Football Manager 2019: All The Premier League Wonderkids You Need To Buy This Year

Football Manager 2019 was released in November last year and it didn’t take us long to get addicted to the game’s new features and layout.

The game is widely regarded as the most in-depth football video game on the market, with thousands of players claiming that the 2019 version is the best yet.

One thing we love about the game is the opportunity to help nurture young promising players and turn them into superstars thanks to the extensive training and youth set-ups available.

Finding the next ‘wonderkid’ is a real skill as you try to determine who has potential from the stats available.

If you’re still  struggling, don’t worry, we’ve put together 20 Premier League prospects available to you. These players will be dominating the league in years to come.

Ben Knight

Cambridge-born Ben Knight has not been at the club for long, having previously been a hot prospect at Ipswich. According to an interview with the official Manchester City website, Knight is an attack-minded player who loves to operate as a classic No. 10 and models his game on the Cityzens’ very own David Silva.

Age: 16

Value: £150k

Wage: £110 p/w until 30/06/21

Nationality: English

Best position: Attacking Midfielder (Centre)

Mason Greenwood

Greenwood has a long way to go to reach the heights that Marcus Rashford has achieved at Manchester United, but his stats on the game are certainly impressive for a 16-year-old. The Englishman actually started his career as an attacking midfielder, but he has since moved further forward and was also involved in 2018’s pre-season tour.

Age: 16

Value: £300k

Wage: £110 p/w until 30/06/2021

Nationality: English

Best position: Striker (Centre)

Marcin Bulka

The only goalkeeper on our list, Bulka started Sarri’s first game in pre-season for the Blues against Perth Glory. The 6ft 5in stopper signed from FCB Escola Varsovia in his native Poland in the summer of 2016.

Age: 18

Value: £93k

Wage: £2.5k p/w until 30/06/2019

Nationality: Polish

Best position: Goalkeeper

Billy Gilmour

17-year-old Gilmour is a talented central midfielder in the U18s setup at Chelsea. Until 2017 though, the Scotsman was with Rangers and trained with the first team squad at the age of 15 before turning down a pro contract.

Age: 17

Value: £145k

Wage: £4k p/w until 30/06/2021

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Nationality: Scottish

Best position: Midfielder (Centre)

Callum Gribbin

Attacking midfielder Gribbin was just 16 when he was first called up to train with the first-team by Louis van Gaal during pre-season in 2015, and he has been back training with Jose Mourinho’s senior side during this campaign. With 17 free-kick taking and 15 technique there is no doubt that, with a bit more training, the Salford-born youngster could become a fantastic asset.

Age: 19

Value: £450k

Wage: £1.2k p/w until 30/06/2019

Nationality: English

Best position: Attacking Midfielder (Centre)

Everton fans react as Jordan Pickford linked with £50m Manchester United move

According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be a £50m summer target for Manchester United if the Red Devils lose David De Gea to Real Madrid, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

The Sun on Sunday says that United are expecting Real to reignite their interest in the Spanish stopper this summer having made numerous enquiries previously, and Jose Mourinho’s men have their contingency plan in place in the form of Pickford.

The 23-year-old has endured a tough time for the Toffees this season as they have largely struggled from a defensive point of view – conceding 45 goals in 26 Premier League matches – but only De Gea and Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski have made more saves than his 83.

Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one said “wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to”, another said “if I was him I”d move there”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

[ad_pod ]

Garry Rodrigues would be a great starting point for Newcastle

Newcastle target Garry Rodrigues will be up for sale this summer, according to a Turkish report.

Rodrigues has been playing some of the best football of his career this season, but Galatasaray’s financial troubles could see the Magpies swoop in for a bargain deal.

It is claimed that Galatasary turned down a £7million offer from Newcastle in January, but a bid in the region of £9million would be enough to tempt the Turkish giants into selling this summer. The Tyneside club aren’t the only interested party however, and could face competition for his signature from Germany and Spain.

The speedy winger has bounced around throughout his career, spending time in Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Greece before landing at Galatasaray.

