Best young left-backs in Football Manager 2026, from cheap steals to elite future starters
Left-backs in Football Manager are pure chaos. One match they are delivering three assists like a budget Dani Alves, the next they are getting roasted at the back post because your winger forgot defending exists.
So if you are building a long-term save in FM26, sorting your DL early is one of those moves that quietly wins you seasons. This list is my Top 10 wonderkid left-backs, built to cover different budgets, different save types, and different levels of risk.
Quick note: prices can swing massively depending on reputation, clauses, loaded leagues, and whether the selling club is feeling greedy in your save. Treat costs as a guide, not gospel.
How this Top 10 was picked
- Position only: DL and D/WB L wonderkids.
- Potential first: I prioritised the top-rated young left-backs, then balanced by affordability.
- Our price bands: Under £2m, £2-5m, £5-10m, £10m+ so every club has options.
- Reality check: Random potential matters, and a couple are injury prone, so I flag the risk.
Quick navigation
- 1) Myles Lewis-Skelly
- 2) Lewis Hall
- 3) Jofre Torrents
- 4) Davinchi
- 5) Souza
- 6) Matteo Cocchi
- 7) Harry Amass
- 8) Patrick Dorgu
- 9) Keita Kosugi
- 10) João Rijo
Top 10 FM26 wonderkid left-backs at a glance
Tip: If you are a smaller club, start at the bottom of this table and work up. If you are a Champions League club, start at No.1 and pretend money is not real.
| # | Player | Age | Club | FM Scout R | Estimated Cost | Potential Type | Injury Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myles Lewis-Skelly | 18 | Arsenal | 88 | £206m | Fixed | Low |
| 2 | Lewis Hall | 20 | Newcastle | 86 | £202m | Fixed | Low |
| 3 | Jofre Torrents | 18 | Barcelona | 84 | £50m | Random | High |
| 4 | Davinchi | 18 | Getafe | 84 | £4m | Random | High |
| 5 | Souza | 19 | Santos | 83 | £25m | Random | Low |
| 6 | Matteo Cocchi | 18 | Inter | 83 | £202k | Random | Low |
| 7 | Harry Amass | 18 | Man Utd | 82 | £18m | Random | Low |
| 8 | Patrick Dorgu | 20 | Man Utd | 81 | £99m | Fixed | Low |
| 9 | Keita Kosugi | 19 | Djurgårdens | 80 | £237k | Random | Low |
| 10 | João Rijo | 16 | Sporting CP | 79 | £6m | Random | Low |
1) Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
The cheat code, if you somehow have £200m lying around
Lewis-Skelly is the headline DL for FM26. Elite ceiling, elite club, elite price tag. The big selling point is fixed potential, which is perfect if you hate rolling the dice.
- Best for: elite clubs, long saves, anyone building a dynasty
- Budget note: this is "sell your soul and your backup keeper" money
- Risk note: not injury prone, but your finances might be
Development plan: give him a defined role early (inverted full-back, attacking wing-back, whatever fits), then protect his growth with big-match minutes. If he is in your XI, build patterns around him.
2) Lewis Hall (Newcastle)
Premier League polish, fixed potential, horrifying price
Hall is another top-tier option with fixed potential. The problem is the same as Lewis-Skelly: he is going to cost a fortune. If you can afford him, you are basically buying a ready-made long-term starter.
- Best for: top clubs who want a DL they can trust immediately
- Budget note: expensive, and Newcastle will not blink
- Risk note: low injury risk, but always scout attributes for your specific role
Development plan: start him in cups and easier league games if you have a current star. If not, just play him. Full-backs level up fast with consistent minutes.
3) Jofre Torrents (Barcelona)
World-class upside, but you must manage the body
Torrents has that classic Barca profile: technical, brave on the ball, and built for modern full-back roles. The catch is simple: he is flagged as injury prone, so you need to be smart with workload.
- Best for: clubs with strong sports science and depth
- Budget note: still massive money, but not "£200m tax"
- Risk note: injury prone and random potential
Development plan: rotate him, avoid insane double intensity schedules, and prioritise physical maintenance. If you keep him fit, you get an absurdly fun DL.
4) Davinchi (Getafe)
The affordable wonderkid, with the classic FM red flag
Davinchi is the best kind of signing for most saves: genuine wonderkid level, and not priced like a luxury yacht. The red flag is that he is also injury prone, so do not treat him like a 50-game-a-season machine at 18.
- Best for: mid-table top flights, smart rebuilds, value hunters
- Budget note: this is one of the best fees on the whole list
- Risk note: injury prone and random potential
Development plan: sign, manage minutes, and consider a sensible loan if you cannot start him weekly. Keep the pathway clean: games, growth, step up.
