The career mode experience inEA Sports FC 25has seen its ups and downs over the years, but luckily, there are always new superstars made every year to keep the transfer experience fresh. In EA FC 25, some new faces have improved since last year alongside young stars beginning to hit their stride and make their mark on world football.
Whether you’ve been mystified by “Cold” Palmer mania or you’re too focused on the bright young Bundesliga talent to notice, there are top-tier wide midfielders to choose from across the top five leagues. We’ve included a blend of bargains and bank-breakers for all budgets, though many of these players won’t come without some intense negotiations.
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Dejan Kulusevski is an excellent wide midfield choice if you’re taking hold of a solid team outside the world’s top ten best, and can fill in as the leader of a young team or as an important cog in your well-oiled machine.
Kulusevski is relatively affordable, and only 24 years old, but already well-developed and fairlyclose to fulfilling his potential early on.However, Kulusevski only has 85 potential, which should be solid enough in the long term if you want to build a team that contends for major titles.
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Staying within the confines of the Premier League, Alejandro Garnacho is a fantastic alternative to Kulusevski if you cansacrifice a bit of production now for a higher ceiling in the future.
While Garnacho’s sub-80 starting rating leaves plenty to be desired, he can grow to an 87 in time and should reach the mid-80s in his second season. Prying this young star from Manchester United won’t be cheap, as he might cost more than Kulusevski given that Garncaho is 20 – four years younger – and almost as good.
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If you’re looking for someone who can contribute to your team now, like Kulusevski, but want them to have a bit of room to grow, like Garnacho, then there’s another gem in the Premier League who will suit you perfectly. Mohammed Kudus isWest Ham’s brightest star and boasts a solid 82 rating to start career mode.
In addition to his current talents and ability to grow further, Kudus is a versatile player who can provide more than just wide midfield play, as hecan also slot into the CAM roleif you need. Kudus is a great player for almost any career mode team unless you’re using Real Madrid.
Karim Adeyemi is one of the brightest young stars in the Bundesliga and boasts a similar overall and potential profile to Alejandro Garnacho, though Adeyemi also touts one of the highest Pace ratings, and is easilyone of the fastest players in EA FC 25.
At only 22 years old, Adeyemi offers high potential, though you need toput in the time and effort to find the best development plan for Adeyemiif you want him to achieve it. Though his overall rating is lagging behind other comparable choices, Adeyemi’s blistering speed makes it hard to find another player like him.
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Jeremie Frimpong is a much more polished player than any of the other wide midfielders thus far, as his 84 overall rating places him within striking distance of his maximum level.
Whilepotential provides an estimateof a player’s maximum rating, it’snot set in stone,making it possible for a player to exceed their potential under the right circumstances.
While it’s hard to guarantee if Frimpong can exceed his potential, he begins career mode at only 23, leaving a handful of seasons between now and his prime, so he might surprise you if you continue developing him into his late 20s. Even if he meets his 86 potential, Frimpong’s speed is similar to Adeyemi’s, though he falls a bit short of that high standard.
Jadon Sancho might have been at the top of this list if he kept his previous positive trajectory, but his stint at Manchester United stagnated his development, making Sancho the latest to suffer this fate. Real-life misfortunes aside, Sancho still boasts a potential of 86 and begins career mode at 82 overall, which is worthy of a bench spot at minimum.
Once you’ve put time into his development, Sancho can use his five-star Skill Moves to carve through defenses with his impressive dribbling skills. While his Pace and Passing leave a lot to be desired, Sancho is an excellent player if you enjoyplaying through defenders with the ball at your feet.
If you don’t have time to wait for development, and you wanta superstar who can step into your starting lineup and change the face of your squad,then Grimaldo is an excellent choice for you. Grimaldo isn’t a glamorous player, but his solid blend of offensive and defensive abilities makes himreliable on both sides of the ball.
Passing is Grimaldo’s best attribute, as he can cross the ball to your striker or pick out passes through the center of the pitchlike one of the game’s top midfielders.Grimaldo can even dribble well enough to create offense on his own, making him a great option on either side of the pitch.
If you’re looking for a budding star who can already put in an impressive shift for any of the top sides in the world, thenMichael Olise is one of the best options in world football.The new Bayern Munich player has progressed immensely since his debut at Crystal Palace and is making waves at only 22 years of age.
Given Olise’s incredible performances thus far this season, it’s possible he may receive an updated potential later in the year.
While 82 is the cap for the best wide midfielders thus far, Olise is capable of entering the mid-80s with a little development and should reach that mark by the second season.
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Not to be confused with his brother, Inaki, who also plays wide midfield for Athletic Bilbao, Nico Williams is a young superstar in the making with an impressive starting rating andthe ability to become one of the world’s best.
Williams boasts the best combination of youth, starting rating, and potential thus far and can even play both LM and RM. What’s most impressive is thatWilliams even has a five-star weak foot,making him equally effective on either side. Williams' Pace and Dribbling are superb, but you’ll need tofocus on improving his Passing and Shootingif you want to make him an elite finisher.
Cole Palmer stands equal with Nico Williams on paper, but the young Chelsea superstar is more well-rounded than Athletic Bilbao’s young star. While Palmer lacks the perfect weak foot, heboasts a solid core of 82 Shooting, 83 Passing, and 86 Dribblingto make him a triple threat.
While his Pace is lacking compared to players like Adeyemi and Williams, Palmer excels as either an RM or CAM, given his incredibly versatile skills. At only 22 years old, Palmer will be a difficult purchase to pry from Chelsea, but he’s worth every bit.