[ad_pod ]

Rodrigues – who is valued at just £3.6m by transfermarkt.com – can play on either wing, but has often been criticised for his lack of end product. These concerns have been put to rest since moving to Turkey, he has scored four and provided seven assists in 21 league appearances this season, including three goals and three assists in his last six games.

While it’s impossible to say whether he could carry this form into the Premier League, he is the type of player Newcastle need to be be signing. The roar of St. James’ Park can be heard for miles on a match day, but all too often in recent years that roar has been dulled by the performances on the pitch.

Rodrigues is certainly not world class, but his pace and directness would bring the type of spark and excitement that the club has often lacked. Just look at the reception Chelsea loanee Kenedy received after his fantastic debut against Burnley.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With just three points separating seven teams at the bottom of the league, it’s a real possibility that Rafa Benitez’s often criticised tactics could keep the Magpies up this year. However, if the club is to take the next step in the coming seasons, they need players that will excite the fans and frighten the opposition, and Rodrigues is an excellent starting point.

Newcastle fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Revealed: The four players who disappointed Chelsea fans most vs Manchester City

Chelsea find themselves doing a bit of soul searching today after a humbling experience against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Although the players were only following the instructions of their manager, the passive manner of the performance in the 1-0 defeat has inevitably left a sour taste – and it’s also telling of how Antonio Conte views his current squad in terms of quality.

Following Sunday’s clash, we asked Chelsea fans to give individual performance ratings out of ten for each player involved in the meeting with the Citizens and it appears there are four, excluding substitutes, that disappointed Blues supporters most.

While midfield pairing Cesc Fabregas and Danny Drinkwater picked up an average rating of just 4/10, two Chelsea players actually fared worse than that. Wing-back Victor Moses received a mere 3.7 rating, while attacking midfielder Pedro – who failed to make any use of what little of the ball he received – had the worst rating of just 3.6.

Were these performances simply a one-off, Chelsea fans, or would you like to see some of the aforementioned quartet axed from the starting XI for the Blues’ next game? Let us know by commenting below…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds fans love injury news on Cooper and Lonergan

Leeds fans have been reacting to the news that Liam Cooper and Andy Lonergan will miss Saturday’s clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

Centre back Liam Cooper and goalkeeper Andy Lonergan are both set to be out for extended periods, says Leeds manager Paul Heckingbottom.

Cooper was enduring a poor spell of form and taking plenty of stick from fans, and sustained his injury in the loss against Wolves. The captain was clattered by his own player, suffering a severe dead leg. Fans don’t seem all that sympathetic about the injury.

Lonergan had missed several games with a neck injury, and is now set for a longer spell on the sidelines after aggravating the injury. The 34 year-old probably doesn’t hold much hope of getting back in the team now, after the sudden emergence of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Leeds host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, still seeking their second win in the calendar year. The injury to Lonergan won’t impact the lineup, but Cooper’s injury means Everton loanee Matthew Pennington will likely keep his place.

Fans have been reacting to the injury news on Twitter, and we don’t think Liam Cooper will want to check his social media this morning…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United fans react as Ronaldo Vieira receives England U20 call-up

Leeds United announced via their official club Twitter account on Monday that midfielder Ronaldo Vieira had been called up by the England Under-20 side for their friendly match against Portugal on Tuesday, and Whites fans were quick to react to the news.

Despite being a key player under the leadership of former boss Garry Monk last season – he made 38 appearances in all competitions – the 19-year-old has found starts harder to come by under Thomas Christiansen and now Paul Heckingbottom in the league this term.

The Guinea-born midfielder has been an unused substitute in the Yorkshire outfit’s previous three Championship fixtures with the likes of Adam Forshaw, Kalvin Phillips and Eunan O’Kane – who has been heavily criticised by the Elland Road faithful for his displays – preferred ahead of him.

Leeds supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the call-up, and while one said: “How? He can’t get in our squad ahead of O’Kane”, another said “but we continue to play O’Kane”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle fans troll Joselu on social media

There is no doubting that Spanish forward Joselu works his socks off, but he has struggled for goals since arriving at Newcastle United last summer.

