5 Football Manager 2023 midfielders to top your FM23 transfer targets list

Ah, the midfield. The fulcrum of any good side is in charge of providing attacking verve, invaluable defensive cover, and progressing the ball up the field. It’s difficult to understate the importance of a good midfield in Football Manager 2023, considering all the jobs midfielders are tasked with doing.

In many ways, considering which players you’d like to target for your FM23 transfer list is a matter of youth and versatility. Since one of the best strategies to employ in the game is to buy young players and help them grow into massive stars, players that might not necessarily be on your radar as the best talents in the world can often make the difference between a successful season and getting the sack. You’ll also want midfielders that can provide some cover at multiple positions along the way. Yes, it would be nice if your traditional No. 6, your box-to-box engine, and your attacking midfielder all stay perfectly healthy and in form all season, but things rarely work out that way, don’t they?

Thanks to our friend over at Scouted Football, we’ve identified some of the best FM23 talents you’ll want to look out for using real-world scouting. It’s never too early to start planning your next save, and if you want to get ahead of the curve, you can start looking at the real-world exploits of some of the players that will inevitably come to the game.

From midfield destroyers to elegant creators, here are the midfielders you should look out for when FM23 drops.

Best young midfielders to buy in Football Manager 2023

Fabio Miretti

Age: 19

Club: Juventus

Perhaps Juventus’ best-ever academy graduate, Fabio Miretti is a massive talent. A versatile, deeply intelligent midfielder, Miretti will fit into various styles and setups and would make an excellent development addition to any top team: he’s a wonderful dribbler, passer, defender, and engine, making him useful for possession-based sides and those looking to exploit weaknesses in transition.

Miretti is breaking into Juve’s first team in the real world, but FM’s version of Max Allegri might not give him the same chance; take advantage of the club’s midfield traffic jam and get him out, quick.

Fabian Rieder

• Age: 20
• Club: BSC Young Boys

Emerging out of Switzerland, Fabian Rieder is a name likely to become commonplace is BSC Young Boys can escape their Europa League group this season. A jack-of-all-trades midfield profile capable of a box-to-box role or playing more advanced, Rieder offers solid performances and decent output: he has two goals and three assists to his name already this term.

Rieder will be a relatively cheap and extremely adaptable option that would make a great pickup, particularly for those managing in the Bundesliga, where his skillset will fit nicely.

Dario Essugo

Age: 17

Club: Sporting CP

Although very young to be playing in a position that often requires experience and maturity, Dario Essugo is very capable of knitting his team together from deep midfield. A true ball-winning midfielder, Essugo uses his impressive physicality to offer his team defensive stability, working as a lynchpin and keeping the ball moving to a decent tempo.

Sporting values him highly, so he’ll be tough to purchase but worth every penny. Act fast before others catch on.

Alex Scott

• Age: 19
• Club: Bristol City

No, not the much-loved ex-Arsenal defender – although she could probably still do a job if you can coax her out of retirement – Bristol City’s Alex Scott is making waves in the Championship. He’s largely played in an attacking midfield role for the club so far, but we think his profile better suits the double pivot. If his in-game stats reflect that, it might be worth considering him for retraining.

Scott mixes technique with tenacity, equally capable of breaking lines with the ball at his feet and breaking down opponent’s attacks without it. Anyone managing outside of the Premier League’s top six will love him.

Sivert Mannsverk

• Age: 20
• Club: FK Molde

A favorite of FM editions past, Sivert Mannsverk will once again be a prestige buy. A well-rounded midfielder with the tools to play at any level, Mannsverk will develop into an excellent number six or eight—depending on how you’d like to play him.

The only drawback compared to previous editions of the game is that Mannsverk made a move from second division Sogndal IL to Norwegian title-contenders FK Molde last summer, meaning he’ll be slightly more expensive. But players from the pinnacle of Norway don’t attract much in the way of fees, so he still represents a tried-and-tested option that’s sure to be value for money.