should be able to compete in the German league.
The weakest part of Retsos' game is that he is quite prone to errors, especially in the build-up phase, sometimes being very predictable with his passes and ending up committing fouls trying to fix those situations, as shown by the 8 yellow cards in 24 games he received last season for Bayer Leverkusen.
Boubakar Kamara, 18 (Olympique de Marseille)
Born and raised in Marseille, some say it was no surprise that Boubakar Kamara, one of the most promising French defenders, signed his first professional contract with the southern French club, turning down offers from giants Arsenal, Chelsea and Dortmund.
In Marseille's youth setup since age 6, Kamara is a player with good technique and passing, useful in the current Marseille team that looks to build from the back; we often see Kamara bringing the ball out and trying a long pass which, although not yet above average in accuracy, could become a weapon the player develops over time.
Also able to play well at left back, it is as a number 6 that the young Frenchman's future lies, according to Rudi Garcia: "I see him as a 6 (…) I think he can be better in midfield than at centre back or full back (…) He has good technique, a sense of anticipation, can break the lines and is comfortable on the ball".
Despite all those qualities, and possibly what keeps him out of the more defensive positions in the eyes of the current Marseille coach, is his lack of height, being only 1.78 metres tall, not to mention his weight, only 70 kilos, lacking the physique to play at centre back.
Having already played 9 games this season, 7 in the league, Kamara can be expected to be one of the best and most versatile players in the next edition of Football Manager.
Honourable mentions: Malang Sarr (OGC Nice), Diogo Leite (FC Porto), Nikola Milenkovic (ACF Fiorentina)