The 28-year-old moved to Newcastle from Stoke City after spending the 2016-17 campaign on loan with Spanish outfit Deportivo La Coruna, where he managed just six goals.

Joselu netted just four times in 27 appearances for Stoke during the 2015-16 season, and therefore it should not come as much of a surprise that he has struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis this term.

[ad_pod ]

The forward, who is valued at £3.6m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has actually only managed four goals in 27 appearances for Newcastle, but he has had a number of opportunities.

Joselu turned 28 on Tuesday, and Newcastle’s official Twitter account was on hand with a birthday message for the Spaniard.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, the Newcastle fans, who appear to have lost faith in Joselu, took the chance to poke fun at the former Real Madrid striker, claiming that he probably missed his own birthday.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Kurt Zouma was one hell of a player at Chelsea but Blues fans don’t agree

Kurt Zouma’s performances at Stoke City have been appreciated abroad with Spanish clubs Atletico Madrid and Sevilla interested to get hold of the French centre back, according to The Mirror, via the Stoke Sentinel.

The France international has been playing for Stoke City this season on a loan from Chelsea and the defending champions don’t seem too keen on bringing him back to Stamford Bridge.

Zouma is expected to return to London at the end of the season but with his parent club not willing to give him a regular start, a move away is highly likely.

While some Chelsea fans would like to see him regularly in their starting line-up next season, there are others who might think he has not reached the level to be in the top ranks.

With the defending champions looking to miss out on Champions League football next season, maybe selling a player to make room for some new ones in the transfer market is not a very bad idea after all.

Valued at £13.5m on Transfermarkt, here’s a look at what the fans think about the 23-year-old’s potential move to Spain…

[ad_pod ]

Leeds fans bash Heckingbottom for comments on players

Leeds fans are once again bashing Paul Heckingbottom, after the manager said the players must prove themselves to him ahead of next season.

Friday night’s loss at Aston Villa was a pretty typical Paul Heckingbottom’s Leeds performance, and fans are getting fed up of the ex-Barnsley man.

While a few would argue he deserves a chance in the summer transfer window, most fans want the manager out, and they’ve now been angered by his comments on the squad.

Not many fans would disagree that the current squad simply is not very good, but Heckingbottom’s comments on judging the squad do seem very brave coming from a man who has only won two games since taking over in February.

[ad_pod ]

“Everyone’s had an opportunity and I’ve been fair with everyone, The type of team that ends up on the pitch next season has to reflect me. I want to see people fighting, trying to overachieve. They’ll go on and do good things if they do that,” the manager said.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s clash with Barnsley, he said: “It’s probably bigger for them than us but we want the points for our own reasons and I’m making decisions for next season all the time.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Of course, Leeds fans are all saying the same thing about the manager’s latest comments – that he doesn’t need to judge the players for next season because he won’t be there.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Everton fans fume at Allardyce’s pre-Huddersfield comments

Everton fans can’t quite believe how highly Sam Allardyce rates himself, as the ex-England manager compared himself to Diego Simeone in his Friday press conference.

If there’s one thing that has annoyed Everton fans more than Sam Allardyce’s tactics this season, it’s his attitude.

At a club like Everton, an essential part of the manager’s job is to “get” the club, to connect with the fans, and to understand their frustrations when things go wrong.

Big Sam hasn’t ticked any of these boxes, and fans are in sheer disbelief at his latest comments ahead of Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield.

“What is entertainment? Is Diego Simeone entertainment?” the manager asked.

[ad_pod ]

“He’s the master of the defensive trade. Atletico Madrid have conceded four goals at home all season, but I’m seen as too negative. We’ve achieved some extremely entertaining games.”

Allardyce is referring to the praise being heaped on Simeone after his ten-man Atletico Madrid side grabbed a 1-1 draw at the Emirates on Thursday night, but it doesn’t seem like fans appreciate the sentiment.

“I think we’re more entertaining now than when I arrived here,” Allardyce continued.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Fans were delighted with a report today that claimed owner Farhad Moshiri has refused to publicly back Allardyce, and they’re absolutely crucifying him for his press conference comments.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Game
Register
Service
Bonus