In Football Manager 2024, scouting out young players is just as important to long term success as building out your current starting roster. Finding the next wonderkid is always a gamble, but the proper youth academy might lead you in the right direction.
Scouting out the next generation of talent in Football Manager 2024 requires both insight and luck, given the sheer number of clubs. The best bet you have to find that next Erling Haaland is to look into the quality of a club’s youth facilities.
Newgens, youth recruitment, and training are all vital pieces of information to take in whenever scouting out a youth academy. If you’re trying to find a diamond in the rough, here’s where we recommend you look.
What is the best Youth Academy in Football Manager 2024?
The best Youth Academy in Football Manager 2024 is undoubtedly Manchester City. The repeat Premier League champions come as no surprise at the top of this list. The training facilities, youth facilities, and youth recruitment easily rank amongst the best in the world, which makes sense considering the recent success of the club.
If you are scouting out talent at Manchester City, then you can expect a price tag to match. Even though Manchester City is the best bet in terms of guaranteed talent, I’d recommend looking in other clubs and leagues to find your next star.
Best Youth Academies in Football Manager 2024
As previous stated, training facilities, youth facilities, and recruitment are all key factors to consider whenever looking at youth academies. Even if a club such as Manchester City meet and exceed all these requirements, the next wonderkid could still come out of a random team in the Uruguay third division.
Below are several of the clubs I’ve managed to find that can produce great youth talent without completely busting the bank.
Independiente del Valle
Independiente del Valle is a club in Ecuador that ranks staggeringly high in many of the important youth academy stats. In terms of youth facilities and training, Independiente del Valle is only a step behind the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City.
What makes Independiente del Valle my personal favorite hotspot for youth talent is the junior coaching. Although recruitment may be below average, the players that end up at the club are far more likely to max out their potential.
Club Brugge
The recruitment, facilities, and training of the Club Brugge youth academy all match up on paper with the best of the best. Here, you can find some of the best youth talent in Europe without the expense you might expect from Barcelona or similar top clubs. Junior coaching leaves a little to be desired, but the likelihood you get a top performer from Club Brugge is very high.
Benfica
Benfica is among the top clubs historically in Liga Portugal and has developed a youth academy to match this on-pitch excellence. Maxed out in both youth facilities and training, it’s no wonder why Benfica produces such a wide pool for five star recruits.
In many ways (but mainly price), I believe Benfica even overshadows the likes of Manchester City in it’s youth potential. Junior coaching again is somewhat underwhelming when compared to other top youth academies, but scouting future talent at Benfica will likely end up in your favor.
