FIFA 23: How To Get The Best Youth Players

Having good youth players in FIFA 23 is essential for building a successful Career Mode team. These young talents can develop into world-class stars, providing a long-term foundation for your squad. In this guide, we'll delve into the strategies and techniques you can use to scout, sign, and develop the best youth players in FIFA 23.

Understanding the Youth Academy System

The Youth Academy is where you'll find the future stars of your team. It's a system within Career Mode that allows you to scout young players from different countries and bring them into your club. These players typically have high potential, meaning their overall rating can significantly increase over time with proper training and game time. The key to success here lies in understanding how the scouting, recruitment, and development processes work.

Scouting Network: Your Eyes Around the Globe

First off, your scouting network is your primary tool for finding these wonderkids. To set it up effectively, you need to hire scouts with good experience and judgment. Experience determines the range of players they can find, while judgment affects the accuracy of their reports. Send your scouts to countries known for producing young talent, such as Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and Germany. These regions often yield players with high potential in various positions. When assigning a scout, specify the player type you are looking for, such as a technically gifted midfielder or a physically strong defender. This will help narrow down the search and increase the chances of finding players that fit your team's needs. Remember to be patient; it takes time for scouts to uncover hidden gems.

Evaluating Scout Reports

Once your scouts start sending back reports, it's crucial to evaluate them carefully. Pay close attention to the player's potential rating, which is indicated by phrases like "Showing Great Potential," "An Exciting Prospect," or "Has Potential to Be Special." These phrases give you an idea of how high the player's overall rating can grow. Also, look at their other attributes, such as pace, dribbling, and shooting for attackers, or tackling, strength, and interceptions for defenders. Consider how well these attributes align with your team's playing style. Don't be afraid to take risks on players with lower current ratings but high potential; with the right training, they can become valuable assets.

Setting Up Your Scouting Network

To maximize your chances of finding top talents, setting up your scouting network correctly is crucial. When you start a new Career Mode, one of the first things you should do is hire scouts. Aim for scouts with high ratings in both experience and judgment. These attributes determine the quality of players they can find and the accuracy of their reports. Distribute your scouts across different countries, focusing on regions known for producing young football talents.

Choosing the Right Countries

Selecting the right countries to scout is paramount. South America, particularly Brazil and Argentina, is a goldmine for attacking players with flair and technical skills. European countries like Spain, Germany, and Italy often produce well-rounded players with good tactical awareness. African nations can offer physically gifted players with raw potential. Consider your team's needs and playing style when deciding where to send your scouts. If you need a creative midfielder, South America might be the best bet. If you're looking for a solid defender, Germany or Italy could be more fruitful.

Scout Instructions: Defining Player Types

When you assign a scout to a country, you need to give them specific instructions about the type of player you're looking for. You can choose from various player types, such as winger, striker, midfielder, defender, or goalkeeper. You can also specify attributes like pace, physicality, or technical ability. Being specific in your instructions helps the scout narrow down their search and find players that fit your team's requirements. For example, if you need a fast winger, instruct your scout to look for players with high pace and dribbling attributes. If you need a strong defender, focus on players with high strength and tackling attributes.

Managing Your Youth Academy

Once you've scouted some promising youngsters, the next step is to bring them into your Youth Academy. Managing your academy effectively is crucial for nurturing their talents and preparing them for first-team football. This involves monitoring their development, providing them with appropriate training, and giving them opportunities to play in matches.

Bringing Players into Your Academy

When your scouts find a player you're interested in, they will send you a report with their attributes and potential rating. If you like what you see, you can sign the player to your Youth Academy. Be mindful of your academy's capacity; it can only hold a limited number of players. It's a good idea to keep an eye on your academy and release players who aren't progressing as expected to make room for new talents. When signing players, consider their personality traits, such as driven, professional, or balanced. These traits can influence their development and how quickly they reach their potential.

Training and Development

Training is key to improving your youth players' attributes. Focus on training sessions that target their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. For example, if you have a striker with great finishing but poor dribbling, focus on dribbling drills to improve their overall game. Each player can be assigned up to three training sessions per week, so choose wisely. Also, pay attention to their sharpness, which affects their performance in matches. Players with high sharpness perform better, so try to balance training with rest to keep their sharpness levels up. Keep in mind that player development takes time, so be patient and consistent with your training regime.

Promoting Players to the First Team

Knowing when to promote players from your Youth Academy to the first team is crucial. Promote them too early, and they may not be ready for the demands of professional football. Wait too long, and they may not reach their full potential. A good rule of thumb is to promote players when their overall rating reaches the mid-60s to early 70s. At this point, they should be able to contribute to the first team and continue their development through regular game time. When promoting players, make sure you have a plan for how they will fit into your squad. Consider their position, playing style, and the competition they will face for a place in the team.

Loan System: Giving Players Game Time

If you're not quite ready to give a youth player regular first-team football, consider sending them out on loan. The loan system can be a fantastic way for young players to gain valuable experience and improve their attributes. When loaning out a player, choose a club where they will get regular game time in a competitive league. Also, consider the club's playing style and how well it suits the player's attributes. A loan spell can significantly boost a player's development, so choose wisely. Keep in touch with the player during their loan spell and monitor their progress. When they return to your club, they should be better prepared for first-team football.

Contract Negotiations: Securing Your Talents

Once your youth players start to develop into valuable assets, it's essential to secure their long-term futures with new contracts. Keep an eye on their contract expiry dates and start negotiations well in advance. Offer them competitive wages and playing time incentives to convince them to stay at your club. Be prepared to negotiate with their agents, who will often try to get the best deal for their clients. If you have a player with high potential, it's worth investing in them and securing their future at your club. Losing a promising youth player to a rival club can be a major setback.

Tips and Tricks for Success

To maximize your success in finding and developing youth players in FIFA 23, here are some additional tips and tricks:

• Regularly check your Youth Academy: Keep an eye on your academy and release players who aren't progressing as expected to make room for new talents.
• Invest in better scouts: Upgrade your scouting network by hiring scouts with higher ratings in experience and judgment.
• Be patient: Player development takes time, so be patient and consistent with your training regime.
• Monitor player sharpness: Pay attention to player sharpness and balance training with rest to keep their sharpness levels up.
• Utilize the loan system: Send promising youth players out on loan to gain valuable experience and improve their attributes.
• Secure long-term contracts: Offer competitive wages and playing time incentives to convince your best youth players to stay at your club.

By following these strategies and techniques, you can build a strong Youth Academy and develop a team of world-class players in FIFA 23. Good luck, and happy scouting!