FIFA 21 best young defenders: The top 50 DEFs on career mode

Goal looks at all the wonderkid defenders in Career Mode, listing their potential ability, current rating and price in the game

You can't lose games if you don't concede goals. Many defensive-minded managers have lived and died by this approach in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

In reality and especially in FIFA 21, this is easier said than done. Defending is an art in FIFA and the new improvements to dribbling and forward runs in this year's game make it even more difficult to keep a clean sheet.

Signing the best defenders is crucial in Career Mode, with world-class centre-backs and full-backs costing top dollar.

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There are bargains to be found if you want to sign cheap young defenders with high potential and are willing to put the effort in to turn them into superstars.

Players with high current ratings like Matthijs de Ligt and Alphonso Davies will be too expensive for the majority of teams, but Sporting CP duo Nuno Mendes and Eduardo Quaresma might be cheaper alternatives that will eventually reach similar heights.

Game time and training is crucial to player growth in FIFA 21, so if you do sign some of these cheap wonderkids, make sure you give them enough minutes to develop properly and become superstars.

Here are all the best young defenders in FIFA 21 Career Mode, ordered by their potential rating in the game.

PO. = Position(s)

CR = Current Rating

PR = Potential Rating

VA. = Value

*Clubs listed are the clubs the players are assigned to in FIFA 21 Career Mode, while ages shown are the age at the start of Career Mode

FIFA 21: Best young defenders

#	Name	Age	Club	PO.	CR	PR	VA.
1	M de Ligt	20	Juventus	CB	85	92	£44.6m
2	A Davies	19	Bayern Munich	LB, LM, RM	81	89	£20.3m
3	S Dest	19	Barcelona	RB	75	88	£11.7m
4	J Gvardiol	18	RB Leipzig	CB, LB	73	87	£5.9m
5	R James	20	Chelsea	RB, RWB	80	86	£27.5m
6	L Stergiou	18	St Gallen	CB	67	86	£2.2m
7	O Kabak	20	Schalke	CB	77	85	£11.7m
8	W Saliba	19	Arsenal	CB	74	85	£9m
9	Nuno Mendes	18	Sporting CP	LWB, LM	72	85	£5.4m
10	O Wijndal	20	AZ Alkmaar	LB	77	85	£11.3m
11	J Todibo	20	Barcelona	CB	75	85	£9.5m
12	Eduardo Quaresma	18	Sporting CP	CB	72	85	£5.4m
13	R Ait Nouri	19	Angers	LB	71	85	£4.2m
14	J Frimpong	19	Celic	RB, RWB	70	85	£3.2m
15	L Netz	17	Hertha BSC	LB, LM	63	85	£675k
16	B Arrey-Mbi	17	Bayern Munich II	CB, LB	60	85	£385k
17	N Perez	20	Atletico Madrid	CB	75	85	£9m
18	B Williams	19	Man Utd	LB, LWB	75	85	£8.6m
19	M Kumbulla	20	Roma	CB	75	85	£9m
20	Tomas Tavares	20	Benfica	CB	73	85	£5.9m
21	Nuno Tavares	20	Benfica	LB	72	85	£5m
22	Eric Garcia	19	Man City	CB	72	85	£5m
23	T Kouassi	18	Bayern Munich	CB, CDM	71	85	£4.1m
24	J Vagnoman	19	Hamburg	RB, LM, LB	69	85	£1.9m
25	N Williams	19	Liverpool	RB	67	85	£1.4m
26	M Kana	17	Anderlecht	CM, CDM, CM	65	85	£900k
27	O Rekik	18	Hertha BSC	CB	63	85	£700k
28	P Schuurs	20	Ajax	CB	75	84	£8.6m
29	T Malacia	20	Feyenoord	LB	75	84	£8.6m
30	E Ndicka	20	Eintracht Frankfurt	CB, LB	74	84	£7.7m
31	Alex Centelles	20	Valencia	LB	74	84	£7.2m
32	Z Vanheusden	20	Standard Liege	CB	73	84	£5.9m
33	L Cacace	19	Sint-Truidense	LB, LWB	73	84	£5.4m
34	N Katterbach	19	Koln	LB	70	84	£3.2m
35	E Ampadu	19	Chelsea	CB, CDM	67	84	£1.4m
36	L Pirola	18	Inter	CB	63	84	£700k
37	K Hoever	18	Wolves	RB, CB	63	84	£700k
38	C Riad	17	Barcelona	CB	59	84	£300k
39	D Bradaric	20	Lille	LB	75	83	£8.1m
40	M Aarons	20	Norwich	RB	73	83	£5.4m
41	J Bogle	19	Sheffield United	RB	72	83	£4.2m
42	W Fofana	19	Saint-Etienne	CB	71	83	£3.4m
43	David Carmo	20	Braga	CB	71	83	£3.5m
44	A Bernabei	19	Atletico Lanus	LB, LW, LM	70	83	£2.7m
45	F Agu	20	Werder Bremen	LB, RB, RM	70	83	£2.8m
46	Guillamon	20	Valencia	CB, CDM	69	83	£2m
47	J Beyer	20	Borussia M'gladbach	RB, CB	69	83	£1.9m
48	M Karbownik	19	Legia Warsaw	LB, CM	68	83	£1.6m
49	I Kabore	19	Man City	RB	68	83	£1.6m
50	Tiago Djalo	20	Lille	CB	68	83	£1.6m
51	M Bard	19	Lyon	LB	67	83	£1.4m
52	K Sardella	18	Anderlecht	RB, LB	66	83	£1.1m
53	C Richards	20	Bayern Munich II	CB, RB	66	83	£1.2m
54	E Laird	18	Man Utd	RB	66	83	£1.1m
55	T Lamptey	19	Brighton	RB, RM	66	83	£1.2m
56	T Mengi	18	Man Utd	CB	65	83	£900k
57	N Armini	19	Lazio	CB	65	83	£990k
58	T Pembele	17	PSG	RB, LB, CB	63	83	£600k
59	K Calhanoglu	17	Schalke	LB, LM	62	83	£575k
60	D Cirkin	18	Spurs	LB	61	83	£475k