Signing wonderkids in Football Manager is undoubtedly great fun and can propel your save to great heights, but for an added challenge, why not try a new approach?
From failed wonderkids, to players in the twilight years of their career, who are the players just waiting for you to revive their careers?
Sporting Loft writer Joseph Ould provides some suggestions…
Donny van de Beek
Back in 2019, Ajax took the Champions League by storm with free-flowing, attacking football and a crop of youngsters who looked set to replicate the Ajax teams of old.
Playing an integral role in the midfield was a 22-year-old with the world at his feet.
Donny van de Beek had struck up an incredible understanding with midfield partner Frenkie De Jong, with the two looking set to be mainstays in the Netherlands midfield for years to come.
Fast forward to 2025, and one of those midfielders is viewed as one of the finest in the world, whilst the other hasn’t played for the national team in over three years.
After a disastrous move to Manchester United led to failed loans at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt, Van De Beek now finds himself playing for La Liga side Girona.
Available to sign at around £7m, could you re-ignite the career of the long forgotten Dutchman?
Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho was a midfield genius at Liverpool.
So much so, that in the January of 2018, Barcelona paid a reported £146m for the Brazilian’s services.
Coutinho’s time at Barca was ultimately a disappointment and he was loaned out twice.
Bayern Munich loaned Coutinho in 2019 and the midfielder did show glimpses of his Liverpool form, helping Bayern win the Champions League.
After returning to Barcelona, Coutinho couldn’t nail down a place in the team, before being loaned and later sold to Aston Villa.
At Villa, Coutinho disappointed for two years and was eventually sold to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.
Now 33, Coutinho can be signed for less than £4m on Football Manager.
Can you give the midfielder one last hoorah in your save?
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Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay has had an unquestionably successful career, playing for some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Depay is also the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer, yet at just 31 years old the forward is plying his trade at Corinthians in the Brazilian Serie A.
Still a regular in the Dutch national team, many people believe Depay should still be playing in the top European leagues.
You can bring Depay to your club for less than £9m but do be aware of his nagging injury problems.
Raheem Sterling
Less than five years ago, Raheem Sterling was an integral part of a Manchester City team that consistently dominated English football – and yet today he is a forgotten man, not even registered for Chelsea’s Premier League campaign.
Last season’s loan move to Arsenal highlighted that Sterling’s days at the top of the Premier League are likely over.
But that doesn’t mean the English winger couldn’t still do a fine job in your save.
Sterling’s astronomical wages make his permanent signing more than a little bit difficult but a loan move could bring the former PFA Young Player Of The Year to your club.
Can you prove that Sterling still has what it takes to perform at the top level?
Dele Alli
In the 2015/16 Premier League season, Dele made the move from MK Dons to Tottenham Hotspur and quickly became one of the league’s most talented players.
For a few years, he was a mainstay in the England midfield and continued to shine in the Premier League before a calamitous loss of form.
Eventually he lost his place in the Spurs line-up and was sold to Everton.
At the Toffees, Dele only made 13 appearances before again moving on, this time to Turkish club, Besiktas.
During an emotional interview with Gary Neville, Dele detailed the traumatic events which took place in his childhood, which ultimately led to his career faltering.
After a spell at Como, in which the midfielder made only one appearance, Dele now finds himself a free agent.
With the World Cup at the end of the season, can you put Dele into the thoughts of Thomas Tuchel in your FM save?
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