5) Souza (Santos)
Brazilian flair full-back for a realistic "big club" fee
Souza is a brilliant option if you want a DL who can do more than just defend. He is not cheap, but compared to the Premier League monsters above, £25m feels almost sensible.
- Best for: Europa League level clubs, rich rebuilds, teams that want an aggressive wing-back
- Budget note: big fee, but still attainable for ambitious clubs
- Risk note: random potential, but not injury prone
Development plan: focus training on stamina, work rate, and delivery (crossing, technique). If you play with high tempo and overlaps, he can become a system player.
6) Matteo Cocchi (Inter)
The bargain that feels illegal
A proper DL wonderkid for basically pocket change. Cocchi is the kind of signing that makes your board think you have hacked the game.
- Best for: lower leagues, smaller top-flight clubs, moneyball saves
- Budget note: under £1m deals are always worth scouting hard
- Risk note: random potential, so check personality and reports
Development plan: buy, then loan him to a club where he starts every week. Your goal is 30-40 senior starts a season, not U20 highlights.
7) Harry Amass (Manchester United)
Big club prospect, sensible pathway if you handle minutes
Amass is a great "serious prospect under £20m" profile. He is not the cheapest, but he is young enough to mould into your exact DL role.
- Best for: clubs stepping up into Europe, top divisions with a development plan
- Budget note: manageable fee for the potential tier
- Risk note: random potential, but injury risk is low
Development plan: either make him your cup DL now, or loan him to a strong league with guaranteed starts. Do not leave him stuck as a bench warmer for two seasons.
8) Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United)
Fixed potential wing-back weapon, but not a bargain
Dorgu is built for aggressive football. He is expensive, but he comes with fixed potential, and that stability is rare for wide defenders in FM.
- Best for: high pressing systems, wing-back heavy tactics, top clubs
- Budget note: the fee is hefty, but not quite astronomical
- Risk note: low injury risk, fixed potential is the big win
Development plan: play him in the role you actually want long-term (WB, CWB, even as a wide midfielder if needed). Consistency of role and match time does the heavy lifting.
9) Keita Kosugi (Djurgårdens)
Cheap, clean, and quietly brilliant for long saves
Kosugi is one of my favourite "small club to big club" pathways. Cheap fee, low injury risk, and the kind of profile that can explode if the random potential rolls your way.
- Best for: lower leagues, smaller nations, rebuilds, affiliate club saves
- Budget note: near no-risk money
- Risk note: random potential, so scout properly
Development plan: start him early if you can. If you cannot, loan him within a league where he will actually play. Full-backs develop fast when they have a job every weekend.
10) João Rijo (Sporting CP)
The 16-year-old project with a very realistic fee
Rijo is the definition of "buy early, profit later". At 16, he is a long-term project, but the fee is in that sweet spot where you can take the gamble without blowing up your transfer plan.
- Best for: long saves, development clubs, anyone who loves building wonderkids
- Budget note: great value in the £5-10m band
- Risk note: random potential, so personality matters
Development plan: sign, then map out two loans: one in a safe league for minutes, then one at a higher level for pressure. Promote once he can actually defend a back post cross.
How to actually scout wonderkid left-backs in FM26
- Decide the role first: wing-back, full-back, inverted full-back, complete wing-back. Your scouting changes based on this.
- Prioritise core defensive traits: pace, acceleration, stamina, positioning, tackling, work rate.
- If you want attacking output: crossing, dribbling, technique, off the ball, decision making.
- Personality matters: professionalism and determination turn "good prospect" into "starter for 10 years".
- Minutes matter most: a DL with 40 senior starts a season will develop quicker than a bench prince at a big club.
Honourable mentions (if you want more options)
If your budget or league rules do not match these 10, there is plenty of depth in the wider DL pool. Shortlist a few alternatives, especially from South America and smaller European leagues, because that is where the real steals live.
Next in the FM26 Top 10 Wonderkids by position series
This is part of the FM26 Top 10 wonderkids series by position. If you want the full database view with price filters and position tabs, add this post into your main wonderkids hub and link the whole series from there.
Go back to the FM26 Wonderkids Hub (price + position filters)
FAQ
Is it worth paying big money for a wonderkid left-back in FM26?
Only if you are stable financially and you have a plan for minutes. If you cannot play him regularly, you are paying for potential you will not unlock.
Should I train my DL as an inverted full-back?
If your tactic uses central overloads or you want extra buildup security, yes. Just make sure he has the passing, first touch, composure, and decisions to survive inside.
Why do some left-backs look different in different saves?
Random potential. Some wonderkids have a range, so one save they become elite and in another they become "useful squad player" with great vibes.
